“Four, Four, F*****g, Two.”

So this is it. 4 years in the waiting. Only two a decade, the first on the African continent. The showcase event of the world’s most poetic language. The beautiful games’ most coveted award. It is quite simply the World Cup Finals 2010.

As the buzz of excitement sweeps across England and the rest of the world, Steven Gerrard and his teammates are preparing to enter the most crucial battle of their professional lives.

Take a look around at the St George’s Flags on cars, in windows, strapped to garage doors and hanging proudly from homemade flagpoles in peoples gardens right the way through to the England flag flying high over Downing Street despite this incumbent residents lack of any footballing knowledge. Drive past the local beer gardens in your area and delight at the sight of red and white England tops, men and women of all ages and sizes sporting the world-famous three lions on their shirt.

Forget having to wait years, months, fortnights, weeks or days, we are now just hours away from England’s entrance onto the biggest stage of all. So with the talking about to stop and the action ready to commence, the final decisions of Fabio Capello and his backroom staff will be looked at with even acuter intensity. Mike Bassett, England Manager was a superb piece of cinematography and highlighted one of the age-old traditions in English football; the Three Lions will always play “Four, Four, F*****g, Two.” Yet if we are to break with the other seemingly English tradition of losing in the Quarter-final stages, then perhaps England will have to abandon the tactic, and opt for the more European style of football commonly deployed in the Barclays Premier League this season of 4-3-3.

Now for anyone who frequents themselves with my articles, or as they were referred to this week as “useless drivel,” then you will be aware that not everyone in England agrees with me that England need to change their ways. Of course, for the Heskey lovers amongst us 4-4-2 is the worst possible scenario because the already useless striker would be even more useless as he would be totally surplus to requirements. Why can’t England change it up and play the likes of Spain, Argentina, and Brazil at their own game.

The tournament in South Africa is only 2 games old, but already we have witnessed the 1998 winners and 2006 finalists France, who were dyer, in truth. If England can raise their game, try something different and be brave, maybe 2010 can see Fabio Capello return to the land of hope and glory covered in stardom.

Gavin Callaghan