Setanta offer test of Carragher’s claims

Jamie Carragher’s claims last week that some England players care more about playing for their clubs than their country struck a nerve. With a rising number of early retirements from International football and supporter apathy toward the national team growing by the game, the scouse totem might, for once, to have it about right.

Carragher’s comments last season that England attracted more support from the south than the north were under-reported (possibly because he wasn’t then trying to sell his autobiography) but those supporters of the likes of United and Liverpool knew what he meant. Both these clubs (and the cities they represent) regard themselves as seperate in heart and mind from the rest of the country.

Both cities exist on an altogether higher plane than any other city in the UK with the exception of some of the more clued-up parts of London. Manchester and Liverpool are cultural capitals in a way that places like Reading and Watford (or even Edinburgh and Cardiff) could never hope to be. Regular exposure to Europe has engendered an easy way with foreign languages among their fans, promoting a curiosity about foreign culture and an appreciation for the joys of travel not appreciated in the rest of the country. When Mancs and scousers travel abroad they know the score and it doesn’t include belting out ‘No Surrender’ in the middle of a French cafe. The fame of the two clubs has also lured foreigners to visit the two cities, revel in the nightlife and sample an England a million miles away from the Trafalgar Square pigeon feeding cockernee stereotype. 

England’s support, by contrast, tends to come from the less successful clubs – from supporters who, by and large, don’t get to travel abroad too often. Unaware of the rules and willing to play up to the British Bulldog image they fall in with the NF sympathisers. England’s support may have changed in the last decade or so but not rapidly enough to rid us completely of the idiots.

Yet it is results on the pitch that will define how England are regarded. Slaven Bilic’s comments regarding the England team recently were spot on – they have shown little or no improvement since the sides met last year, if anything England have gone backwards under Capello.

An accurate barometer of how the team are regarded will come tomorrow when Setanta’s viewing figures are released. This game is only available via satellite only and at a cost of £10 a month - a decent amount in tight times. Having shelled out an incredible £5 million to televise this tie, Setanta clearly expect a big boost in subscriptions but it’s a hell of a gamble, especially when there is so little confidence and enthusiasm for the team for the reason stated above. Should England fail, and the viewing figures hit an all-time low, then the future of International football will be in serious doubt in this country.

capital of football

All of a sudden Manchester not only has one of the biggest name in club football but the richest club in the world following yesterday’s shock takeover by Abu Dhabi United of Manchester City. Not only that but City then shelled out a reported £32.5m on Chelsea target Robinho at a stroke re-drawing the football map of Britain. Where once we talked of a big four, or even a big two, now it’s impossible to ignore the affect of City’s new found wealth – step forward the new Chelsea.

The fact that City paid over the odds for a player almost certainly unaware of the peculiar history of the Blues is irrelevant. Robinho is a vanity purchase designed to excite the support and serve notice to the rest of the league that there’s a big player at the Premiership’s top table.

All of a sudden Manchester is back as the capital of football, with the prospect of title races, perhaps Champions League ties and, above all, a genuine tension in the rivalry. Now City have their sugardaddy it’s exciting for both red and blue sides of the city. It certainly ends the trend of recent years of billionaires apparently training their sights on London clubs – City’s arabs have ten times the spending power of Chelsea’s Russian.

The danger for City is that the new owners expect instant results. Given time Hughes could deliver but blues only have to think back to the last game of last season to remember the humiliation of an 8-1 mauling by Middlesbrough to remind themselves that, whereas Abramovitch inherited a team of quality players capable of reaching the latter stages of the Champions League, Hughes was, until yesterday morning, attempting to re-float a sinking ship. Now, all of a sudden, he’s at the wheel of a 30 foot yacht, expected to steer the blues into the Champions League next year. The new owners are unlikely to accept too many excuses.

As for United, the drawn out Berbatov saga, following on from the drawn out Ronaldo saga, combined with Peter Kenyon’s inability to land Robinho leaves the Old Trafford club in a strong position to land at least one of the big two trophies. Quite what Big Phil made of English transfer deadline madness is anyone’s guess but Abramovitch will presumably be reviewing his Chief Executive’s performance in light of finishing second once more to a Manchester club.