Only a game?

The English take the World Cup seriously. This is a lovely picture of England football manager Fabio Capello during England's 0-0 draw with Algeria the other night. (Click on image to view detail).

On the far right is goalkeeper Rob Green, relegated to the bench after his monumental fuck-up cost England what would have been an undeserved win against the United States. He seems to have the face of a man who knows his life is ruined already, hopefully his loved ones are looking for a good therapist.

The three boys on the right look pretty tense too, unlike Green they are at risk of being asked to go out and play. They look like they would rather be somewhere, anywhere else.

Capello is upset because his players, none more so than star striker and Shrek look-alike Wayne Rooney seem to have forgotten how to play football. Here's a picture of Rooney telling the TV cameras what he thinks of the England supporters after they booed them off the pitch. He has since apologized.

While the team may not be very entertaining, the hysterical media reaction to their lack-lustre performance surely is. They seem to take no comfort from the fact that the French team is playing and behaving even worse than their own.