I doubt you'll find an Arsenal fan who has much of a liking for the French coach, Raymond Domenech, who appears to put irritating Arsene Wenger above looking after his players in his list of priorities.

Whenever one of our players is injured, you can be absolutely sure that they'll play the full ninety minutes in France's next meaningless friendly in Guadeloupe, just to make sure they're crocked for at least two months. And then he'll shrug in that annoying way of his, as if to say 'not my problem, why do I care?'.

So it is highly amusing to hear him complaining about the injustice of the Euro 2008 seeding system, which sees France amongst the bottom group. The system is based on qualifying for the last two tournaments, and not the finals themselves, so France's run to the World Cup final does not count. Instead, their two unimpressive qualifying campaigns form the seedings.

And with Austria and Switzerland, as hosts, and Greece, as holders, claiming three of the top four spots, some of the bigger nations find themselves right down the list, with France facing the potential of a group containing Germany, Italy and Holland.

It seems so unfair, so I genuinely do feel sorry for Domenech.

Oh no, hang on, I don't. My mistake.

One thing that infuriates me when watching a match is when the commentator or analyst starts to spout complete garbage that it so blatently wrong that you wonder how no-one is shutting them up.

Repeating these idiocies over and over often makes me reach for the mute button.

Take Tuesday night's game. Throughout the second half, we heard repeatedly, 'If Sevilla win this game, Arsenal can only win the group if Sevilla lose their final match'.

No.

If Sevilla draw, and Arsenal win, Arsenal win the group. It's not that hard to work out, given that in that circumstance, both teams would've achieved exactly the same results in their games, Arsenal winning the head to head battle on goal difference. But over and over again they insisted that a draw would be good enough for Sevilla, which it quite blatently wouldn't.

It got even worse elsewhere. Rangers began the night one point ahead of Lyon, but having won 3-0 in France the Scots held the head to head advantage.

Throughout the night, Lyon kept falling behind and equalising. Rangers also kept falling behind and equalising. The upshot of this was that Rangers were sometimes level with Lyon, sometimes still one point ahead, and sometimes two points ahead.

The commentators went on and on about how each goal was either fantastic news or a complete disaster. In truth, they mattered not one jot.

Lyon and Rangers square off in the final match. If Rangers win or draw, they go through. If Lyon win, they go through. The scorelines on Tuesday never changed that. I couldn't care less whether Rangers were one or two points ahead by the end of the night, and frankly, neither could they - they lose, and they're still out.

This inability to see the bigger picture is not an affliction that only affects ITV. In last night's Liverpool game, they kept on insisting, after the match, that Liverpool's win gives them a much better chance of qualifying than if they'd drawn.

Really?

When both Liverpool and Marseille were level, Marseille were holding a three point lead, meaning Liverpool had to win the final game against them to go through.

Liverpool then took the lead, cutting the gap to one point, leaving them.....still needing to beat Marseille. A 'crucial goal', the commentators claimed.

And then the final bit of 'good news' - Marseille conceded a late goal, so both sides ended the night level of points. With Marseille leading the head to head battle, this series of events left Liverpool, erm, still needing a win.

So none of those 'wonderful news' goals made the slightest difference.

Sometimes I wonder what these clowns are paid for.

Sevilla 3 (Keita 24, Fabiano 34, Kanoute pen 89) Arsenal 1 (Eduardo 11)

When Sevilla came to the Emirates in the opening match of the group, it was with a huge reputation to live up to. That day, they appeared outclassed, out of their depth and every bit the competition newcomers. Last night, the real Sevilla turned up, the team that has won back to back UEFA Cups with one of the most exciting brands of football in Europe.

For the first twenty minutes, however, it was all Arsenal. Slick and controlled passing irritated the whistling crowd, and when Eboue's remarkable back heel travelled down the touchline, Bendtner whipped in an inch perfect cross, and Eduardo, coming in from the left wing, controlled, kept his balance and slotted into the empty net, after the keeper had unnecessarily joined Alves trying to stop him.

The crowd were silenced and the home team in disarray, chasing shadows. And then, out of nothing, they equalised. Senderos, looking woefully short of match sharpness, sliced a clearance to the dangerous Navas, and Gilberto tried to turn his whipped cross away from danger, rather than behind the goal. It fell kindly to Keita, who rifled a superb shot into the roof of the net.

