No country for old men

Shows you just how much I know - I thought England will beat Germany. How wrong was I? A big shame though. Was hoping for a big feel-good-factor which will get the English spending and pump a bit of growth into the economy. I am putting my money on a double-dip.

The shame is that this was supposed to be the golden age of English football. The Premier League is on the way down and the English players are not getting any younger. For most of them this is the last World Cup. Lampard, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Terry, Ashley Cole and the rest will be deep into their 30s next time round. The younger players - Walcot, Johnson, Milner, Lennon? I wouldn't bet an espresso on. If they were as good as their inflated pay cheques suggest they would be in the next round. Rooney? Should I say any more?

And still, I cannot blame the players. You see, I will be inconsistent if I did. As you may recall, a few weeks ago I wrote about the importance of the manager in today's football, and how the old foxes of world football are dominating the game rather than their over-paid protégés. So, with the demise of England the finger must be pointed at the Italian sage - senior Capello. The case for the prosecution rests on three points: (1) indecisiveness regarding the keeper, (2) inability to create and sustain team spirit and (3) under-estimating the importance of pace in the modern game. Germany scored 4 times. In all 4 cases they did so by out-pacing Terry and Upson whether to the ball or into position.

Looks like football is becoming more and more a young man's sport. more worryingly, this seems to be the case across the board. Look at tennis. In 1991 Jimmy Connors reached the semi-final of the US open. He was 40. Now you are toast at 26. Roger Federer at 28 is 'the old man'. Kareem Abdul Jabaar? Played into his 40s. George Foreman - heavy-weight champion at 45. Sprinting used to be something athletes would mature into. No longer. And look at football. Remember Dino Zoff? He captained Italy to the World Cup at 40. England's biggest promises Rooney and, do you remember him - Michael Owen - have been at their most explosive by the age of 20. All of which I find depressing. Really depressing.

PS 540km down. 460km to go.