For Part 3, I caught up with Football Commentator. He is one of the best football bloggers around in the cyber space. He is so neutral that it is difficult to decipher which country he is from! Now officially, we can declare that the dude is English. Football Commentator is dedicated to covering up and coming players, trends in football, major tournaments, European domestic leagues and commentary of rule changes. I thank Football Commentator for agreeing for to interview.

Tell us a bit about the Road to the World Cup – the qualification, and the emotions the fans went through at the time.

England didn’t really have the hardest qualifying, yet didn’t storm through the group, winning most matches by the single goal. They had a relatively easy group but a coach who is a constant source of tabloid reading. Poland proved to be the only close competition for the top spot.

Give us a brief summary of your country’s footballing history.

England has won the World Cup once in 1966 at home and has featured in almost every tournament except for the first 3 and couldn’t compete during the next 2 because of WW2. Since 1950 they have missed the 1974, 1978 and 1994 Cups. Other than the single win their results have been a bit of a let down.

What style of football does the national team play?

England, sometimes to their detriment, play one of the more open styles of international football around. England try to play like they play in the Premiership, just like their squads do in the Champions League. Often this fails when faced with teams which like to foul and grind. They play the right way though and I wouldn’t trade it.

What do you think your country’s prospects are?

Quite good, actually. This England squad is the best I’ve seen in a long time, especially in midfield. They have a world class player in virtually every position and can score goals both from midfield and through their strikers.

Who will be the most important player for your country?

I think its Frank Lampard and John Terry of Chelsea. They are very influential for different reasons. Lampard brings tons of energy and keeps opposition from defending too deep because he can shoot. Terry is quite the leader at the back and brings a certain toughness that the side needs.

Which player in your country’s side would you most like to get rid of?

David Beckham. I’ve watched him thoroughly un-impress at Real Madrid this season and (to me) plays because of reputation and not form. He’s has some moments and yes, has a fantastic free kick, but I think England would do better to avoid the long ball game as much as possible and focus on possession and using their quickest players.

Who are the players to watch from the other countries?

Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano and Riquelme of Argentina, Tomas Rocisky of the Czech Republic, Rio Mavuba of France (if he plays), Hedwiges Maduro of the Netherlands, Pedro Mantorras of Angola, Luca Toni of Italy and Shunsuke Nakamura of Japan.

What will be your excuse in the event of failure?

The coach. Sven-Goran Eriksson has done some good things for England but he’s also been a distraction. If England reach a semi-final I would suggest it’s a strong performance but otherwise a failure.

Have you got the right manager?

No. While I don’t like the in your face militant managers, Eriksson is too passive. Recently when Wayne Rooney was acting crazy on the pitch for England he didn’t do enough about it. He should have suspended him a few games to show him what the rules are.

What advice would you give him?

Possession. Play through the midfield since it’s among the best in the world and hold the ball. Long ball tactics are good for a team that can’t build towards a goal and need a lucky break or for use on teams with insufficient foot skills to maintain possession. England doesn’t suffer from any of that and should play to their strengths.

How important will this tournament be for England’s long-term prospects, given that Eriksson will be leaving after the tournament?

Only winning the tournament will have an effect on the players. They will be seen as rising above the coach and achieving a great deal. Otherwise its back to their wealthy lifestyles and big cars.

Which team do you most want to beat?

If you interview 20 people, 19 will probably say Brazil. I will also.

Which opposition player will get the most stick?

Probably the ones who play in England. The German players always get a hard time. Argentina always gets a frown because of recent history. Drogba and Arjan Robben will because they are world class divers.

Where will you watch the matches?

Home sweet home. Although I would love to see the matches live, I hate being ripped off which is what happens during events like this.

How keenly will the World Cup be followed in your country?

Religiously.

Who will be the player of the tournament?

A few come to mind, it could be Kaka from Brazil, Cristano Ronaldo from Portugal, Ronaldinho of Brazil, Theirry Henry from France and Frank Lampard of England.

Who will win the Golden Boot?

My money would be on Adriano of Brazil or Theirry Henry of France. Fernando Torres of Spain could surprise, as well as Wayne Rooney of England and Ruud van Nistelrooy of the Netherlands, if they advance to the later rounds it might be Andiry Shevchenko of Ukraine.

Which team will disappoint the most?

It might look a fool and see them reach the final again but I think Germany are a long way from being a contender and will crash out. Home soil might save them. Another potential disaster could be Italy who are in the group of death with players whose legs are worn down from a tough domestic season.

Who will be the surprise team of the tournament?

I think it will be Ivory Coast. They were very impressive in the African Cup of nations and have talent all over the squad. They are fairly disciplined and have something to prove.

Another surprise might see Portugal win the tournament. It could only happen if their strikers produce which didn’t happen at Euro 2004.

Finally, Who will win the World Cup?

Brazil. They are just too talented. They have enough players to fill up 3 national sides and be competitive. The World Cup means more to Brazil than any nation on earth and the players bring with them the confidence that they know how to win at this level.

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I hope you enjoyed part 3. Follow up questions for Football Commentator can be emailed to me at pratyushkhaitan[@]gmail[.]com Also, feel free to contact me if you would like to be interviewed or know a friend who would like/could be interviewed. Specific questions for specific countries which might pop in your mind in due course may also be sent. Coming up next is the interview from South Korea.

For the rest of the interviews, check out the World Cup interview series page.

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