GOOD RIDDANCE BLATTER, YOU CHARLATAN

The news broke this afternoon that FIFA's long-term president, Sepp Blatter, stepped down from his role as the head of football's governing body. The 79 year-old was a polarising figure but deep down, a classic charlatan.

D. Ray Morton, 2nd June 2015

Sepp Blatter gave a short speech and announced his resignation as FIFA leader today

What a week it has been for FIFA. Shamed and arrested officials were veiled with hotel bedsheets as they were escorted into the back of FBI vans causing huge embarrassment for the organisation. Meanwhile, Sepp Blatter had been re-elected as president of the governing body causing huge frustration and listlessness amongst fans of the sport who had been sick of the 79 year-old's seemingly never-ending reign of terror. Now he steps down and we can all exhale a relieved breath.

Blatter had all the hallmarks of a classic conman. To his inner circle, his employees in Switzerland and visitors to the FIFA headquarters, he would regale them in his origins tale. A young lad coming down from the Swiss mountains with a ball clutched in his arm, a dreamer ready to change the world of football for the better. What a vision.

In truth, Blatter never really kicked a ball in his life (as Diego Maradona pointed out some months ago). His origin was in politicking around various Swiss sports organisations before slithering his way towards the top of the FIFA tree. A long journey but not the mystical fairytale he so often portrayed.

Even in his manifestos, he gave little. He would maintain that he was the head of FIFA, that everyone knew what he was about and that would be it. Amazingly, it managed to keep him there for a very long time. There are many reasons for this but the clearest would appear to be his elevation of the non-European confederations to, perhaps, the chagrin of the established order. He did, in his time, bring the World Cup to Asia and Africa for the first time.

It is over for the old man now and he leaves hanging his head under a cloud of shame. Who knows what lies in store for FIFA and Blatter personally. Maybe he can write a sci-fi book about playing aliens in intergalactic football as he had previously hoped for his darling organisation in the 22nd century. Football will move on and hopefully move on in a manner in which the sport can regain some much-needed credibility. The world's game deserves more than crooked baby-kissing hand shakers.

ROBBEN'S PLAY-ACTING IS AS UNDIGNIFIED AS BITING

D. Ray Morton, 30th June 2014.

Arjen Robben, with nowhere to go, dives his way to last ditch glory for the Dutch

The Netherlands saw off Mexico in yesterday's World Cup last sixteen fixture thanks to a last minute 2-1 victory, the result of a penalty slotted away by substitute striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The penalty, of course, was "won" by none other than the flimsy-footed Arjen Robben. The winger, isolated on the right-hand side of the penalty area, took a heavy touch backwards in an attempt to make space. Despite clearly ceding possession to Diego Reyes, Robben spotted Rafael Marquez's boot and used it to simulate a late challenge. The contact was no more than a rub of boots, not enough to knock over a toddler, let alone a fully-grown man weighing 80 kg. In his trademark fashion, the Bayern Munich attacker feigned a heavy collision, hit the ground and deceived the referee to hand Louis van Gaal's side a quarter-final spot.

Mexico put on a brave performance but Robben's constant diving was the real theme of the game. Throughout the first half, he kept going down in the penalty area. Some claims may have even been legitimate but perhaps his reputation preceded him, filling the officials' minds with doubts. By the time the Dutchman had actually earned his penalty, the referee had come full circle. Seeing Robben go down so many times, he finally assumed one of the incidents must have been a foul. Weak refereeing, as you should never call something you are not certain about, but understandable considering Robben's constant deception.

Another angle on Robben's flop as Marquez looks on in astonishment

The real point here is that play-acting is every bit as unacceptable as the Luis Suárez bite that everyone has been so caught up in. The Suárez incident was downright bizarre but did not alter the result of the match as directly as a dive to win a penalty does. There is no dignity in it and Robben's reputation suffers as a result. Here is a player with all the tools to be legend of the game but rather than actually concentrating on beating defenders one-on-one, he looks for the snakey option of diving. This is something Lionel Messi never does and something that Cristiano Ronaldo has removed from his game realising that with his ability, diving can be ultimately detrimental. That is why Robben will never challenge that pair as the best two players in the world.

