There’s something I’ve seen as a phenomenon in recent years and that’s something called “Consumer guilt”.
Meaning we feel bad as the consumer for the behaviour of the company or people that make the product. Not the system that allowed Amazon to dodge tax and monopolistic behaviour or Nike to employ people in poor conditions and under pay, or the company themselves, but blame ourselves and somehow make us complicit in this act.
Now, there’s fine lines here and sometimes the behaviour of a company is so reprehensible (like Kanye’s West’s behaviour in the last couple of years, or the appalling indie pop music of the Leeds United associated Kaiser Chiefs) that most decent people are right to not wear Kanye’s overrated trainers or listen to “I predict a riot”. But overall, we aren’t to blame for all the world’s injustice and if you really did try to live your life in 2022 without eating, watching, wearing, listening to, drinking or eating something that wasn’t somehow associated to some dodgy behaviour, I don’t think you’d be particularly well fed, clothed or hydrated.
I guess the point I’m getting to here is, it’s not our fault the World Cup is in a place that’s less than ideal to host it. Now I’m not going to go through this with a fine-tooth comb because it’s getting done to death, but at best it feels a little hollow, and at worst the world really should have stood up to FIFA and their spineless and cretinous behaviour.
However, here we are. And how I feel? Well… I don’t really feel much at all, and it’s nothing really to do with the moral or political points.
It’s partly because it’s in the middle of winter, and the current dark and dingey England we mainly populate, rather than in the long hot summer, where we can have a cold cider and relax to watch the games. It’s partly because there’s been no real run up and we were in the midst of a season and it’s partly because it’s not accessible to people because of the cost to attend or the timings to watch.
But here’s miserable me! It’s also the first World Cup in a while without a Hull City player (a nod to Harry Maguire and Jackson Irvine as former alumni and I think a certain current Iranian forward would have certainly played but for injury).
Now I can cheat slightly here as we’ve just swatted the said Iranians away with ease. Let’s hope it continues, we certainly have talent going forward and at least under Southgate we’re had an identity for the last 5 years. I’d say quarters or semi finals for England but get a good draw and you never know. We do look a little vulnerable at the back though.
What about a good outsider? I’m biased because the other half is Danish, but I think they’ll be a threat, with lots of young talent from the Euros like Damsgaard and Maehle, but with a couple of new threats, not least Jesper Lindstrom (who you may have seen in the Europa League last year for the eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt) and the much underrated Joachim Andersen at Palace too. I think they’ve got the ability to go deep into the competition.
I certainly think a few surprises might crop up, but not in such a way to help me in World Cup Sweepstakes,….where I’ve draw Japan twice… and Poland. Bloody hell. At least Kamil Grosicki might play eh?
Right I’m off up the pub to drink an ethically brewed IPA that give their profits to the homeless….mmm… actually… I’ll probably have a Guinness.
See you at Watford everyone.
UTT.
A world cup view…