From that moment on, Sevilla took control, and had Kanoute not been so profligate, the match would've been over by half time. His misses meant that the Spaniards went in only 2-1 ahead, thanks to Fabiano's header from Alves' driven free kick. It was clearly a move from the training ground but Toure was too slow closing the Brazilian down.

Once ahead, Sevilla are a difficult side to peg back. Eduardo came close before half time, while Eboue should've had a penalty in the second, but I can understand why the referee didn't give it - the Ivorian had been theatrically rolling around and play acting for most of the first half, and when he went down I groaned, thinking he'd spurned an excellent position by diving. It was only on seeing the replay that I realised it was a genuine foul. His reputation is not helping him.

A penalty was then given at the other end for handball against Senderos, when it clearly struck him squarely in the chest. After consultation with the linesman, and perhaps after playing the incident through again in his head, he rescinded the decision. Bizarre.

But Sevilla did eventually get the third goal they deserved, when a combination of Toure and Sagna brought Kanoute to the floor, and the former Spurs man slotted the penalty home. In truth, it was no more than they deserved for some stunning approach play - had the team's finishing been better it could've been an absolute hiding.

Elsewhere, Wenger was sent to the stands, presumably for complaining to the fourth official too much, but without anywhere obvious to stand (he was well within his rights to watch the match and not go down the tunnel), he simply stood a few feet behind the dugout, much to the chagrin of the officials. Cesc went off with a hamstring strain, but hopefully that was just a precaution.

Although the loss was convincing, and sees us lose top spot in the group, it isn't a match to lose sleep over. Some shadow players got some excellent experience, and with Aston Villa playing a full team against Blackburn tonight, it may actually be our first team guys that are more rested for the weekend. Playing Sevilla away is hard enough with a full strength side, but with so many players missing a draw would've been a terrific result.

And some players showed flashes of brilliance. Bendtner stuck out, playing superbly up front on his own - his strength and hold up play was excellent throughout, and with the two central defenders chipping away at him all match, he kept his cool admirably. But most impressive was his distribution, clever passing angles regularly created openings that some more in form players may have made the most of. He is certainly pushing Adebayor for his place at the moment.

Eboue is another who played well, although only when he concentrated on his football. The man really is maddening, he plays so well and then decides to act like a plank for half of the game. He could be great if he just sorted his head out.

Senderos has come in for some stick today, and it is true that he had a poor game, but he is just returning from injury and he always has taken a while to get back up to speed. With Toure off in January, the big man has an important role to play, as I'm not convinced Djourou is ahead of him in the pecking order just yet - his performances at Birmingham haven't been overly convincing either.

I must confess to being a little disappointed with Eduardo. It is obvious he prefers playing up front, but he was stationed on the wing to help protect Traore against the dangerous Alves and Navas down that flank. But too often he left his full back exposed by not tracking back, and you cannot afford that slackness against this class of opposition. A minor complaint, perhaps, but if he is playing out there he must do that job.

So the unbeaten run comes to an end, but of all matches, it wasn't a bad one to lose. Winning the group is not out of the question, with Sevilla facing a tricky tie in Prague, and the hosts needing a result to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

The weekend match is a big one - Villa are in hot form right now and Martin O'Neill's teams are always difficult to beat on their own patch.

Until then, don't panic - one defeat in seven months isn't something to cry over.

Arsenal 2 (Gallas 83, Rosicky 86) Wigan 0

It was a long time in coming, but the three points were eventually gained on Saturday, against a resilient Wigan who looked a lot more solid than in recent weeks.

Once again, it was captain William Gallas who made the decisive breakthrough, heading in Sagna's excellent cross after good work from Bendtner. Rosicky's second was inevitable once Wigan were forced to respond.

For a long time, it looked like last season again, plenty of possession but no cutting edge. But with the midfield makeshift but talented, and Adebayor losing a little form in front of goal, that isn't a great surprise. The most important thing was that three points were taken on a day when they could so easily have been lost.

Elsewhere, Bolton forgot to roll over when United came to town, Anelka scoring the only goal of a game in which Ferguson was sent to the stands - he has since been charged. His post match comments were laced with hypocrisy:

"You expect a team near the bottom to battle, scrap and fight. But the key thing is how the referee controls it. He is the arbiter in terms of the application of the rules of football. That is where we feel a bit aggrieved."

We've been saying the same about Bolton for years, but funnily enough Ferguson has always dismissed our complaints.