The Netherlands captured the people's imagination with their 5-1 triumph in their opening game against a flat-looking Spanish side. They played devastating counter-attacking football and looked like a team that could take this World Cup by storm. Since then, however, they have become an ugly sight. At times, they have played something closer to anti-football, stomach-churning stuff compared to the beautiful Dutch football of old. Their path to the a semi-final against either Brazil or Colombia is a simple one. Costa Rica should not be too much of an obstacle. It would be nice if they got there without any more cheating.

WORLD CUP TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT SO FAR

D. Ray Morton, 28th June 2014.

With the World Cup group stages having been completed and the second round about to kick-off today (with games of Brazil vs. Chile and Colombia vs. Uruguay), here's our World Cup XI from what we have seen so far. As it has been an attacking tournament, our selection is top heavy with many offensive players appearing in a 3-4-3 formation. Three at the back is in vogue in the competition, with many teams opting to do away with the 4-2-3-1 structure that has been so popular in the last few years.

 Very much an all-out attack theme with this XI

Goalkeeper

Guillermo Ochoa (Mexico/Free Agent)

The Mexican with the wild mane is our choice between the sticks. Ochoa, who was relegated from the French top flight with Ajaccio last season, had an incredible solo performance when Mexico faced Brazil. Thanks to his string of fine saves, the host nation were held to a 0-0 draw. An honourable mention goes to Chile's Claudio Bravo who has been a solid performer so far and was our second choice for this spot.

Centre-backs

Diego Godín (Uruguay/Atlético Madrid)

Picking up where he left his club form at the end of last season, Godín has been immense for an otherwise Luis Suárez-reliant Uruguay in their three games so far. The Atlético defender has been superb and scored a thumping header against Italy to knock them out of the competition and allow Los Charrúas to get into the last sixteen.

Rafael Márquez (Mexico/Léon)

The legendary Mexico captain has been a steady figure for his nation's side and has been a stalwart at the back as they advanced through Group A which contained Brazil, Croatia and Cameroon. Captain of Mexico for three World Cups in a row, the 35 year-old is still a composed presence and takes care of business allowing players ahead of him to play fluid, inventive football.

Jan Vertonghen (Belgium/Tottenham)

Belgium's defence has been rather stingy so far, a rarity in a competition where most other teams have been a tad leaky at the back. Vertonghen may not have had one of the best seasons at Tottenham, but he's been a calm, assured figure at the back for de Rode Duivels. Although he's been played at left-back for his country due to their lack of natural full-backs, we have slotted him into the left side of our back three thanks to his preference for the role at club level.

Defensive midfielder

Javier Mascherano (Argentina/Barcelona)

For Argentina, Lionel Messi's brilliance has been grabbing all the fanfare but many have overlooked Mascherano's steadiness and reliability as he keeps their attack-minded midfield balanced. Mascherano is incredibly selfless. He works entirely for his team and has no notion of catching the highlight reel or making headlines. Without his inclusion, Argentina's not-yet-convincing World Cup campaign may well have collapsed by now.

Wide midfielders

Mathieu Valbuena (France/Marseille)

Though he was rested in France's third group match after they had already gone through, the diminutive French wide-man has been terrific in his two appearances. Always willing to get on the ball and do something useful with it, Valbuena uses his small stature to confuse cumbersome opponents with his delightful first touch and wonderful bursts of acceleration. He has been a great role model for smaller, trickier players and will continue to be a joy to watch as France gather momentum should they make themselves serious final contenders.

Arjen Robben (Netherlands/Bayern Munich)

With Valbuena on the right, we have put Robben out left although in this World Cup, the phrase "free role" best sums up where he might turn up on the pitch which is just about anywhere in the final third. Teaming up with Robin van Persie, Robben danced his way through the group stages with three goals, an assist and three man of the match awards. A stunning achievement from a player who, earlier last season, was expected to be offloaded by his club coach Pep Guardiola. If Robben can continue this fine form and keep excelling at club level, he could make himself a genuine Balon d'Or contender next winter.

Attacking midfielder

James Rodríguez (Colombia/Monaco)

James (pronounced "Ha-mez") has really come into fruition as Colombia's top player in the absence of star striker Radamel Falcao. The creative midfielder has been on fire so far with three goals, two assists and two man of the match awards. He really is coming into his own and could go on to become Colombia's greatest international player ever, eclipsing the legendary Carlos Valderramma. Colombia are well capable of knocking out Uruguay and should make very tough quarter-final opponents against either Brazil or Chile, especially with this fellow in their line-up.

