England’s Worst Enemy

It is becoming increasingly clear that England’s biggest challenge heading into the World Cup might not be its opponents, but itself. First there was the Sven scandal that shook the world and now we are seeing the very public speculation about Sol Campbell’s private life.

It seems to me that in both cases the British tabloids were out to bring down these men and by extension England’s World Cup chances.

At World Cup Blog, we read a lot of press from around the world. In some countries the papers act like a cheerleader for their players and team. In other countries the press largely ignores their team. And in England, at least this year, certain segments of the press seem determined to do everything possible to become the story themselves. It appears that they will only be satisfied when England fails.

Let’s be clear. Neither Sven nor Sol deserves a free pass. In SGE’s case, he was setup but he also fell upon the sword of stupidity by speaking indiscreetly. In Campbell’s case, walking out on your team is only going to lead to scrutiny, especially when you fail to communicate with your own team about your whereabouts. If both men had handled their respective situations in a wiser fashion they would be in a better position today.

For Sven, the bottom line has become win the World Cup or you’ll never be forgiven. For Sol, it is hard to say what he can do to win back the public’s faith. He has not played especially well this season at Arsenal dealing with a series of injuries that have exposed the weaknesses of his game. But keep in mind that Campbell has been on the field for every minute of every game during England’s last four major tournaments. His experience is something not easily replaced if indeed he is unable to secure a spot on the team.

The bigger concern for England fans should be what comes next. The tabloids are foaming at the mouth with the thought of increased sales. Undoubtedly they will do their best to bring down a few more players regardless of whether the player’s actions warrant it. The players will never admit that this is a problem for the team, but it is hard to imagine that it doesn’t have an effect and that is isn’t a distraction.

All of this makes for great drama, but it is a drama that an England team with high expectations hardly wants to deal with over the next five months.