HARRY HAVERTON AT THE WORLD CUP

TUESDAY 20th JUNE

I'm reporting back to base again after a hectic few days in which we saw England produce yet another load of bloody rubbish and the World Cup winners elect perform a star turn.

Firstly lets have a look at what the England camp say after that shocker against a team which included a player who can't even get a game for Falkirk.

Sven's assistant coach Tord Grip says of the upcoming Sweden match...

"We will prepare England to win, whatever has happened in the other group. We are not afraid of Germany. And, anyway, it is very difficult to go out and play for a negative result, even if that is what anyone wanted. But we won't want to do that - it is not our style."

Bloody rubbish! I have never read so much bloody rubbish in all my life. Difficult to play for a negative result? Well what the bloody hell have we been watching for the past four years? Total open attacking football? Total bloody rubbish I call it.

2002 against Brazil we sat back and defended and lost, 2004 we did the same against Portugal. That is not our style? Well you have bloody well fooled me mate.

Ex England international and holder of the best goal ever scored by a bloke with a puff's name title, Matthew Le Tissier commented on Michael Owen by saying.

"I can understand why Sven has only given him an hour or so in each game because he's trying to ease Michael into his stride. But I'm sure he can still be a hit and will hopefully find the net against Sweden."

Bloody rubbish Matthew and you know it son. Owen is a class act in spite of who he plays for club wise. He will always score goals but only if the bloody manger tells the other players to actually pass to him on the odd occasion. Ease him into his Stride? Bloody rubbish. He is 28 not 98 and he has played enough bloody games to be able to last ninety minutes leading up to the World Cup mate. What are you after? A recall or some Swedish meatballs from Sven?

So moving on to the rest of the teams I have seen play out here.

Argentina look worlds apart in movement and skill so far and those who took my tip for them before the first ball was kicked will be laughing now as the odds on the Argies have now halved to 4-1. Paddy Power said today...

"To be fair, they looked absolutely awesome and every inch World Cup winners."

You read it hear first. Trust your uncle Harry to bring home the bacon.

Holand also look very tasty and along with Spain you can still get great value. The Dutch are at 12-1 and the Spanish at 9-1. The shock team Ecuador could yet spring more surprises and a bet on them each way at 100-1 would be worth it for a laugh.

My latest tips are for a draw between England and Sweden doubled with a draw between Germany and Ecuador.

And now I'm off for a few beers in Cologne.

Harry.

MONDAY 12th JUNE

Well the dust has started so settle on Englands first game and I was one of the lucky ones not to have paid hard earned money to watch that bloody rubbish shocker of a game.

I stayed in the city centre and watched in a bar and soon fell asleep after a heavy night celebrating with the locals.

World Cups are funny are a funny old thing. Each nation sends their top players and they are primed and ready for battle going for victory in the greatest sporting event in the world.

Apart from Sven Goran Eriksson's England side that is...

1-0 up and tearing the opposition apart, he decides to take our top striker off and go for a 1-1 draw, but his plan back fired when the Paraguayans were not just good enough to sneak a goal.

Boss Eriksson said: "Most important was the result today - we were suffering. But it's a very good start."

Bloody rubbish! Good start? Has he watched any of the other games so far? End to end stuff, players going for goal from all angles..?

A good start would have been sticking 4 or 5 past Paraguay as we could and bloody well should have. Then the rest of the teams involved would have sat up and taken notice. Now that would have been a good start.

Skipper Becks agreed his side had faded but added: "You don't realise how hot it was out there."

Bloody Rubbish! Hot? I will say this nice and slowly for you David... you - live - in - Spain - and - play - for - Real - Madrid - therefore - you - may - have - noticed - before - this - World - Cup - that - big - orange - thing - in - the - sky - burning - down - on - you - during - the - day. Bloody rubbish!

My bet for the World Cup, Argentina, looked sharp last night against a very talented Ivory Coast side in the group of death. Holland won today and also looked like they can go a long way in the tournament.

The hosts Germany looked shaky at the back but they have the players to score goals, so I will be having a look at laying some cash on high scoring games involving them later in the tournament.

My tip of the day is Italy to beat Ghana 3-0 and I'm backing the spaghetti eaters as a half time and full time winner, which will give me a tidy profit from Bet 365, plus some free bets as well.

And with that, I'm off back to my hotel to ring the wife and watch tonight's games with a few beers.

THURSDAY 8th JUNE

Well now then folks. It's been a long time coming but the 2006 World Cup is now upon us.

I'm Harry Haverton and I will be your man in Germany for the next four weeks. I'll be bringing you all the latest gossip and commenting on all the bloody rubbish that has been said in the footballing world.
And after buying the papers this weekend, I'm almost sick to death of the bloody thing already. I mean just how many 'World Cup supplements' can you read before you get sick to death of David Beckham saying "this could be our year"?

Bloody rubbish! If Adidas were not paying him 400 million pounds a year he would be saying "we have no chance as we are bloody rubbish with that Swedish idiot in charge", which is exactly what the rest of us are thinking.

England 6 Jamaica 0

"PETER CROUCH put England's World Cup rivals on red alert with a deadly hat-trick. The 6ft 7in striker showed his class on the ground to floor Jamaica as Sven Goran Eriksson's men departed for Germany in style."

Bloody rubbish. It was Jamaica for God's sake and they were too chilled to the core with all that Bob Marley music to know if they were at Old Trafford or the Old Kent Road.

In my opinion there are only three teams who can win the World Cup this time round and that's the holders Brazil, the hosts Germany and the very skilful and stylish Argentina.

If I was a gambling man, which I am as it happens, my money would be on the Argies who now they have got rid of the dirty handball cheat are OK to have a few quid on, and with odds being offered at 8-1 that is well worth a shot in the dark.

Germany are also being offered at 8-1 at the moment and for a host nation that is decent to say the least. A couple of outsiders I have been having a peep at in the last few days to fund my World Cup trip are France at 14-1 and for a complete crazy money spinner I am sticking £20 on the Aussies at 25-1 to get to the semi-finals. They have the players to do it and if it happens then I'll would be rolling in it, and I don't mean bloody rubbish kangaroo shite either.

I will be back just before the big kick off with a look at some of the players to watch. So see you all soon I'm off to back my bags and Germany here I come.

Harry.

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