James Rodríguez has been superb for Colombia and is the tournament's breakout star

Attackers

Thomas Müller (Germany/Bayern Munich)

With Miroslav Klose's international career winding down having levelled Ronaldo's all-time World Cup goalscoring record, Germany have found themselves a new Mister World Cup in Müller, an out-and-out goal poacher in the same vein as the legendary German striker, Gerd Müller. The Bayern Munich winger/striker is a true no nonsense player. He has no box of tricks, fancy gimmicks or sleeve tattoos. He just has instinct in and around the penalty area which gives Germany a huge boost not having many other attacking options. His four goals have allowed die Mannschaft to ease through their group and as their momentum gathers, their fans will start to believe that this can finally be their year having not won a major international competition since Euro '96.

Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona)

Well, he would have to be in it, wouldn't he? Leo has been amazing so far and has done his very best Maradona impersonation by single-handedly dragging Argentina along, scoring four goals and picking up three man of the match awards in the process. If anything, should he keep this form up and hand the Albiceleste the World Cup, he will have surpassed Diego and will stand alone on top of football's Mount Olympus. He is not helped by the injury of Sergio Agüero but the rest of the team doing just about enough, they are capable of going all the way and how they would love that on rival Brazilian soil.

Neymar (Brazil/Barcelona)

A third Barcelona player, which is a little surprising considering their end of season was thought to be a flop. Maybe they were saving themselves for the World Cup after all. In fairness, Neymar has been the host nation's best player up until now. They have flattered to deceive so far with a controversial win over Croatia, a draw against Mexico and a routine win against the awful Cameroon. Neymar has scored four goals and has taken a huge amount of responsibility in a high pressure situation. Though he has looked awkward at Camp Nou, he is very much in his element in this Brazil side and everything goes through him. Still, many tough matches lie ahead, including tonight's bout against Chile. That will be a good testing ground to see whether Neymar becomes a legend or merely another myth.

DUTCH, ITALIANS AND GERMANS MOST IMPRESSIVE SO FAR

D. Ray Morton, 18th June 2014.

Germany's Thomas Müller's hat-trick against Portugal makes him top goalscorer and brings his total World Cup goals to eight, now level with the legendary Diego Maradona

Since our last post about Italy's victory over a game but predictable England, we have seen every World Cup team in action now. We have seen Belgium, many peoples' "dark horses" to go far in tournament. We watched as Germany impressed against a self-destructive Portuguese side unable to get the best out of Cristiano Ronaldo. France and Karim Benzema strutted their stuff against violent minnows Honduras and Argentina, thanks to a moment of magic from none other than Lionel Messi, put away a resolute Bosnia & Herzegovina side. Mexico and Brazil were the first two teams to play their second match yesterday and the hosts/favourites failed to impress in a nil-all draw.

Having seen everyone, the three most impressive teams have been Italy, the Netherlands (who thrashed champions Spain) and Germany with Thomas Müller in top poaching form. Italy deserve credit in that they took care of England despite missing Gianluigi Buffon in goal and having to field a back four that had question marks hanging over it. The likes of Matteo Darmian and Gabriel Paletta have been steady, however. There is no doubt that the Netherlands' hammering of Spain has been the stand-out performance of the competition and Germany, though Portugal really were masters of their own undoing, were firm and incisive.

Brazil are a team that should be worrying at this point. Mexico managed to hold them to a scoreless draw thanks to a fine performance from goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa but the seleção were hardly unlucky in their stalemate. Fred had another poor performance and this time there was no cheap award of a penalty. A matter of concern is that the only real back-up for him is former Manchester City flop, Jô. Provided a team can keep Neymar occupied out left, Brazil are offering very little in attack at the moment and must be counting their lucky stars that they were handed such an easy victory in their opening match thanks to some shady refereeing. Things will have to be shaken up and serious consideration must be given to starting the likes of Willian and Fernandinho, players who could offer more creativity than Paulinho, Luiz Gustavo or Ramires.