There was also good news from Chelsea, who, despite beating Derby, had Essien sent off for violent conduct. Essien only scored twice last season, but given that both were against us, it is superb news that he will be suspended for the trip to the Emirates.

John Terry had his customary strop, and I still have no idea how he gets away with it, while Avram Grant had this to say:

"I don't want to say something against him [the referee] but I have a feeling - and I was warned about this before I came to Chelsea and I fear it's true - that we are an easy target for getting red cards."

Essien unnecessarily and aggressively whacked Kenny Miller round the head. And Grant wants to appeal the red card. Crazy.

Looking forward, and tonight sees the return Champions League fixture in Sevilla. With qualification already assured, Gallas, Clichy, Adebayor, Van Persie and the injured midfielders are left at home, so it should be an excellent opportunity for the likes of Bendtner, Traore, Gilberto, Senderos and maybe Eduardo to get some first team action.

It is in no way a meaningless match, as Sevilla would go top with a win, so Arsene is putting his full faith in the squad, and I for one am looking forward to it.

On a sour note, Michel Platini has once again decided to renew his attack on English football, and yet again, it is his considered opinion that it is all the fault of Arsenal:

"In Arsenal now you don't have an English coach, English players, maybe not an English president soon. So why are they playing in England?"

Let's break this down. Arsenal have one of the best coaches in the world at a time when it is widely accepted that there is a lack of decent Englishmen. Wenger is backed by a largely English team.

As for the players, if Platini examined the situation a little more carefully he'd realise than soon after Wenger arrived, he plowed resources into the youth setup, which is now bearing fruit as Arsenal have some excellent English talent aged between 15 and 18. As for the current England lot, they wouldn't get in the Arsenal side.

But it is the last point which is most ridiculous - 'maybe not an English president soon'. Putting aside the fact that English clubs don't have presidents, he is criticising the club for something that has not yet happened, and that everyone connected with the club is doing everything they can to prevent.

Why, when the rest of the top six in the Premiership are all foreign owned, does that particular attack fall on us? It is simply a case of Platini following the badly researched, popular voice. The day he was elected UEFA president was a bad day for football. The man is a complete idiot.

After four consecutive posts about England, it's high time we got back to important matters around here.

The Premiership returns today, with Wigan coming to the Emirates still managerless, as Steve Bruce's move has been delayed due to some financial wrangling. They'll face a weakened Arsenal side, shorn of Fabregas, Flamini, Diaby and Hleb in midfield, while Gilberto has to be a doubt after returning from Brazil only last night.

The likelihood of the World Cup winner departing either in January or the summer seems to be on the rise, after his comments regarding a potential move to Juventus. While not demanding to leave, he knows that he is coming towards the end of his career at the highest level, and needs to be playing regularly.

"Juve officials must know that I don't want to have a war with Arsenal. If they want me, they must talk with my club and get into serious negotiations.

"I feel disposed towards moving to Italy."

There is no doubting that the big man is unhappy about his lack of first team action this season, especially after having such a fine campaign last year, but he is a model professional, I imagine he is going about this in the best possible way, by talking to Wenger in private and working hard and training.

If his chances remain so limited though, he will probably move on, but without complaining, and almost definitely not in January. His experience could be vital in the second half of the season, even more so if we are still fighting on a couple of fronts.

Van Persie is another for whom today's match is too early, and with Champions League qualification already assured he won't travel to Spain either.

Elsewhere, 20 year old Congo striker Tresor Mputu has impressed on his trial at the club, although Wenger himself has yet to see him in action. I say he's 20, as the reports suggest as such, but as with many African imports, reports vary, with his Wikipedia entry, amongst others, claiming he'll turn 22 in a fortnight.

Either way, he is older than Bendtner and Walcott, so would surely only be signed if he was likely to challenge for a first team position in the coming years, alongside these prospects. We'll keep an eye on this over the coming days.

Fingers crossed for a good result this afternoon, and as I speak (type) Anelka's just scored against United. It would make a change for Bolton not to do their usual rolling over trick whenever Ferguson and co come into town.

Sometimes you read an article or a newspaper column and nod along, agreeing with the good points being made. Sometimes you don't agree with the arguments, but understand the point of view.

And sometimes you read a column and wonder how on earth such moronic opinions could ever earn someone a pay packet for writing them. Come on down, Paul Parker.

I've long since disagreed with most of his columns, which are generally written to provoke, in the same way that so much of NewsNow is taken up with dramatic and misleading headlines. But this article takes the proverbial biscuit, coming up with 'solutions' to the England debacle.

