Back of the Net!

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are in fear for their existence as future international footballing nations following news that FIFA President Sepp Blatter - the last person you go to for a well thought-out opinion - is backing a Team GB football team at the 2012 Olympics .

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It’s interesting to see that England have improved their FIFA rankings considerably since Fabio Capello took over, and the most recent update shows them creeping up behind Portgual and sitting joint 10th (or 11th if you’re pedantic). Continue Reading »

England’s second choice players recorded a convincing win against a below-par German side in Berlin this week, and despite a defensive mixup that allowed Germany to make it 1-2, Fabio Capello’s men were organised, decisive and entertaining.

The second string took their opportunity to shine in the absence of established names, and of particular note Wayne Bridge and Stewart Downing shone on the left flank. Continue Reading »

George Boateng is a former Middlesbrough midfielder and began his career in Holland. Currently playing for Hull City, on the eve of a raft of international friendlies across Europe, Boateng has revealed that he regrets a key choice made earlier in his career - which country to represent .

“At 15, I had to change my nationality from Ghanaian to Dutch, because at the time there were only three non EU (European Union) residents allowed to play in the first-team.

“I had to change it to give me a better chance of playing at Feyenoord.”

Speaking as someone who has always lived in the UK, I find it inexplicable that:

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Call me English, if you will, but I just don’t get it.

Argentina - now managed by Diego Maradona - are playing a friendly against Scotland this Wednesday at Hampden Park.  There’s a bit of added colour thanks to former England defender Terry Butcher’s presence in the Scotland setup - he and Maradona locked horns in the famous World Cup Quarter Final in Mexico 1986, and Butcher came out second best on that occasion; but there’s more.

Guess what - Maradona’s a hero in Scotland.

It’s that bonkers, age old rivalry that the English and Scots have, of course - but I don’t get why they’re so jealous of the English.

Of course if they weren’t jealous, there would be no rivalry, and a talented footballer who threw his career away in one deft snort wouldn’t be a hero in a country that needs no more extra drugs.

So why are the Scots jealous of the English? I have no idea, frankly. Sure there have been awful crimes committed against the Scots in the name of the English people, but I’m certain that it is a historical fact that Kings and Queens aren’t voted in. And England is certainly good enough for the Scots to come and live and work here. Continue Reading »

Fabio Capello has broken open his laboratory again and thrown some Under 21 guinea pigs into the senior squad for the mid-week friendly against the old enemy Germany.

It’s possible that the Italian hasn’t quite grasped the passion of England vs Germany:

“Everyone has told me that it is not a friendly game against Germany, but I think this will be a friendly game. We will do some experiments and after this game I will know better some different players.”

The shock inclusion of Chelsea’s Michael Mancienne - currently on loan at Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers - has so far overshadowed the once again missing Michael Owen, while David Beckham has also been omitted. Continue Reading »

Is it time for a new baby in the Beckham household?  Certainly on previous form, with a (loan?) move to AC Milan a massive possibility (depending on terms) then Mrs Beckham is likely to want to exercise the rights of every mother and name another baby after a cosmopolitan city.

Seriously, however, the move is right for David Beckham at this stage of his career, and just what he needs to get back to full form for England.

What is curious however is his timing.  If the former England captain - chasing an England record of appearances for an outfield player - went to American’s LA Galaxy in order to prolong his career, then how exactly does playing what amounts to over 12 months of football help him achieve this?

Sure, he’s fitter than most players of his age, but regardless of this it is an interesting point.

One thing seems to be certain in all of this.  Fabio Capello’s influence on the England player at the very least has got Beckham thinking about how to remain a part of things, and the very fact that he wants to remain a part of things after the events of the last few years speaks volumes about Capello.

I’ve long been of the opinion that England’s poor showing in their last few international competitions has been down to bad management and a lack of organisation, coupled with the posing, preening pop star icon rubbish.

Fabio Capello’s appointment threatened to brush the crap under the carpet, and certainly so far he’s succeeded in turning around a bunch of over-rated, under-achievers into a team that  looks once more to be one of the best in Europe.

Of course, this won’t be enough for Capello. Continue Reading »

The admission from Rio Ferdinand this week that the pre-Capello England team was a “circus” has been met with relief by fans convinced that the lot of them really do live in sme sort of insane bubble.

Naming no names, Ferdinand said: Continue Reading »

Ashley Cole is married to one of the most popular, attractive pop stars in Europe.

He’s also played away from home.

Ashley Cole once turned down £55,000 a week from Arsenal, in order to move to moneybags Chelsea.

Ashley Cole gets paid a lot more than that now to play at the highest level of fitness and professionalism week in week out in the English Premier League and European competition.  All in all, he’s not the most popular player in the country.

Which leaves me wondering why anyone is surprised that he should get booed for a Conference-level backpass in the recent England vs Kazakhstan World Cup qualifier at Wembley. Continue Reading »