If you believe in wearing a lucky pullover then maybe the ITV commentators comment 8 minutes before half-time that Fabio Capello would be satisfied at half-time was an omen of doom. Even without my pullover I knew they’d score when he said it.
No, not a good night in Africa. England blunt at the front and vulnerable at the back still expect to qualify. Only occasionally from Lennon and Johnson was any attacking flair shown and even then the final cross into the middle was more a hopeful punt than a thoughtful pass. Gerrard played better than I’d seen him for England and Rooney was sucking their attention which detracted from his play but was probably good strategically.
Whether it was frustration or a bad night the vuvuzela’s and poor commentary and punditry on ITV only made it worse. Even after the match the BBC News24 commentator was drowned out by excessively loud music. Might this be the Loud World Cup, better than a silent world cup but please turn it down a bit.