Here are his genius ideas:

1. Pick the right man for the job

Couldn't agree more. We all know McLaren wasn't the right man, the next choice must be a wise one. So Parker, in his infinite knowledge, makes his choice:

"Alan Shearer may be a 16-1 outsider, but he certainly gets my vote. I appreciate that he is inexperienced in terms of managing a team, but the players he will be working with do not need any more coaching - they are already good enough."

England need a strong manager, someone who makes tough decisions and says things as he sees them. Shearer, judging from his punditry, has a backside full of splinters from all the fences he sits on. He is dull, uninspiring, and would pander to the media.

As for the notion that the players are 'already good enough', Parker must be living in the same deluded world as some of these so-called 'superstars'. Was he not watching on Wednesday night?

2. Limit the number of foreigners in the game

Ah, here we go again. Never mind the fact that these foreigners have added so much to the English game, taught the homegrown players skill and craft, and changed the style with which football in this country is played, Parker and his band of Little Englanders insist on blaming them for the shortcomings of the national team.

This argument is so transparent that it is incredible it is given any credence, yet it is repeated ad nauseatum as if nothing could be more obvious.

There are 355 English players registered with the twenty Premiership clubs. Granted, most of these are reserves, but there are still plenty in and around the respective first teams. It is a much misrepresented fact that foreigners have pushed Englishmen out of our top teams, when in reality, they have mostly replaced the Welsh, Scottish and Irish. When you begin to examine the figures, they show quite clearly that there are still plenty of homegrown players available at the top, not the sharp decline the press would have you believe.

And so what if it is more difficult for a journeyman player to make it in the Premiership? They are not the sort of player England looks to. If the number of English regulars reduces from 100 to 50, how does that matter? Those that miss out are those not good enough, and the top talents still make it, benefiting from playing with the best players from overseas, rather than the inadequate also-rans.

The only way a top club can harm the English national team is by buying the top talent and not playing them. Yet Chelsea, for their treatment of Shaun Wright-Phillips, are vilified far less than Arsenal, whose lack of English players therefore does not affect the national side one iota.

Steven Gerrard's comments about reducing the number of foreign players in the league are ludicrous when you look at the Liverpool squad, complete with average players from overseas, while xenophobic and lazy opinions such as Parker's are borne simply of a desperation to blame anyone but our own.

I thought Britain was proud of being multicultural and open?

3. Address the silly money in today's game

Good luck with that one - football is a massive business. Television companies make extraordinary sums from their coverage, and thus pay top dollar for the privilege. With that money flowing through the game, the players are right to feel, as the product, that they deserve a large cut of it. It is the simple law of supply and demand.

Besides, there is a myth in the country that footballers are the richest sportsmen on the planet. Have you seen the salaries of top baseball and American football players recently?

"Money changes everything and when huge rewards are laid on a plate for players, it is all too easy to become idle"

The gap between the salaries of the top players, and those behind them, is astronomical. So conversely, the financial reward of being at the top is surely a great motivation for getting there?

For his final point, Paul Parker finally and completely loses the plot.

"Scrapping academies can only have a beneficial effect in the future. Kids of 10 or 11 do not want to be forced into playing or training three times a week; they love the game because they love winning and playing with their mates"

Does this not say everything about the character of footballers in this country? His argument that players should not actually be trained to play football, but should lark about with friends and learn next to nothing, is ludicrous. Players from abroad are honing their skills at this crucial early age, learning technique and precision. Ours are running around like headless chickens, being taught to 'give it 110%'.

If 'kids of 10 or 11' want to make it as top class footballers, they have to be willing to train or play three times a week. And if they truly love the game, surely they'll love getting better at it?

"By forcing them to train at academies in a regimented atmosphere, all the fun is taken out of the game; how then are they supposed to develop into top players?"

How exactly will they turn into top players if the don't train? And surely a down to earth young footballer wouldn't lose interest in the game simply because someone was teaching them how to pass the ball along the ground instead of hoofing it up to their tallest friend?

And then, as a coup de grace, Parker concluded as follows:

"I used to train once a week when I was a kid - the likes of Matt Le Tissier did the same, and he turned out alright"

Holding Matt Le Tissier up as an example of a footballer with the right attitude, who reached the peak of his abilities because he never lost enthusiasm for the game?

As I remember it, Le Tissier was one of the most naturally gifted footballers to grace these shores in decades, but never fulfilled his massive potential because, quite honestly, he couldn't be bothered.

