Patience is not a virtue against Argentina

It will be an interesting tie, certainly, perhaps the pick of the second round. It is hard to see a weakness in Argentina. They used to be a bit indisciplined but they appear to have cured that. Their defence is very solid, their attack is famously dangerous, but if anything their midfield is the best part of the unit. I have been very impressed with Veron, who controls such a lot for someone so young, but the player I like best isSimeone for his sheer strength and stamina. Simeone and Argentina are not going to be easy to brush aside.

Then again, England have nothing to lose; they can go out with their best team and give it their best shot. I’m glad to see Beckham and Owen in the side – I don’t know why they were kept out for so long. They are good enough to be in the side now and the experience they are gaining is a bonus for the future.

Like I say, England are at their best when they have to play. It’s the national mentality, the backs-to-the-wall thing. That’s one reason why I think they did not get the result they were hoping for against Romania. I’m not sure if they went out playing for a draw, but their natural respect for their opponents produced an opening period which was a bit like two boxers circling each other, waiting to see what sort of attacks would arrive.

I know perfectly well that Glenn Hoddle has been trying to introduce a more patient, sophisticated element to England’s play, and I think he is right to do so.But I am afraid England are not yet ready to play the likes of Romania at their own game; they would have been better advised to stick to what they knew and try to impose their natural game on Romania.

That’s what I mean by taking the initiative. You don’t see cat-and-mouse games in the Premiership – you see open matches with attacking from the start, and that’s what England are used to. The Dutch are the same. Neither of us have a lot of footballing patience in our culture, and we won’t have until our domestic leagues reflect that sort of approach, which I don’t think they ever will.

It is not easy to make changes from the top. I think England are more aware, internationally, now than they have ever been, and that’s a credit to Hoddle. But when the chips are down, your national culture comes out. So don’t try to hide it – play to your natural strengths.

I think England should go out and try to take the game to Argentina, to get at space. But the South Americans are one of the sides who can play bothways. They can tough it out if necessary; they can be as aggressive and physical as you want.

They can be patient, too, apparently passive for long periods before seizing their chance and doing what they have to do. An unsuspecting team might think they are doing rather well against them – they might even get the better of the first hour or so – then in a flash Argentina will have the goal they need and the game will be as good as over. The best teams, and Argentina are certainly one of them, are very tough to play against.

At least Spain had only themselves to blame for their early departure after being held by Paraguay, whereas Morocco had rather the better of their draw with Norway and were only beaten by Brazil. Surely no team deserves to depart after winning one, drawing one, and being beaten by the world champions. Even after seeing the video and photographic evidence, I am not convinced about that Norwegian penalty. I have nothing against Norway, but I don’t think it was a good decision by thereferee.

I think the referees are spoiling this World Cup, or perhaps more accurately, their disciplinary superiors who insist they jump to their orders. They have become a major factor in the tournament, and that is always a bad thing. Just like you hardly notice a good referee in a game, so they should not be providing the talking points in a World Cup.

The players, the teams and the games should be doing that, but nothing can flow as it should if referees are forever blowing their whistles and imposing themselves on the tournament. I would like to think the knockout phase of the competition can proceed without undue controversy or glaring injustice, but I certainly wouldn’t put money on it.

I am sorry to say that I am not prepared to stick my neck out and name the last eight. I am not a gambler, you see, and if I was I would be showing my selections to a bookmaker, not running the risk of making a fool of myself in a national newspaper! So no predictions, except for maybe one. If you are lookingfor any second-round shocks, keep your eye on – wait for it – Argentina v England. There, I’ve said it.