Any Sauce With That Hat Goonerholic?

Well it's indigestion time for Goonerholic. I have to say my hat was almost as inedible as England's inept performance against Macedonia. Thank goodness no Arsenal players were involved in that debacle. The only saving grace was that Goran Pandev did not complete my humiliation with a winner for the visitors!

Which brings me to another conclusion I would not have thought possible a few years back. Watching the national team fumbling for some semblance of form would once have caused me much consternation. I used to enjoy going to Wembley to see England play, but the advent of the England Supporters Club, and increase in ticket prices, and temporary loss of our national stadium, has led me to follow them from the comfort of the armchair, or pub.

And do you know something? I don't miss seeing them one bit. Apart from one or two tremendous performances, against Holland in Euro 96 or the 5-1 in Germany, for example, for the most part watching England play has become tedious and uninteresting.

What sets watching Arsenal apart from seeing England play is that even when they have struggled on occasion the Gunners will still produce patches of sheer footballing inspiration. Even on the days when we have come a cropper against the likes of Bolton and Blackburn there have been spells where Wenger's team puts together wonderfully intricate, pacy, passing moves, albeit without end product.

The frustration I feel on such days is tangible. It eats away at my insides and I will go over the games in my head and look for the causes of our fallibility. I will be restless until we get out there again and carve out the victory that puts us back on track.

As for England, well, I will be watching the Croatia game. I will be half-heartedly cheering them on. In my heart of hearts though I have to confess that I will not be affected one way or the other by the result. I also have a pretty good idea that the game will not live in the memory for long. But no predictions this time, as my hat was decidedly tasteless, and my head is now cold!