World Cup Diary Blog #4

It's been a bit tense around camp England today.  None of us covered ourselves in glory yesterday and the press and Talk Sport have had loads to say about the performance.  We're all getting fed up of hearing "can Lamps and Stevie G play in the same team", "can Roono keep a lid on his temper".  The answer is yes to both.  So just get behind the team.

There's a great atmosphere in the squad and we're all confident we can do well.  I'm really chuffed I got a couple of quotes in the quality papers today - The Guardian and The Telegraph.  Mrs D's started a scrap book.

Put up my Daily Mirror World Cup 2010 wall chart this morning - can't wait to start filling it in on Friday.  Got different coloured pens and everything.

We've got a sweep going and we drew our teams last night - felt really lucky - I got two teams - New Zealand and Honduras - don't feel so lucky now.  Might still put a couple of bob on each, you know just in case.  The odds are really good each one is 2000/1.

The Gaffa gave us a bit of a pep talk after training.

"Righta fellas, backa home they'lla be'a thinkin about'a us.  We are'a so far awaya.  So'a backa home they'lla be'a really'a behind us, in a everya game'a we play'a.  They'lla share'a every'a goala Rooney is'a scoring.  We will'a still heara them'a roaring'a.  And we'lla give'a all a we've a gotta give'a for those'a folks'a back'a home.  Avanti  "

Well it went something like that, and went on a bit longer.  Funny, but I thought I had heard it before somewhere.  Maybe all managers use the same speeches.

Had a safari trip in to the bush this afternoon to see the wildlife.  We saw three lions (see what I did there); giraffe's that took a keen interest in Crouchy; and buffalo with an uncanny likeness to Roono.

That's it for today - only four more sleeps before we whup the Yanks.