If his is the attitude we want to instill in our young players, we'd better get used to the mediocrity we saw this week.

I've listened a lot of people's opinions on who should become the next England manager, and their reasoning behind their choices, and I'm left to ask one question:

Why is the automatic assumption made that the requirements for club and international management are the same?

Let's look at a couple of the names that I've heard come up.

Harry Redknapp

Various people have suggested Redknapp as a viable candidate, based on his success story with Portsmouth. Now I think he's doing a tremendous job at Fratton Park - he has turned a struggling Premiership side into one that will probably be playing in Europe next season. Since their great escape in the Premiership 18 months ago, they have only amassed more points than anyone outside the 'Big Four'.

But what is this success based upon? From what I can see, Redknapp is a master wheeler-dealer, a genius in the transfer market who assembles a powerful and athletic squad, with no small sprinkling of skill, on a relatively modest budget.

But as an international coach, he would be stuck with the players he has. He couldn't effectively trade them in for bargain models as he does at his club.

Arsene Wenger

Bear with me here, but I don't think Wenger would be a successful England manager. Firstly, the expectations on him would be huge based upon his record at Arsenal, expectations which would be almost impossible to achieve.

But think about how Wenger operates. He scours the world for a certain type of player - quick, athletic, strong in body and mind, intelligent, articulate - and signs them at an early age. Then, he and his team train them in the Arsenal way, before giving them a chance to prove themselves on the biggest stage. And because his initial judgement is generally so accurate, many of these players become superstars.

But he wouldn't be able to do any of that for England. He would be unable to find even a couple of teenagers fitting the mould he is after, he would not be with them for long enough to mould them into his way of thinking, and on the most part, those players available to him lack precisely the attributes he values so highly. That's why there are so few Englishmen around the Arsenal first team.

How many young England stars come across in interviews as intelligent and modest, down to earth and responsible?

And how many put their excessive diamond studs back in their ears for the cameras, struggle to string a sentence together, and then drive home in their Bentleys?

How many of them love possession of the football and are capable of playing the open attractive football Wenger would crave? These English players reach 17-18 with less skill and finesse than most of the 14 year olds Wenger sees at club level, and they're supposed to be the great hope of the nation?

Wenger would find international management incredibly frustrating in comparison to the free reign he has now, to mould the best players he can find into the footballing dream he strives for. He is wise not to touch the job with a bargepole.

So who would be good?

When choosing an international manager, you are not looking for a man with the ability to spot a cheap diamond in the transfer market. You do not need a man who can sell players at their peak price and replace them for 20% of the cost.

You need a tactician, a motivator, a manager who can react to the game unfolding in front of him with clever substitutions, a man who recognises young talent in the country and introduces them at the right time. A man who instinctively knows how to get the best out of players on an individual basis, and how to construct a team from a bunch of individuals used to opposing each other.

When a manager joins a struggling club, and dramatically improves their fortunes without dipping into the transfer market, they have potential at international level. Such managers are usually at smaller clubs, with success based upon the notion that the team is so much greater than the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, many of those managers, by their very definition, are not working with the sort of ego you get around the England setup.

So what do you need? In essence, a manager who can get the best out of average players, but will not tolerate ego and underachievement. He must be his own man, unafraid to drop the players who, despite their celebrity status, aren't performing.

In other words, the FA were stupid to turn down Martin O'Neill when he was available and interested.

Today, he ruled himself out of the race. So the search must go abroad, because no matter how much the Daily Mail promote their Little Englander notions, there is simply no-one else with the required attributes anywhere in Britain.

Fabio Capello is interested, experienced and bloody minded. He can cope with egos, having managed the dysfunctional Real Madrid to success, and he wouldn't flinch at the prospect of axing the famous names.

So in what new and creative way will the FA mess this one up?

The shortest managerial reign in England's history came to it's inevitable end this morning as Steve McLaren was unanimously fired by the FA.

Watching last night was a surreal mix between an extremely painful yet hilarious experience. All the time, while being gutted that we'd miss out next summer, I had that comforting feeling that at least McLaren hadn't got away with it. This had been such a disaster from the start that we surely could not delude ourselves any longer.

Oh yes we could.

Steven Gerrard thinks we played well last night. David Beckham thinks we were unlucky, and most bizarrely, Frank Lampard was awarded man of the match when for the first half, I wasn't sure whether he was even on the field.

