Young Lions on morphine?

Benjamin Franklin is reputed to have said that the only things in life which were certain are death and taxes. The truth is that the only thing in life which is certain is uncertainty itself. Nowhere can this truth be more self-evident than with the English weather! As I write, in the middle of "flaming June", the weather in London has been increasingly uncertain. A fortnight ago we were being warned of drought conditions. No sooner had that been reported on the news than the skies opened up and we were treated to a downpour of seemingly Biblical proportions. Even on a single day the weather in London has been so changeable that it is impossible to know how to dress on a given morning.

Life is full of uncertainties. None of us know in advance when we shall pass on, nor when we shall be fit and well or ill and infirm. Parents want the best for their children, for them to exceed their own accomplishments, but this too is uncertain. Some people will make provisions for dealing with life's uncertainties, while others will acknowledge the fact of life's uncertainties and try to live for the moment; enjoying where possible what life has to throw at them.

Of course, for most of us there is a balance to be struck. We want to protect against those of life's uncertainties for which such provision is possible, while also trying to enjoy the moment and not anaesthetise the joy out of living. When it is possible to insure against uncertainties, it is because institutions have arisen which can calculate the probability of a given event (such as insurance companies), without being able to guarantee to whom such an event will impact. Economists refer to such situations as being of risk rather than uncertainty. Investing in the stock market is a situation of risk; life expectancy in general is one of risk, but of uncertainty for any given individual.

When it comes to football the distinctions between risk and uncertainty can be equally blurred. The result of any given match is one of uncertainty, while the winners of a football competition over the course of a season is one of risk. Nowhere has this blurred distinction been more evident than in the EURO under-21 competition, hosted in Denmark.

Last night the England U21 team were dismissed from the competition after failing to win any of their three group stage matches. At the start of the competition they had been hailed as one of the favourites, along with Spain. But England's failure to progress mirrored the failings of the senior team in last year's World Cup in South Africa. Given the players at the manager's disposal, their track record playing for their individual clubs in the English Premier League (EPL) and the facilities available, it remains one of life's unanswered questions as to why English sport is so conspicuously unsuccessful in international sports, especially football?

Watching England U21s over the past week or so, the notion that a team is built in the image of its manager seems questionable. As a player, Stuart Pearce was renowned for his lion-hearted spirit, his passion and commitment. His young players this past week failed to manifest such characteristics. While able to defend stoutly, there was a distinct lack of creative flair, with too few goal-scoring chances being carved out. If I had to had to pay to watch these England performances I might have been inclined to ask for my money back! Something appears to happen when good EPL players turn out for the English national team. The usual excuses of a long hard season are trotted out, but somehow these do not apply to foreign players who ply their trade in the EPL. The fault, therefore, must lie with the management team. After all, as the old Russian saying goes: a fish rots from the head. Time to go fishing for something fresh?!