These are dark days for football. Precious Englishmen managed by an Italian who started well, but then has seen his star gradually fade. So it was with some confidence that we took on Davide Sorgo and Gaia Meucci of Benetti at our trusty table football ( followers of our blog will recall that this was the table at which de Vries met their doom, emerging on the wrong side of a 10 nil scoreline ). Admittedly the table has been in storage for a while, pending the sorting out of some new space at our office, but we were confident the old Bannenberg & Rowell magic would return ; a natural understanding between Bannenberg at the back and goal-hanger Rowell up front. Plus, it was almost certain that the Benetti Azzurri would be more interested in their appearance or resort to hystrionics when the going got tough. Well, I have to report that Benetti won ( I can't bring myself to use the word triumphed ) 10-3. One goal was clearly unfair, Gaia spinning her line of forwards viciously. But there was far too much natural expertise on show and I have had no option but to write to Vincenzo Poerio to plant the seed of doubt as to where his project managers spend their time when they claim to be "on board".