Tonight's games see Louis van Gaal's Netherlands against Australia (5pm GMT), Spain with a chance to bounce back against Chile (8pm GMT) and Croatia's chance of redemption against a dull Cameroon side (11pm GMT). Vicente del Bosque's defending champions are hanging in there and need a massive performance against Chile. Though many have them written off after their embarrassing opening defeat, they have the quality within their squad to fight back and they could still take that second place position. Assuming Brazil win their group, a repeat of the 2013 Confederations Cup final of Brazil versus Spain would be a mouth-watering second round prospect. Many expected they would not meet until the tournament decider on July 13th but now it is looking like neither team are good enough to win this thing outright.

DAY TWO SEES THE NETHERLANDS CRUSH SPAIN

D. Ray Morton, 14th June 2014.

Louis van Gaal and Robin van Persie high-five after punishing Spain

The World Cup provided its first major shock yesterday with the Netherlands hammering defending champions Spain 5-1 thanks to a pair of braces from Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. When we think of shocks before an international tournament, we think of underdogs knocking out big name teams. The Dutch were always capable of turning in a performance against Spain but no-one expected Salvador to be the scene of such a trouncing.

Manchester United fans will certainly be excited about Louis van Gaal demonstration of tactical nous. The Netherlands started in an unusual 5-3-2 formation which saw Spain's Diego Costa isolated up front on his own. The plan was to stifle the world champions and it worked to an extent, that is until the 27th minute when Xabi Alonso slotted home a penalty after Costa's dubiously won spot-kick. The Atlético Madrid target man went down in the area under the slightest bit of contact. Clear simulation and another example of poor officiating.

The Dutch did not flinch, however, and they managed to level things up just before the interval. Daley Blind struck a terrific cross from the left as van Persie, having remained onside, headed powerfully over an exposed Iker Casillas to score emphatically. Blind looked like a quality threat down the left and Manchester United must surely be thinking of recruiting him after the Luke Shaw deal went down the pan. Van Gaal's involvement should make it a simple deal.

Spain looked like a shadow of their former selves in the second half. They were ripped apart mercilessly by the enthusiastic Dutch and it was Arjen Robben who made it 2-1, Blind instrumental again down the wing, then the ex-Real Madrid winger outsmarting Gerard Piqué to slip past the hapless Casillas.

The third Dutch goal was a real kick in the teeth. Wesley Sneijder struck a powerful free-kick from the left which looped over everyone, including Casillas, and on to the head of Stefan de Vrij who was able to nod home easily. Van Persie did well to block the goalkeeper though the Spanish players felt it was a foul. That moment buried them psychologically.

It got worse for the goalkeeper once considered the best in the world. With eighteen minutes remaining and Spain panicking, Casillas completely miscontrolled a simple back pass leaving van Persie with the almost embarrassingly easy task of sliding the ball into an empty net. Spain will genuinely have to consider dropping the Real Madrid goal-tender if they are to recover in their next two games.

More punishment followed. Robben was given space and time again in front of a defence that did not even seem to be trying anymore. His cool finish made it 5-1 to cap off an unbelievable result. Vicente del Bosque was simply fuming at pitchside.

A thoroughly shocking result which sees Spain pinned at the bottom of Group B after Chile brushed aside Australia in the other match. Chile were fun to watch playing an almost suicidal attacking line-up with midfielders and full-backs occupying traditional centre-back spots, everyone chipping in on the attack. They triumphed 3-1 thanks to goals from Alexis Sánchez, Jorge Valdivia and Jean Beausejour to nullify Tim Cahill's reply. They look a decent side despite being so vulnerable at the back and are capable of eliminating Spain as they meet next. The Netherlands should have no problem beating Australia and are in prime position to top the group.

In the day's other game, Mexico beat Cameroon 1-0 in Group A thanks to a strike from Oribe Peralta. Mexico will be pleased with the win, relieved considering they had two perfectly good goals from Giovani dos Santos ruled out for offside. The excitement continues now with matchday three, the pick of the bunch being England vs. Italy of course.

BRAZIL PREVAIL IN WORLD CUP OPENER

D. Ray Morton, 13th June 2014.

Neymar got his brace against Croatia but Brazil were far from impressive in general

The 2014 incarnation of the FIFA World Cup kicked off yesterday after the bells, whistles and general nonsense of the opening ceremony ended. When the football actually got under way, hosts Brazil managed to dispatch enthusiastic underdogs Croatia with a 3-1 victory having gone a goal behind early on.

