World Cup. Boredom & droning

I'm a football fan. I love watching the game.

But so far this World Cup has given me only two things. Boring games and the monotonous drone of vuvuzelas.

I think the second has something to do with the first, too.

Mind you, there are also footballing reasons behind the boring games.

The globalisation of the game, for example, means that more and more teams are at much the same level.

The major leagues are full of overseas players - Brazilian playing Ivorian, Korean playing Spaniard week after week in the English Premier League for example. The handful of stand-out players are spread across a number of teams, their teammates are all pretty much at the same standard. So there's not a lot to choose between many of the teams and they're cancelling each other out.

That's made worse by the fact that most teams use the same game plan, which in major tournaments is distinctly defensive, because coaches tend to be sheep, slavishly following each other in using whatever the latest trend in formation and tactics is. (Note how many make their substitutions on the hour mark for example, however badly someone is playing from the kick off).

Then there's also the unusually high number of top players absent through injury or out of form. So many with any flair, the talent to beat opponents, are missing or below par.

But there's more than that, which I put down to where the games are being played.

First the vuvuzela.

The problem is not the mind-numbingly boring monotone drone, annoying as it is.

The problem, IMO, is that the noise has nothing to do with the game that's being played, doesn't relate to it in any way, contributes nothing to it. In fact it adversely affects the game.

Think about the noise from a crowd at a football match. It usually ebbs and flows. It comes in waves that reflect and influence the game.

Fans scream, shout, sing and chant when their team is attacking, boo the opposition when they're attacking, go quiet in the quiet moments, applaud sportsmanship or a particularly good move. They're involved, they support and encourage their team.

We're not getting any of that with the World Cup games. We just get one boring monotone drone for ninety minutes.

The crowds seem to be not following the game, not getting involved, they're more interested in making their own unrelated noise.

That surely must be having a bad effect on what should be the rhythm of the games.

Then there's the much-criticised 'Jabulani' ball.

It certainly seems to be behaving as though it's much lighter than usual, bouncing about like a balloon.

It's probably not all the fault of the ball though, it's probably a combination of factors such as the thinner air at higher altitudes, maybe drier, bouncier pitches as well as the new ball.

You'd assume the makers took the geographic factors into account when they designed the ball - but I wouldn't bet on it.

Still, I'm sure I'll hang in there watching, and hoping for exciting, close-fought, skillful games.

The eventual winner? We've had Brazil scraping through against North Korea, Switzerland beating Spain, more draws than wins - anyone can win this time.