"We're gonna see Wayne Rooney score!"
Prophetic words indeed. And at the time of writing, with Rooney undergoing a second scan, hardly guaranteed.
As galling at it may seem, this re-write of his 1977 debut single is that rarest of beasts: a pretty good football song. Eric's nasal whine hasn't changed much over the past 30 thirty years - and the original's pub rock groove remains unaltered - but he retains a sense of genuine passion which, you would think, is entirely appropriate for such a project.
Lyrically, Eric resorts to the occasional military metaphor ("Now it's time to cross over the Rhine ..."), a hint of bitterness ("To take back what was stolen in Mexico / By God's hand and referee") before reeling off a list of English stars, past and present. Few other artists would even try to get Gary Lineker, Glenn Hoddle and Alan Shearer shoe-horned into the same song ...
So a decent performance from Eric, but more of a midfield holding role than anything magical on the edge of the penalty box. And a prediction? A gritty performance, but an inability to alter formation when under pressure means the trophy is likely to be Embrace-d by the more organised opposition.
Oh, you wanna know how the single will do?
Prophetic words indeed. And at the time of writing, with Rooney undergoing a second scan, hardly guaranteed.
As galling at it may seem, this re-write of his 1977 debut single is that rarest of beasts: a pretty good football song. Eric's nasal whine hasn't changed much over the past 30 thirty years - and the original's pub rock groove remains unaltered - but he retains a sense of genuine passion which, you would think, is entirely appropriate for such a project.
Lyrically, Eric resorts to the occasional military metaphor ("Now it's time to cross over the Rhine ..."), a hint of bitterness ("To take back what was stolen in Mexico / By God's hand and referee") before reeling off a list of English stars, past and present. Few other artists would even try to get Gary Lineker, Glenn Hoddle and Alan Shearer shoe-horned into the same song ...
So a decent performance from Eric, but more of a midfield holding role than anything magical on the edge of the penalty box. And a prediction? A gritty performance, but an inability to alter formation when under pressure means the trophy is likely to be Embrace-d by the more organised opposition.
Oh, you wanna know how the single will do?