Brazil were gifted a victory over a hardly undeserving Croatian side who will feel aggrieved at some highly questionable refereeing decisions. It only took Croatia eleven minutes to take the lead. Brazil started nervously, as evidenced by some of the facial expressions in the tunnel before kick-off. They had been inefficient in their possession and Ivica Olic broke down the left for the visitors and managed to centre towards Nikica Jelavic. Jelavic made a weak connection with the cross but it was enough to guide it onto the toes of the on-rushing Marcelo who was left with the misfortune of scoring an own goal.

Brazil's equaliser came in the 29th minute, against the run of play perhaps, when Neymar managed to beat Stipe Pletikosa from distance with a scuffed left foot effort. Pletikosa's positioning throughout the night had been poor and, refereeing decisions aside, his dismal performance might have been enough alone to lose it for the Croatians.

The true turning point of the match did not come until twenty minutes before the end. Fred, having miscontrolled a ball in the opposition's penalty area, backed into Dejan Lovren and hit the deck as if he had been shot. Lovren's ever-so-slightly raised hands were enough for the Japanese referee to point to the spot. A simply ludicrous decision which spoiled an intriguing football match until that point. Croatia had played a neat short passing game, the now shaven-headed Luka Modric impressing with his all-round orchestration of the game, but now they found themselves 2-1 behind thanks to Neymar's penalty.

With the wind taken out of Croatia's sails, Oscar managed to extend the lead in injury time and there was even a question of a foul in the lead up to that one too. 3-1 to Brazil and a brace for Neymar. That would almost seem predictable to someone who just glanced at the scoreline but the match as a whole told a very different story. Modric had been the best player on the pitch, not Neymar. Brazil's superstar had a decent game, troubling defenders with his agility but offered very little threat. He was made to look good by Pletikosa's shortcomings. Even the penalty had uncertainty smeared all over it. Neymar took the most ridiculous of run-ups and managed to squeeze it past the keeper despite getting a full hand on the ball.

This was not a great showcase for the game as a World Cup opener. The casual fan might have enjoyed Brazil's comeback victory but there was nothing too heroic about it thanks to some shady officiating. Let us hope that this does not become a theme for the tournament where certain teams get preferential treatment. Usually teams that FIFA have an interest in. We do not want another 2002 World Cup farce.

WORLD CUP TRIUMPH IN MESSI'S HANDS

D. Ray Morton, 11th June 2014.

Lionel Messi will play in his first World Cup with Argentina built around him

The World Cup finally gets under way tomorrow evening (Brazil vs. Croatia K/O 9pm GMT) and speculation mounts as to who will win the competition on the back of many injuries and players who have endured sixty-game seasons. Lionel Messi, having surrendered his Balon d'Or crown to Cristiano Ronaldo last year, is many pundits' tip to be the star individual of the tournament.

There are several reasons as to why people think Messi will dominate at the World Cup. At one point last season, former Barcelona assistant manager, Angel Cappa, accused the Argentine of losing his passion for the game. Indeed, many felt that he had taken his foot off the pedal as his domestic season wound down in order to save himself for Brazil's football carnival. It is harsh to judge a player's professionalism like this and Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid, who pipped Barça to both a Liga BBVA title and a place in the Champions League final, deserve a lot of credit for keeping Messi quiet throughout their series of games. Therefore, La Pulga Atómica has a lot to prove and a lot of pundits to silence. Included in this is the ever-opinionated Zvonimir Boban who recently accused Argentina's No. 10 of "not trying" (whilst also stating Barça teammate Neymar will never become the world's best player).

The reason for Messi optimism is as follows. Fair enough, his performances did dip a little towards the end of last season but it was on the back of a year that involved a serious hamstring injury. Between Barcelona's last game of the campaign and the start of the World Cup, he has been able to rest and is enjoying his time with the Argentina camp. There may be a sense of pressure too, however. Messi has vomited during play on several occasions in recent times and though he maintains it has nothing to do with nerves, it is odd that the medical staff cannot find an explanation for this. Messi believes it merely some undiagnosed, minor illness that just happens to him sometimes. Merely a weak stomach.

