For some, the end of Rio Ferdinand's World Cup also sent a blast across the bows of English hopes of winning the trophy. One of the squads truly great players being forced out simply weakens the side is the consensus, but me I'm not so disillusioned by the news. Yes it's a blow and I […]

The Football Association (FA) has just announced the final England 23-man squad for the World Cup. They are: David James Joe Hart Robert Green John Terry Jamie Carragher Glen Johnson Rio Ferdinand Ashley Cole Stephen Warnock Matthew Upson Ledley King Joe Cole Gareth Barry Aaron Lennon Shaun Wright-Phillips James Milner Steven Gerrard Frank Lampard Michael […]

Well the 30 players named in Fabio Capello's England squad have had multiple trainng sessions and two games to earn their place on the plane to South Africa. Now is the time that this squad must be trimmed to 23 players, meaning that 7 players will soon receive the dreaded phone call ending their World […]

Bob Bradley is a strategic thinker. He has to be. He coaches a mid-level national soccer team whose first game is against one the top ranked teams in the world – England. Bradley knows that the US does not have enough talent to win on talent alone. If the Founding Fathers had failed and America […]

Another England match, another goal for Peter Crouch. Sure, the one against Mexico yesterday was hardly artful, in fact, it was illegal on two fronts: handball and offside. But to speak of that Mexican injustice misses the point. Peter Crouch somehow, someway finds the back of the net for England at an astonishing, befuddling, flabbergasting, […]

Ever since the World Cup draw was made back in December, all eyes in the United States have been on the first game in Group C. The match against England is widely anticipated in America, but here it's just another group game. There's not the same level of excitement, sure England fans are looking forward […]

I've grown tired of the naysayers, the detractors, the doubters and the downtrodden members of the English media and England fans over the last few days who have blindly and prematurely questioned Fabio Capello's initial 30 man World Cup squad. After perusing the who's who of English media types and top journos, questionable words and […]

If Fabio Capello is in the mood to talk players out of international retirement as seems to be the case with Jamie Carragher, perhaps the Italian could go around to Paul Scholes house for a cappuccino and one of those nice little almond biscuits and make him an offer he can't refuse. Ask him to […]

Throughout the whole qualifying campaign, Capello always had an idea how his team were going to play and how the personnel he brought in suited his style and blueprint very well. Fast forward a few months later, he is facing a conundrum regarding the squad he is going to take to the World Cup. With […]

It's the final countdown duh duh duhhh duh etc. So now is your last chance to make a difference to that all important fantasy football position. The Premier League season may be effectively done and dusted but there's still plenty to play for in fantasy land, so walk this way for some top tips to […]

Playoff Schedule For Premier League Promotion Set Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion have already booked their tickets to the top flight next season but the EPL still has room for one more club. Teams that finished 3-6 will compete in a playoff for that final promotion spot in the Coca-Cola Championship Playoff. The fixtures […]

2006 was a disaster for England's much vaunted strikers in so many ways it was depressing. It was clearly Sven Goran-Eriksson's nadir as the England supremo as his eccentric choices left England woefully short of options. Michael Owen was so off the pace as to be redundant and his World Cup collapse when he ruptured […]

It was often said through out much of the last ten years that England's midfield was its strongest point. With Beckham in his pomp and Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard ably assisted by a constant rotation of players wedged in to the left midfield position, it often felt a little hollow. In the big games, […]

Manchester City Attempt To Recall Joe Hart From Birmingham City Manchester City's lack of a proven goalkeeper is putting their Champion's League hopes in serious doubt. City approached the Premier League yesterday to request special permission to execute an emergency loan deal to bring in a keeper for the final two weeks of the season. […]

It's FA Cup semi-final weekend which means that for three teams the Premier League will cease to matter, at least for a few hours. Of course for Portsmouth the Premier League ceased to matter some time ago and as such, any manager who still has Pompey players in their side will likely be going the […]