THE BUILD-UP to the World Cup has begun and if anyone wants me you’ll find me glued to the TV.
Whoever thought of renaming the History Channel to the History of Football channel for the next two weeks is my hero! My two passions rolled into one!
It was a sports career for me or one in History after my model days – clearly, sport won, but history will always capture my heart, even more so when it’s about the beautiful game.
But some moments in football aren’t always so beautiful.
Let’s take Saturday night’s Champions League final for instance and a very questionable tackle by Sergio Ramos that gave WWE’s Triple H a run for his money.
And of course those unmissable saves from Loris Karius, well actually he did miss but anyway I don’t want to rub salt in the wounds.
Players make mistakes and then things can turn pretty ugly, but 24-year-old Karius isn’t alone.
He may be having a hard time now but I want to give him a little pep talk, and I’m not on about Mr Guardiola.
WORK OF AT John Gorman now loves to draw after swapping coaching England for painting Three Lions stars
If David Seaman could keep calm and carry on after forgetting to jump to save Ronaldinho’s free-kick against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup, hen I have no doubt the German Goalkeeper can overcome this little set back in his career.
Loris, who still has three years remaining on his contract with the Reds, isn’t the only player to have messed up in a major tournament and nor will he be the last.
He needs to make sure this doesn’t get him down and come back fighting next season.
Whether the keeper leaves Anfield for a season-long loan deal with newly promoted Serie C side Rimini as has been reported, or he stays; one thing is sure, he needs to turn up, show his fight and gain get his confidence back.
Let’s not forget there was a time when our very own ‘Golden Balls’ David Beckham was the most hated guy in England, yes, who can forget that famous retaliation kick on Argentina’s Diego Simone in France 1998.
But three years later he became England’s hero once again, scoring that last minute goal from a free kick, qualifying us for the World cup in 2002 – where he would get his revenge on Argentina with that belter of a penalty.
I also remember a time I hated Cristiano Ronaldo, ok, doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out which game I’m talking about; Germany 2006 England verses Portugal.
most read in football
Manchester United team-mates and close friends (apparently) up until that tournament at least.
Knowing Wayne weaknesses, it seemed Ronaldo was set out to get Rooney sent off, which of course he succeeded. If that wasn’t infuriating enough then came THAT WINK!!
Just thinking of it again is making me angry.
I won’t repeat what I was shouting in the pub that day. But now 12-years on I’m almost over it until I get reminded of it by my Portuguese partner and now think Ronaldo is one of, if not arguably the greatest footballer of our time.
So there’s still hope for Loris Karius, don’t let them keep you down!
Leave a comment