Assuming Messi is 100% fit and happy, he finds himself in an Argentina team built around him away from the pressures of Camp Nou. This was not the case in the past. Sergio Agüero and Gonzalo Higuaín should join him to form a formidable attacking force, arguably the best at the World Cup. Other major stars from top nations are either missing or struggling for fitness too which gives Messi the chance to shine above all others. Germany's Marco Reus, France's Franck Ribéry and Colombia's Radamel Falcao are all ruled out and there are question marks over the condition of Portugal's Ronaldo and Uruguay's Luis Suárez. Five top players who could have each taken the tournament by storm.

Considering Messi turns twenty-seven on 24th June, he should be at his prime in this World Cup. Argentina's potential path to the final is not the worst either and they could be looking at a semi-final against Spain and perhaps Brazil in the decider, the ultimate South American football rivalry. Spain are thought to be a little bit weaker than in their last three international championships and there are still questions over whether this Brazil team are really that good. There will be a lot more pressure on Neymar & co. than on Messi & co. Even playing the World Cup in South America helps. Obviously not against Brazil but against the European teams.

So will Messi cement that World Cup legacy that places Diego Maradona above him in the annals of the Argentine game? The conditions seem to be right for what Argentinians have been waiting for since 1986. With a much better supporting cast to boot.

ANOTHER CESC SAGA ALBEIT DIFFERENT

D. Ray Morton, 6th June 2014.

Though not a horror signing, it has not been all smiles and sunshine for Fàbregas at Barcelona

Cesc Fàbregas has been the subject of a number of transfer sagas over the past few seasons. In the summer of 2011, Barcelona finally pried him away from Arsenal for £35m plus add-ons amounting to amother £5m. Last summer, speculation mounted that Manchester United were hot on his trail as he only managed to register two steady seasons with Barça, failing to take Camp Nou by storm. After another decent but unspectacular campaign, speculation is mounting about his future again.

The dynamic is slightly different this time, however. Fàbregas has been seen as something of a flop. His addition to Barcelona's squad unsettled the Busquets-Xavi-Iniesta midfield axis and his presence hastened Thiago Alcântara's departure from the club, moving to Bayern Munich in search of more first-team opportunities. Fielding Cesc became more of a problem than a solution. Do you fit him in instead of Xavi or Andrés Iniesta or do you play him in Lionel Messi's false 9 role? Whichever position he was put in, it never seemed as natural as it did at Arsenal.

Spending £40m on an ex-youth player also created an awkward dynamic. It was a vast fortune to spend on a player that the club did away with in the past only to take him back like a prodigal son. Such lavish spending happens at Barça but not for their La Masia contingent. Blending expensive signings with in-house talent has been the club's way, not spending a king's ransom on once homegrown fledglings. One could point to Chelsea's expensive re-signing of Nemanja Matic as a good example of this kind of deal but Roman Abramovich's team are known for their vast consumption and do not have a philosophy or a fanbase that they have to answer to like that of the Catalan clubs'.

New manager Luis Enrique deems Fàbregas surplus to requirements and wants to generate money through sales in order to secure his own transfer targets. I wrote on the interest in Sevilla's Ivan Rakitic lately and recent reports do suggest he is very close to signing for Barcelona, snubbing both Atlético and Real Madrid in the process. They will want to add a defender, another midfielder and an attacker to that therefore Cesc has become a target for Manchester clubs City and United, Chelsea and maybe even old club Arsenal. There seems to be an odd reluctance amongst these clubs to make a move materialise, however, and only Chelsea's José Mourinho has publicly stated he is monitoring the situation despite Fàbregas' possible reluctance to work with a former Real Madrid manager who managed to rub quite a few Catalans the wrong way during his time at the club.

Wherever he ends up, Fàbregas is still a player with plenty left to offer. He must be used in his best role, however, and that is in an advanced midfield role with protective players behind him and a recognised striker ahead of him, not as a deeper lying metronome or as false 9. He does not have the pace to lead the line and does not have the positional discipline to play too deep but he is a fine attacking playmaker. He needs a good World Cup to give his career another kick-start and some fine performances in Brazil could ignite some more aggressive bids for his services.