It was the manner of the defeat that made the team a laughing stock, and provided a stark contrast with Croatia, who, although a decent side, are no world beaters. They passed effectively, kept possession, whereas half of the English side were struggling just to get the ball under control.

Bilic was animated, encouraging and instructing his players, while McLaren sat passively under an umbrella, watching cluelessly as his players imploded in front of him, playing a predictable and repeated game of 'play a few simple passes on the halfway line, then lump it forward'.

England's only hope now is that this will be looked back upon as a turning point, the moment at which the players realised they aren't the world beaters they are made out to be, and the FA figured out that the game in this country is in turmoil. The Premiership is thriving, but at the lower levels, and the youth levels in particular, the wrong kind of teaching is taking place. In Spain, fifteen year olds have learnt to love the ball, wanting it and using it effectively. In England, those same players are taught to run around manically and get rid of the ball as soon as possible.

No doubt there will be an analysis of where it all went wrong, and after a couple of days of blaming McLaren and the players, the media will, as ever, convince themselves that the players are still awesomely talented and it is the fault of someone else. Probably the foreigners.

Until then, let's hope that those Chelsea 'superstars' play as badly for their club as they did for their country last night. They weren't alone, in fact only the much maligned Peter Crouch played respectably, but it is incredible to see them look so good most weeks and then so inept last night.

I'm just so glad none of those players are playing for Arsenal week in, week out. They simply aren't good enough.

Can someone answer me a very simple question - why should anyone feel any differently about the respective talents of Stsve McLaren and the England team now, than they did before Saturday's surprise win for Israel?

On Saturday, the papers were full of debate about whether McLaren should get sacked, coupled with an analysis of where it all went wrong. Many came to the conclusionw that a) McLaren is an average manager who found his level at Middlesborough and should never have been allowed to get the job, and b) our players are perhaps not the collection of world beaters we claim them to be.

The arguments are compelling. McLaren is essentially a poor man's Sven, ironic given how quickly people wanted rid of the Swede, while Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Rooney, our most gifted players, look shadows of their club selves playing for the national team, away from the excellent support of their more talented teammates.

It seemed that, at last, English football might look inwards for the problem, rather than finding something or someone else to blame. There would of course be moaning about the plastic pitch and Johnny Foreigner, but the voice of reason would have to win out. And with the experiment of plumping for the best available English manager deemed a complete disaster, maybe sense would finally prevail.

And then, out of nowhere, Croatia and Russia both lost. Suddenly, the players were being talked up again, as one of the favourites for next summer's tournament.

First off, that smacks of arrogance, as if qualification is already assured, when a point against a very decent Croatian side is still required. But do we not learn? We haven't got near a final in a long time, and the brand of football we play is uninspiring and not in the slightest bit threatening.

But what confuses me most is that, listening to Five Live, they are now praising McLaren. What for? He has done precisely nothing since those same analysts were against him.

It seems to me that the most impressive thing McLaren has done since be in charge is simply to be in the right place at the right time for his get out of jail free card.

Perhaps Cesc's booking wasn't such a smart move.

It's international week, meaning that our players will come back broken, as always, and the process has started already, with both Flamini and Diaby picking up 'things'. Thank you Raymond Domenech for that helpful description.

Flamini has been in sparkling form this season alongside our favourite Spaniard, but with both missing changes will have to be made for the Wigan game at the weekend. Under normal circumstances, Gilberto and Diaby would be relishing chances to get some action, but with the Frenchman also injured and Gilberto probably jetlagged as he always is after these breaks, it may be left to Denilson and Diarra to form a new partnership.

Food for thought though - for all those pundits who said we didn't have any depth to the squad, it isn't bad to be able to call on a youngster who has played outstandingly well whenever he's played this season, and a Brazilian youth captain, when you have four injuries in the same position. So much for a thin squad.

In other news, England got an undeserved lifeline at the weekend, so the switch has been flipped, and now the media are talking up our chances of winning the competition. Do they never learn?

At least Arsenal and Wenger won't be blamed now, unless of course Eduardo pops up tomorrow night to score a last minute winner.

I've got more to say on the international front, but that can wait for another day.

Four days until the real football starts again.

P.S.

Regular readers will have noticed the site go up and down repeatedly again today. The final straw had already come and gone for me regarding my hosting, so rest assured that a transition is in process. The entire site is being redesigned and cloned elsewhere. When the time is right you'll see a new and improved version. Which might actually work.