Ian's blog

The slow death of this England trip continues.

Most of my press colleagues at the Lemmy are staying on to cover various groups & outcomes, some as far as the quarters, some all the way to the final on 13th July.

For me, though, I shan't be far behind England's players in touching back down at Heathrow - news that will delight the haters and knuckle draggers.

It's funny, John Cross and I share opposing thoughts on England at times, but I don't demand Crossy should be sacked for having that viewpoint. Good old Twitter eh? Lovely people, just lovely :)

'Honesty, is such a lonely word,
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty, is hardly ever heard,
And mostly what I need from you.'

Billy Joel there - still sounds fresh (sorry, just lapsed into DJ mode there for a second).

Now we've all had a day or two to digest the events in São Paulo coupled with Costa Rica seeing off the Italians, the 'Hodgson In' & 'Hodgson Out' campaigns have begun in earnest in print, on air, and in every pub, club and bar you can think of.

So it's all going to be a bit eggy for the next few days.

England will be back at the Urca training camp on Saturday, preparing for what looks set to be a meaningless game (at least on our part) against Costa Rica next week. 

When we walk back into the media centre there, some minds might take a look at the purpose built facility with it's whitewashed walls and bright white tiled floors and wonder if this just another white elephant of English football. Like St George's Park? Like Wembley in both its guises? Like Lilleshall was before that?

The spectre of Partridge is never far away on this trip.

Having been served a cheeseburger that was 'hotter than the sun' yesterday, the buffet breakfast this morning in São Paulo had a 'toaster' that merely produced hot, floppy bread. If there's a trouser press in my Belo Horizonte hotel room, I may be tempted to dismantle it.

Well I stayed awake long enough to see Akinfeev's unfortunate 'bar of soap' moment for Russia against South Korea. I wonder whether Fabio Capello will drop his No.1 'keeper as ruthlessly as he did with Rob Green 4 years ago after the USA game? If he sticks with Akinfeev, then at least he's learned something from his time in charge of England. 

So I'm staying of course at the Leme hotel (pronounced 'Lemmy') and after last night it's clear that it's 'No Sleep Til São Paulo'! (Another in joke for the headbangers)

Couldn't get a wink of sleep - having to get out if bed, dress and go to the lobby to do a report into the breakfast show at 3.45am local time just broke the monotony of staring at the blinking red light of the smoke alarm in my room, strategically positioned right above the bed so as to burn into your retina even when you have your eyes firmly shut trying to block it out.

Glorious

I counted them all out and I counted them all back again as the full 23-man squad participated in England's 1st training session post Manaus.

Heartening to see Alex Oxlade Chamberlain ditching the surgical knee brace and opt merely for heavy strapping on his injured knee. Whilst he didn't get involved in every warm up drill, the sharpness he showed initially appears to have vindicated Roy's decision to keep him here and trust his recovery time.

We got a feed of the ITV coverage in our Media Centre's radio room of Germany vs Portugal...eventually anyway, thanks to Daniel Sturridge!

Back in Rio after a bleary eyed early bus to Manaus airport. I do love Brazilian drum rhythms, but not necessarily at 2.30am blaring out of the nearby Fan Fest P.A. system that's next to our hotel. When your alarm is set for 4am...the biter bit, I suppose, as I get my own dose of 'noise gate' (see earlier blog)

Eating at a hotel breakfast buffet on your tod is about as frustrating as Birmingham City's home form. The moment you move from your spot, strategically leaving a near full glass of orange juice to mark your territory, someone from the staff swipes it before your anywhere near returning with the mini croissants. So you leave the mini croissants to recharge a fresh (warm & straight out of the dishwasher) glass with juice and next thing you know, the pastries have gone! It's an elaborate dance that can go on indefinitely. Serves me right for being Billy no mates.

Our hotel in Manaus is a maze of long, long corridors. You have to walk at least half a mile from the room to get anywhere near reception. I have to negotiate 3 such massive corridors before I see any signs of life...it seems to take longer than it took Brackett the butler in Chigley to walk up the hall to Lord Belborough and tell him to get the train out again to rescue a cat stuck up a tree in Trumpton before the whistle went at the biscuit factory at 6pm. Or something. Time indeed does fly by...

(One for the teenagers, as Paul Hawksbee would say)