Early Doors - Your morning briefing blog

Murray saves English face

Tue Jun 30 08:52AM

At least England U21s got their timing right. If you're going to lose 4-0 to Germany in your biggest match for 25 years, you should probably do it while Andy Murray is locked in a five-setter.

Despite Sky Sports News's valiant insistence that the football is their lead story, there is only one sporting water cooler topic today, and that is Murray's antics under the roof at Wimbledon.

Well, that and the South Africa rugby coach's claim that anyone who doesn't like having their eyes gouged out should put on a tutu and take up ballet instead (that's the kind of comment that could convince ED rugby is a good thing).

For a man who once said he would support anyone but England at the World Cup, young Murray has done our Euro-flops a service by sparing them from public ridicule.

Whenever England play Germany, the tabloids love to go on about the war, casting the players as major historical characters.

If England played the part of any wartime figure last night it was not Churchill or Montgomery, but the Czech Sudetenland; reduced to looking on helplessly as they were completely overrun.

England, in fairness, were not that bad. It was just one of those occasions when you are reminded that football is about goals and nothing else.

Whatever the balance of play, however many shots on target or corners you register, if you lose 4-0 it's a drubbing. Even if your goalie just chucks the ball into his own net four times, which poor Scott Loach might as well have done in lieu of his calamitous display. England would have been better off with Ken Loach in goal.

As it turned out, Joe Hart's shenanigans in the semi-final shoot-out - picking up a yellow card that ruled him out of the final - proved costly to the tune of at least two goals. Although you might suggest it serves Hart right for being such a cocky beggar.

The pages of German scandal sheet Bild are surprisingly light on triumphalism this morning, which makes things all the more depressing.

The Germans knew they were going to win, so they see little reason to crow about it now they have done so.

- - -

Chelsea's appeal against the Champions League bans handed out to Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa is another massive own-goal from football's most paranoid PR machine.

The four-match sanction handed out to Bosingwa for comments made about referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after Chelsea's defeat against Barcelona might seem a little harsh, but you can hardly expect to call the ref a cheat and get away with it.

Drogba's behaviour, while hilarious and the kind of thing ED would like to see after every match, was clearly unacceptable.

Six matches - in rugby terms more than a sucker punch but less than a gouge - seems like a reasonable punishment for screaming obscenities down a camera lens during prime time. There is no place for that in football; after all, what do you think Kitchen Nightmares is for?

Regardless of the suspensions' merits, what makes Chelsea look petulant and foolish is that their appeal has absolutely no chance of succeeding.

Drogba's crazy-eyed dissent was the kind of thing the authorities cannot abide - particularly as he was using their equipment to vent his expletive-strewn views on Ovrebo.

He could not have made himself any more unpopular with the powers-that-be if he had arranged for a courier to deliver a dog turd direct to the doorstep of UEFA HQ in Switzerland.

Chelsea's statement described the punishments "unnecessarily harsh given the circumstances," a particularly petty remark that showed they have no intention whatsoever of chalking Ovrebo's admittedly pitiful performance down to experience.

The Norwegian obviously had a bad game but it was not one-way traffic as he sent Barcelona's Eric Abidal off for a tangle of legs. And the Jamie Redknapp line that a referee from "a country like Norway" could never be any good was undermined somewhat by the fact that the bloke who reffed the final was Swiss.

Chelsea could have taken the high ground. They could issued a statement expressing disappointment at the severity of the punishments, but saying they would accept them for the good of the game.

Instead, they have launched an appeal that is clearly doomed to failure and they are going to look like idiots.

Unless it succeeds, in which case ED will look like an idiot.

- - -

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If I have the chance to play for Barcelona, I'd be really happy." The fiercely loyal Andrei Arshavin seeks a way out of his 50 per cent income tax hell in North London.

FOREIGN VIEW: Santa Fe's Uruguayan coach Ruben Israel resigned after being threatened with death if he did not quit, the Colombian club's president Armando Farfan has said.

Israel had not yet taken charge of a match.

"Yesterday he received several calls with threats on his life and those of his family, calls we can't understand because he hasn't even stepped onto the grass in the stadium," Farfan said.

He said the club would meet with Israel to try to make him change his mind by offering him security guarantees.

He added the person that made the threatening calls claimed to be a member of hard core fans of Santa Fe, six-times champions but seeking their first title in 34 years.

Israel, 51, was appointed to replace former Colombia and Ecuador coach Hernan Dario Gomez, who quit after Santa Fe's failure to reach the semi-finals. He led Libertad to Paraguayan league titles in 2007 and 2008.

COMING UP: Look, Elena Dementieva v Francesca Schiavone might not have quite the same appeal as Murray or Federer, but it's Wimbledon. You can at least pretend to be interested.

- - -

In light of some epic stupidity on the message board below, Early Doors would like to confirm it does not think Andy Murray is English. He's Scottish. ED knows this. The headline does not suggest otherwise.