PRE-WORLD CUP VACUUM IS TEDIOUS

D. Ray Morton, 1st June 2014.

The World Cup will be here very soon, finally, amidst fears of unbuilt stadiums

We have entered June and the World Cup will hit our TV screens in eleven days. This period between the end of the domestic football season and the world's biggest international sports event has been downright tedious, however.

Rumour mills have been overloaded and changes are afoot. Possibly the most ridiculous story that has broken out over the past couple of weeks is Yaya Touré's demand for a move away from Manchester City because the club did not acknowledge his birthday. That is one for the ages. An eight year-old could come up with a better excuse and if Touré and his agent do successfully negotiate a mega-bucks move away from the Etihad, City fans will feel both frustration at having lost a great player and the frustration of having egg on their face. Questions will be raised as to why a player like Touré, a freshly-crowned Premier League winner, would flee Manchester despite the riches on offer there. He has flirted with the idea of a return to Barcelona though the Catalan club are unlikely to approach him. Paris St. Germain are the favourites for his signature.

Eden Hazard is not exactly feeling the love at Chelsea right now

Speaking of PSG's attempts to further strengthen their growing empire, Eden Hazard could also be in their cross-hairs. Chelsea's Belgian winger is unsettled at Stamford Bridge due to manager José Mourinho's public announcement that Hazard does not play for the team. A puzzling statement about an extraordinary attacking talent, a future Balon d'Or winner in the making. Could there be some massive clean-up going on behind the scenes at Chelsea? PSG are throwing caution to the wind with their spending but Chelsea are tightening that belt and raking in the cash as evidenced by their swift decision to offload David Luiz to the Parisian giants last month. Are Chelsea forced to sell Hazard for, say, €70m? They are giving the impression that it would a tactical decision which could appease their supporters rather than showing it would be for financial stability. The sale of Hazard would cause waves, however. Bigger waves than a Yaya Touré move considering his age and vast potential. It would also demonstrate that PSG really are on the up and up and Chelsea are stagnating somewhat.

Poor Montolivo. Here is a token "sickening leg-break" snap

Another feature of this pre-carnival vacuum are the World Cup warm up matches. Such drudgery, understandable I guess, but dire to watch all the same. The level of excitement between a late season international friendly and an actual World Cup match is incomparable. These friendlies come at a cost too. Italy have lost Riccardo Montolivo to a horrendous leg break in last night's exhibition against Ireland at Craven Cottage. A huge blow for the azzurri as the AC Milan midfielder was expected to play a key role in their upcoming games against England, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

The only real points of interest so far have been some major managerial appointments. Manchester United have appointed Louis van Gaal, though it is becoming clear that he was not their first choice as the Red Devils sniffed out Borussia Dortmund's Jürgen Klopp and Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti before their futures had been determined. Van Gaal will be flung into an arena of high expectations, that is after he is done with the Netherlands' World Cup campaign which features a tough group with defending champions Spain, Chile and Australia.

Much-loved by the Barcelona faithful, how will he do now as a manager in the Camp Nou hot-seat?

Another fascinating appointment is Barcelona's decision to hire ex-player and ex-Barcelona B coach, Luis Enrique. Leaving his role at Celta Vigo, Enrique will bring a more familiar brand of attacking possession football to Camp Nou but it should be interesting to see how his "fitness freak" conditioning systems will rub off on what is a somewhat rattled squad that could not pick up any significant silverware last season. It will also be a key season for Lionel Messi, some having accused him of taking his foot off the gas to save himself for Argentina's World Cup. Can he recapture his status as the world's finest player or will Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo seize the glory again? Winning a World Cup in-between might be just the tonic Messi needs.

With Tottenham Hotspur poaching manager Mauricio Pochettino from Southampton, one of the funnier quotes this week came from Real Madrid's Angel di Maria: "It hurts when you're always doing your best for your club and then you hear that you might be going to Tottenham." Inadvertently humiliating to Spurs, Pochettino will need to give his squad the kick up the backside to make them a serious club again. He has been challenged with providing that holy grail of a top four finish, a familiar tune from Daniel Levy, and the pressure will be on if results do not match expected standards.

So between preposterous big money transfers, broken legs in friendlies and more managerial merry-go-round, we just want to get on with the World Cup at long last. Will the stadiums be up to scratch? Will Brazil triumph as expected? Bring it on for goodness sake.