Euro 2008: Russia v Sweden

Okay so we’re not afraid to admit we get it wrong occasionally. But much against our better judgement we did tune in last night only to find the Russians a team reborn and reignited by the return of Andrei Arshavin.

The Reds disposed of the hapless Swedes with much aplomb and it was not so much the defeat, but the manner of it which really caught the eye, with the Russians surging forward in numbers and at times, absolutely swamping the Swedish defence.

It really was the most one-sided encounter and a quarter final with Holland looms which should prove to be a sumptuous feast of attacking delights. (Just watch it become a nil-nil bore-a-thon after that hot tip).

But while Arshavin pulled the strings on the field, behind the scenes of course the chief mover is the redoubtable Gus Hiddink who pound for pound must surely rank as one of the top five managers in the world. His record in World Cups is exceptional and he’s really getting the best of out of this talented but previously un-fancied team (and incidentally nailing once and for all the myth that England really deserve to be there).

Elsewhere just to prove that every ounce of compassion hasn't been wrung from our cynical hearts, we send a message of solidarity to the four England rugby players who are being questioned in NZ over an alleged ‘incident’ in a hotel room.

The sheep, (or personal entertainment system, as it’s known In NZ) concerned has apparently declined to make a complaint, but sources close to the ovis aries involved said, “Baaaaaaa, one hotel room, four rugger buggers, she knew she was in for a good shearing.”

Euro 2008: Reaches a new low Greece vs Sweden

To Euro 2008 again and now we’ve had a chance to see every team in the tournament display its wares, we’ve got to say Holland, Portugal, Spain and inevitably Germany are looking mighty good.

Them’s the heights, but now beloved reader the depths: to wit Greece versus Sweden a game so tedious we simply lost the will to live at half time and tucked into the first two episodes of Battlestar Galactica Season 2 instead.

Now we still have to pinch ourselves to believe Greece are the holders and the we aren’t still on the crack, but at least the 2004 vintage was built on recognisable if unspectacular virtues, packing the box at set pieces and displaying a defensive attitude which would put the 300 to shame

Last night however, they were just plain annoying passing the ball endlessly around the back three to run down the clock and THIS WAS IN THE FIRST HALF.

But lo the gods of football looked down from Olympus and displayed their wrath, rightly punishing the Greeks for crimes against the game and allowing Zlatan Ibrahimovic to unleash his own wondrous thunderbolt and win it for the Swedes.

Justice was served, everyone was happy, well obviously not the Greeks, but they weren’t exactly bearing footballing gifts anyway.*

*Like most sportswriters we are contractually obliged to include the old ‘Greeks bearing gifts’ cliché, in this case due to a new sponsorship deal with Harry’s Humous. The finest Humous this side of the Acropolis!