12 May 2014

England’s road to Brazil: Vauxhall v Lamborghini

As Roy Hodgson reveals his England squad for the 2014 World Cup at the Vauxhall car plant in Luton, Channel 4 News Sports Correspondent Keme Nzerem looks at how England’s Vauxhall will fare against the likes of Italy and Germany.


The helpful thing about social media is that journalists get instant feedback on the kind of questions we ask at press conferences. Our audience with England Manager Roy Hodgson this afternoon is no exception.

Twitter is split down the middle. Some fans are furious that in comparing the England team to their main sponsor Vauxhall, while suggesting the Italians might be best compared to a Lamborghini, I’m dissing Roy’s boys before the tournament has even begun.

Others have taken it as a bit of a joke and pointed out that on Brazilian roads, a Vauxhall is probably a much better bet than a 700-horsepower top-end sports car.

For the avoidance of doubt though, here is the transcript of my question: word for word.

“Hi Roy, Keme Nzerem, Channel 4 News.

“On a similar note, a young squad, exciting, fresh – internally, behind closed doors, there’s obviously enthusiasm and excitement but, you’ll be aware, outside there is a perception that England have kind of become the kind of Vauxhall, if you like, of international football.

“Dependable, well-made, well-organised, full of energy, but ultimately a little bit ordinary. How are you gonna persuade your young squad that they can go as far as you say they can?”

Hodgson’s response was diplomatic and thoughtful – as it always is – and you can watch the entire exchange below (and below that, a few more of your tweets).

Pre News refresh player – this is the default player for the C4 news site – please do not delete. Ziad



Follow @nzerem_c4 on Twitter.