England did pretty well against Uruguay, but the one world-class player on the pitch, Luis Suarez, scored two goals. At least he didn't bite anybody. Cristiano Ronaldo didn't have a tournament to remember, but did deliver a brilliant cross to keep his side in the World Cup against the USA. And Lionel Messi has already spared Argentine blushes, with crucial goals against Iran and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Once Suarez leaves Liverpool, we will return to the status quo: the very, very best do not play in England. They must be lured² here!

 

 

USA, Algeria, Costa Rica, Greece… all countries without too many stars but all countries who have done better than England. England is a team made up of star players, and we play like a bunch of people who have only just met. Teamwork and discipline can overcome a lot.

 

Tiki taka is dead: long live fast, thrilling aggression³. The most exciting teams in the World Cup – Chile, Colombia – have played a high energy game with fluid movement. For once, it feels like the Premier League should be able to replicate⁴ the methods of international football. We were never going to pass it to death like Spain and Barcelona, but we might be able to play with the tempo⁵ and passion of a Colombia or Bayern Munich.

 

Two of the stars of the tournament have been Tim Howard and Guillermo Ochoa, who kept their sides in matches time and again. We are not currently in a vintage era of Premier League goalkeepers – and as for English ones, forget it. We hope to see Ochoa at a Prem team this season.

 

 

Colombian sexy striker James Rodriguez is spoken of by many in England as a "breakout star" of the World Cup. He was already playing at Monaco, who had paid €45 million for him. It's not like he was an unknown.

 

 

History teaches us that a great tournament does not a great Premier League player make: the Karel Poborsky Rule, as it is known. By buying World Cup flop⁶ Diego Costa, Chelsea have cleverly insured against this. Let's hope he doesn't become the new Fernando Torres.

 

 

There's been a notable increase in the amount of elbow grease put in by TV pundits in this World Cup, with the likes of Alan Shearer⁸ clearly having done research (or had it done for him) about the players he is watching. Let's hope the Beeb pundits' newfound appetite for homework extends to the domestic season as well.

 

 

Leaving aside morality and all that nonsense, Suarez losing the plot and biting Chiellini robbed his country of their best chance of progressing. Even Liverpool's loyal supporters must now recognise that the guy is a liability: if he keeps doing these crazy things and keeps getting long bans, surely it doesn't matter how good he is?

 

You'd have to have a heart of stone not to enjoy the way people in America have embraced the World Cup, or to be inspired by Costa Rica toppling three previous winners and then battling on with 10 men to pinch it against Greece. Football is just more exciting when it's not the same old teams winning all the time. Is it time for the Premier League to introduce some sort of draft system or wealth redistribution to try to level the playing field a bit? Or have we all just accepted that the spending power of the big four or five guarantees their dominance in perpetuity?

 

 

For all the thrills and spills of some of the less storied international teams, the quarter-final line-up does have a leather-bound, venerable feel: Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina are the most likely champs. The dream of having a new winner is an unlikely one – but still a bit more likely than someone new winning the Premier League.

 

 

Some of the greatest moments of the World Cup have come about because of the fans, the atmospheres generated – Algeria v Germany, for instance, was made by the crowd. Wouldn't it be nice if Premier League clubs realised that having fans who actually sing and make noise is what gives live football its thrill? So maybe stop pricing regular people out of the grounds?

 

There have hardly been any complete thrashings in this World Cup. Amazingly, Holland v Spain might be the most one-sided match of the tournament. Bigger teams hoarding⁹ players and walloping smaller teams is just not as entertaining. Sooner or later, something is going to have to be done.

 

No one's talking about refereeing¹⁰ mistakes much (though there have been plenty). Is it because we are all distracted by their spray cans? It sometimes feels like the Premier League is so dogged by controversial refereeing that arguing over that takes precedence over the football. The use of little bits of technology like goal-line and spraying the distance for a free-kick can help referees¹¹ and take some of the pressure off.

 

In conclusion, it feels fitting that the last word should be about the Premier League's best player: if Suarez does leave, it will be a duller league without him. Journalists and online Mr Angries alike should have a whip-round to keep him here. Who or what else would we all get so heated about? 45 days left to find a new controversial megastar…

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