Comments91 - 120 of 307
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artti you are enjoying this too much!
anyway,well done,we would have given your lot grief if we had thumped you.
just one of those nights.think england were better team in first match with reserve side! fitness? think its the key...the germans always seem to last longest in tournement footy even with a @#$% team.
From geordieprince1 on Tue Jun 30 11:09AM
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Andy Murray is Scottish not English and it's comments like that p*** him off - not surprisingly. The headline does suggest this
From dorothy_stout on Tue Jun 30 11:10AM
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MURRAY IS SCOTTISH! unbelievable..
From vinnie_queenan on Tue Jun 30 11:14AM
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GO ENGLAND.
From hadbook61 on Tue Jun 30 11:19AM
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GO ENGLAND.
From hadbook61 on Tue Jun 30 11:19AM
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Is he really wow never would have guessed
From annieh97 on Tue Jun 30 11:19AM
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100!!
From annieh97 on Tue Jun 30 11:21AM
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100!!
From annieh97 on Tue Jun 30 11:21AM
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WAD YOUS BYES STAP BEAN SA STUPAD. ' MARRAY SAVES ANGLASH FACE' MEANS THOT WEE ANDAY TOK THA ATTANTIAM AFF THA MISERABOL ANGLASH PERFARMANCE LAS NEET. EVEN I UNDERSTONED AT OND IM AS THACK AS TAY PLENKS.
From donneybye on Tue Jun 30 11:21AM
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100
From doobie.doobiedoo on Tue Jun 30 11:21AM
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ED UR NAT SAYSAN WEE ANDAY AS ANGLASH YE SILLAY WAINS.
From donneybye on Tue Jun 30 11:22AM
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Might I add. The only reason im making my point clear on this is because when England fail at something they are looking for a back up. Fair enough if the Headline was renamed to something more suitable. This makes out as though Andy Murray has saved England from there blushes.
I saw Henman as a Brit the same way as I see Murray as a Brit, when it comes down to things like this though. Henman is English and Murray is Scottish.
If it was the British National football team that got beat from Germany last night then that is fair enough also. But oh wait...... it wasnt !!!!!
From kyle.jb86 on Tue Jun 30 11:23AM
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I heard Murray pokes black peoples' eyes out, and club baby seals to death, but on the up side he loves his mum. So that's alright.
From ashleybaker75 on Tue Jun 30 11:27AM
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Murray is not going to win Wimbledon either
From mead726 on Tue Jun 30 11:29AM
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Save England's face, when did Andy Murray become English? If Murray happens to win Wimbledon, he will no-doubt be dubbed the first English winner in so many years, however if he loses he will be referred to as Scottish. When did the British and Irish Lions represent England, tell that to Paul O'Connell, Brian O'Driscoll etc. and see what happens. When Glasgow Celtic were the first club to win the European Cup, followed later by Manchester United, Celtic were called the first British club to win the cup, United were not referred to as the second British club to win the trophy.
From alfordhealth on Tue Jun 30 11:30AM
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A SAY ANNE, THAR SEEMS TAY BE ALAT A STUPAD BYES AN ERE TADAY.
From donneybye on Tue Jun 30 11:30AM
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The comment about Murray ' saving English face' is only going to ruile scots, but you probably did this on purpose - either that or it shows how ignorant and ill informed you are....and for god's sake stop making rferences to WW2 whenever England play Germany. It's not funny, it's pretty cheap, and boring as well. We're in the 21st century now, leave that stuff in the 2oth century, it doesn't belong now. Get over it!
From robtyman on Tue Jun 30 11:31AM
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OND SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ME SAX IS AN FIR! QUACK! FONE THA FIR BRAGEED OND GAT THAM TAY PAT THA HOSE AN MAY.
From donneybye on Tue Jun 30 11:31AM
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for england to be second best at anthing is really hard to take england must be the best that much you class a scotsman english i think murray would have something to say about that every sports the same lennox lewis theres another candian not english aleast us scots now we have to work hard to get respect in sport and not live on the fact your nation once ruled the world and brought football cricket rugby to the invaded countries which are now better than you long live the scots
From faye529 on Tue Jun 30 11:32AM
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P
From alfordhealth on Tue Jun 30 11:32AM
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I'm not a fan of tennis but! the game last night was class very watchable and exciting and!! bloody hell I was actually rooting for Murray ! he might have a face like a roofers nail bag but provided a great sporting occasion...........
From chrisw7892000 on Tue Jun 30 11:33AM
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I know Donney but what is new STUPAD AS FACK ATS THA SCATTASH THAY ARE A BAT SAMPLE
From annieh97 on Tue Jun 30 11:34AM
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Chris does this look like a bat and ball blog 2 steps over for hobbies and interests
From annieh97 on Tue Jun 30 11:35AM
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u can have all the personality in the world and win nothing!!!! ie....Tim Henman...Greg Rusedski!!!!!
From zippysrainbow04 on Tue Jun 30 11:36AM
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omg arttidesco, your such a twa.t, do you just browse the internet all day looking for the chance to insult the english.anyway we won the last big competition,so just let it go mate it was 64 years ago
From clive.butterfield on Tue Jun 30 11:39AM
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ARTTIDESCO.....COMMENT 3.....
NORMANDY...NORMANDY...
NORMANDY...NORMANDY
(TO
THE TUNE OF VINDALOO) YA FILTHY FU;;KING FRANKFURTER EATING PR,.ICK
ENGLAND FOREVER
From deesydave on Tue Jun 30 11:40AM
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Up above the streets and houses,
Rainbow climbing high,
Everyone can see it smiling over the sky...
Paint the whole world with a Rainbow.
This is your fault Zippys Rainbow
From annieh97 on Tue Jun 30 11:40AM
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O FAR FACK SAKE WAD YEES BYES TEED THA HEEDLEEN PRAPARLAY.
From donneybye on Tue Jun 30 11:40AM
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ah a scotland england debate, sure pick my days!
jamikhunt, shut it u mutant. you're only proving everyone right about the english. The andy murray british/scottish thing is irrelavant. clearly he sees himself as scottish and not british, as do most north of the border (unless ur a rangers supporter, animals!) its typical english journalism trying to wind us up!
From marcgrant7 on Tue Jun 30 11:41AM
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?
From deesydave on Tue Jun 30 11:41AM
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