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– You seem unusually quiet. Verging on pensive. Not writing your usual reams. Not writing anything, in fact.
– I know... Too many distractions. Too many disappointments. Too much heartbreak –
– This is about the football, isn't it?
– A writer needs to be able to distance himself from the trials and tribulations of daily life, and sacrifice himself selflessly on the high altar of his art, but sometimes it proves too difficult. The façade cracks. The mundane breaks through.
– We didn't do so badly. Admittedly came bottom of our group, but there was a bit of flair and fighting spirit on show. Occasionally. And we scored a couple of goals.
– Two. We scored two goals.
– There you go. Two more than – teams that haven't scored any.
– Iran. Only Iran hasn't scored. And they've only played two games so far.
– But we should think of our team as a work in progress. Think how much better we'll be in 2018. Or 2022, when I think, we planned to win the competition. It will all be worth it. In 2022.
– I think that was a target to aim for: it is not guaranteed. Besides, it is a long way away.
– The time will fly by. Try and take something positive from the England performance. Remember, it's not always about winning.
– I thought it was. I thought that's how these competitions worked.
– In a narrow sense, yes. In a more inclusive, holistic sense – well, still yes. But losing with style still counts for something.