It struck me, watching the men's GB team in their first game, limply running around and kicking the ball in desultory fashion, that the Olympics must be a titanic shock for them. Rarely can they have come up against people who actually cared about the game they were playing, were proud to represent their country and were, for heaven's sake trying. I mean, it is all so childish, it is not even as if they are getting paid.
And so it has been confirmed with Pearce talking of the players surprise seeing exercise equipment in very active use by the other athletes, their 'jaws dropping' apparently. This perhaps is the final and best confirmation that British players see their talent in terms of the amount of money they are paid by their clubs. They cannot play with each other because there is ego and points-scoring to overcome first.
And a footballer never gets past his ego. The other thing that has become blindingly obvious in these Games is attitude. Any of the sports people the media interview, any of them are a) more intelligent than our footballers, b) possessed of a massive weight of humility compared to footballers, c) much more committed to their (punishing) training schedule and d) pleasant people with a sense of humour.
It shows up for all to see, in sharp focus just what a terrible beast we have created with our Premier League and its money. Our reward for our 'investment' is a boorish, careless bunch of men, who do enough to get paid by their clubs and nothing more. They are ignorant and an insult to our nation.
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