By Myles Palmer
I’ve got a funny feeling that if Denmark score first, France will go out of this World Cup.
But, like many players, I’m off form at the moment. Some of my predictions have been wrong.
Q : Can Zidane alone transform a struggling team?
A : No.
Q : Can Vieira revive France then?
A : Yes if Makelele plays the holding role and Patrick gets forward more. He is a huge talent and a colossally competitive spirit.France needs a hero in her hour of need it’s more likely to be PV than anybody else.
Q : Did Lemerre bungle his substitutions in that 0-0 against Uruguay?
A: Of Course he did.Roger is backward-looking, poor soul. He looks back to Djorkaeff, Dugarry. It’s a worship of reputation, seniority. Cisse for Wiltord after 65 was the call. Not Cissse of Trezeguet after 80. I’ve seen Trezeguet sharper but he can head and volley goals. Never take off a goalscorer, especially when it’s 0-0 and you’re down to ten men.
Q : Did you know that Vieira and Zidane share a birthday?
A : Yes, Zizou is 30 on the 23rd and Patrick’s 26.Both might be on an early plane back to Paris long before then, though.
Q :France have played two games without scoring a goal. What makes you think they can score two against Denmark?
A : I don’t know whether they can score one goal or two or three.But I ask myself : Can France exit the 2002 World Cup without scoring a goal in three games? Something tells me that Patrick won’t allow that to happen.
Q: Have Real Madrid threatened legal action of Zidane plays and breaks down?
A:I believe they are considering all forms of redress.
Q : Were the French were arrogant or complacent in their first two games?
A: Impossible to say at this distance.But Marcel Desailly is not stupid. He didn’t turn up in Japan expecting a festival of football in which he was gonna be crowned king. He looked at Senegal and thought, “These guys want my scalp!They wanna be able to say: We beat the World Champions!”
If the fixtures had fallen Denmark-Uruguay-Senegal it might have been completely different. When the draw was made Lemerre said something like, “Jesus, not Senegal in our first game!”
Can’t rememeber EXACTLY what he said but he didn’t fancy that game.He knew what Senegal would be like: very fast, very physical, a World Cup Final for the West Africans against their old colonial masters.
Lemerre would have liked ANY other game to get his feet under the table. A draw against Senegal would have been OK.But a 1-0 defeat was massive news all round the world. Everyone saw cracks in the edifice.
Q : Is your metabolism now geared up to 7.30 a.m. kick-offs?
A No, and it never will be. Football should be watched in the afternoons and evenings.
After a day of watching a game, skipping a second game, keeping an eye on a third game, and talking about football on the phone, I’m shattered.
I’m ready to flop down and watch junk like Spies on BBC1. I’ve seen the sexy lives of doctors.I’ve seen the sexy lives of politicians. I’ve seen the sexy lives of barristers.The sexy lives of teachers.The sexy lives of detectives.The sexy lives of footballer’s wives.
And now I’m watching the sexy lives of spies. Next year?Dustmen?Postmen? Farmers? Inland Revenue inspectors?
I just wish France v Denmark was at 7.30 p.m.
G’night !
June 10th 2002.