Sir Blastalot has come out swinging. Not in the traditional sense, I’ve got no idea how liberal the Leytonstone lad might be in lurve department.
His goal against Italy didn’t just spark joy, but justification too.
It seems that Andros feels his time has come.
And critics can have a bit back.
I have been thinking about it all week. I have just been desperate to get on the pitch and silence a few critics. As soon as the goal went in, I was thinking of all the people questioning my call-ups and saying I should be nowhere near the England squad. “
The problem Townsend faces is not as simple as shutting up people like Paul Merson. If it were that simple, then a decent strike in a meaningless international friendly would be enough to do the job. It isn’t.
Townsend has gone from being a player that people (me included) respected for his never say die attitude, to a player that routinely induced Tourettes in even the mildest tempered fan. One goal won’t change this. It hasn’t.
What the lad needs to do, is put himself second and and Spurs first. If he becomes homogenous element in the squad, then he’ll become a first pick for Tottenham and a natural choice for his country.
There is undoubtedly a decent footballer in there somewhere, but you’d need the patience of a saint to be bothered to go looking for it.
Danny Rose is a great example of a player that audibly heard the sound of a penny dropping, and responded in the best manner possible. He’s not perfected his routine yet, but he has improved so markedly, that he has kept Ben Davies at bay, and in the process become a player (dare I say it) that you can rely upon.
And there’s the rub. Townsend isn’t reliable. Only a few weeks ago, he was so entirely useless, that he was hooked off in what was a hugely important Premier League game after only 30 minutes.
Snarling at TV pundit isn’t the way forward. In fact, all Andros has achieved is to set himself up for a spectacular fall.
In Townsend’s head, if you don’t make eye-catching step-over riddled runs, or score über cool goals, then you’ve had a nondescript game. Until he can change that mindset, even onetime booze and coke hounds like Paul Merson will be able to point out the truth.
