Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Just copped this on the Beeb.
The disastrous reign of former England manager Steve McLaren was subject to further controversy today after it emerged that, at McLarens insistence, Englands players were each given a mug of hot Ovaltine in the dressing room, moments before the kick-off to the calamitous home defeat to Croatia on Wednesday. A senior squad member, who did not wish to be named, admitted that the cocoa-based chocolate flavoured drink was administered by England backroom staff whilst McLaren, who was sacked on Thursday, delivered his final rallying call to the players. Declining it was apparently "not an option".
Swiss-made Ovaltine contains malt extract fortified with vitamins, and when mixed with milk, is thought to provide an energy "boost" which McLaren had hoped would give his team an early edge over the Croatians, in a match where England needed only a draw to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals next year. But the plan backfired spectacularly as Croatia stormed into an early 2-0 lead, and although England pulled it back to 2-2 during a second half comeback, they were eventually beaten 3-2 to leave their Euro campaign in tatters. Having consumed the hot chocolate, the unnamed player admitted to feeling "queasy and nauseous" as he took to the field. "It was quite a sickly, sugary drink to take so close to kick-off, and most of the players really weren’t keen" he said. "But the gaffer was insistent, so we did as we were told. I'm not saying our performance was entirely down to the Ovaltine, but I really don't think it helped. Quite honestly It made me feel lethargic, and one of the lads came off and was sick at half time".
When confronted with the startling Ovaltine revelation, FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick was unrepentant. "Whatever Steve (McLaren) did in the run-up to the match would only have been in the interests of the team" he said. "We have a full-time nutritionalist assigned to the staff and Steve always took his advice on board when preparing the squad, so I'm sure there was nothing detrimental in the preparation on Wednesday night. Of course everyone is disappointed the result didn't go our way, but searching for scapegoats or factors that are out of my control such as powder-based Swiss hot chocolate drinks in the dressing room is not going to help anyone. I am actively involved in searching for a replacement to take the England team forward from this point on, and do not wish to comment further on this matter".
The BBC's indepent nutritional expert Jemima Rhymes was concerned at the news. "Ovaltine is ok as a drink when you are winding down in the evening, as when consumed in an armchair for example, it can induce drowsiness whilst at the same time keeping blood sugar levels high" she explained. "But I would never recommend a sportsman to drink this prior to physical activity, as the milky sweetness would curdle in the stomach, which in extreme cases could lead to stomach cramps, vomiting, and even explosive diarrhoea".
Assistant coach Terry Venables was reported to have had his usual coffee, and apparently felt no ill-effects. He angrily denied that McLaren's position had become untenable because he is ginger.
"That’s just rubbish" he said, in a brief statement earlier.
The disastrous reign of former England manager Steve McLaren was subject to further controversy today after it emerged that, at McLarens insistence, Englands players were each given a mug of hot Ovaltine in the dressing room, moments before the kick-off to the calamitous home defeat to Croatia on Wednesday. A senior squad member, who did not wish to be named, admitted that the cocoa-based chocolate flavoured drink was administered by England backroom staff whilst McLaren, who was sacked on Thursday, delivered his final rallying call to the players. Declining it was apparently "not an option".
Swiss-made Ovaltine contains malt extract fortified with vitamins, and when mixed with milk, is thought to provide an energy "boost" which McLaren had hoped would give his team an early edge over the Croatians, in a match where England needed only a draw to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals next year. But the plan backfired spectacularly as Croatia stormed into an early 2-0 lead, and although England pulled it back to 2-2 during a second half comeback, they were eventually beaten 3-2 to leave their Euro campaign in tatters. Having consumed the hot chocolate, the unnamed player admitted to feeling "queasy and nauseous" as he took to the field. "It was quite a sickly, sugary drink to take so close to kick-off, and most of the players really weren’t keen" he said. "But the gaffer was insistent, so we did as we were told. I'm not saying our performance was entirely down to the Ovaltine, but I really don't think it helped. Quite honestly It made me feel lethargic, and one of the lads came off and was sick at half time".
When confronted with the startling Ovaltine revelation, FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick was unrepentant. "Whatever Steve (McLaren) did in the run-up to the match would only have been in the interests of the team" he said. "We have a full-time nutritionalist assigned to the staff and Steve always took his advice on board when preparing the squad, so I'm sure there was nothing detrimental in the preparation on Wednesday night. Of course everyone is disappointed the result didn't go our way, but searching for scapegoats or factors that are out of my control such as powder-based Swiss hot chocolate drinks in the dressing room is not going to help anyone. I am actively involved in searching for a replacement to take the England team forward from this point on, and do not wish to comment further on this matter".
The BBC's indepent nutritional expert Jemima Rhymes was concerned at the news. "Ovaltine is ok as a drink when you are winding down in the evening, as when consumed in an armchair for example, it can induce drowsiness whilst at the same time keeping blood sugar levels high" she explained. "But I would never recommend a sportsman to drink this prior to physical activity, as the milky sweetness would curdle in the stomach, which in extreme cases could lead to stomach cramps, vomiting, and even explosive diarrhoea".
Assistant coach Terry Venables was reported to have had his usual coffee, and apparently felt no ill-effects. He angrily denied that McLaren's position had become untenable because he is ginger.
"That’s just rubbish" he said, in a brief statement earlier.
