Saturday’s win at Villa Park gave us a decent end to a bad week at the office. We really can’t afford any more weeks runs like that if we’re going to end up with silverware come the end of the season.
Whilst we were in charge for large parts of the game we still look frail and lacking defensive tactical discipline as a team. Still, let’s be thankful for small mercies. This is the first season for yonks where we could have tripped up as often as we have and still be in touch in third place two points off the lead, although Manchester United’s goal difference and goals scored tallies are better by four and three respectively. It’s still all to play for in the League.
We need to put the League aside until Wednesday though. Tomorrow night it’s the Pie Eaters in the Carling Cup at the Grove. We have unfinished business with them after they knocked us out right at the death in the semi-final second leg at Highbury in 2006. I’m pleased to see that the game has sold out; a tribute to the club’s pricing policy in this competition. I remember crowds as low as 16,000 at Highbury against Preston North End in recent times before the board decided to slash admission prices for this competition.
There’s also another big decision for the game in England coming up on Thursday in Zurich when the FIFA executive committee will decide the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. My instinct is that Russia will be the name pulled out of the envelope when FIFA president Sepp Blatter announces the 2018 hosts. Believe it or not I think Qatar has a very good chance of being announced as the hosts for 2022.
There are serious, serious problems with Qatar, not the least that daytime temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius in the Arabian summer and the country’s severe lack of hotel rooms, especially affordable ones for the average fan. There’s also the question of airport capacity.
We should always bear in mind however that this isn’t about who has the best or even the most lucrative bid. The World Cup is such a financial monster these days that broadcasting and sponsorship income is what really matters, not how accessible the tournament is for real, live actual fans who want to go to the games.
Qatar’s plan includes a series of temporary stadia with temperature reduction systems which would, so it is said, bring the temperature on the pitch down to a more tolerable although still sticky 30 degrees or so.
Qatar has the advantage of being in a time zone that is only three hours ahead of Britain and two hours for most the rest of western Europe. This matters when it comes to the World Cup. The other potential hosts for 2022 – Japan, South Korea, Australia and the USA all present problems for European broadcasters with early morning kick-offs. All bar Australia and Qatar have also held the tournament in the recent past.
I for one won’t be surprised if Russia and Qatar are celebrating come Thursday.
Here’s to celebrating a Carling Cup semi-final place come the final whistle tomorrow night.
Keep the faith!
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