Naked Dancing Threatened

I don't want to talk about 'it'.

Just too misery making.

What a shambles.

I didn't see the whole game but for once that feels like a consolation.

There is clearly some serious work to do with the England defence.

The key issue seems to be consistency. The likes of James (who whilst not playing yesterday will now almost certainly return), Ferdinand and Cole can be brilliant on their day. But they also seem prone to serious errors which on more than one occasion have led to the other team scoring.

The main difference yesterday was that we didn't manage to compensate going forwards.

Indeed we were lucky it wasn't 2 - 0 which it would have been had the Ukrainians not made their own mistakes.

There is clearly something awry to get the consistency of errors we have had across these qualifying games and friendlies.

Let's hope Capello's got a fix.

If not there is a risk Georgina Best won't get to dance naked on tabletops next Summer to celebrate winning the world cup.

Like I say though - let's not talk about 'it'.

The Kiss Of Death

Having just sat through England's pretty unconvincing performance against Andorra I can only conclude that there is some mysterious law I am unaware of banning actually running with the ball, as opposed to just kicking it and hoping.

I was surrounded by about 20 England fans at the pub where we watched the match and I would describe the mood as subdued resignation. Mirrored by the conversation between Capello and Pearce just before half time when Capello asked Pearce a question with a baffled look on his face (maybe something like 'what shall we do now?') and Pearce responded with a shrug and equally baffled look.

2 - 0 sounds good on paper until you remind yourself that the players in the Andorra team have day jobs. It's like Forest Green Rovers vs England and they can only manage 2 goals.

I would be much more surprised if we qualified than if we didn't.

And Capello seems to have inherited the same sense of gloom and bewilderment as his predecessors and his team. Maybe it's true what they say that becoming the manager of England is the kiss of death.

Not so becoming the manager of my beloved Foxes though it would seem. Whatever you might think following Allen and Holloway, Mr Pearce is not only doing the business but has been recognised for it by being awarded League One Manager of the Month.

I'm so proud of him. He's up there with the greats.

Like Sven-Goran Eriksson (August 2007) and Avram Grant (April 2008).

And .... er ..... look where they are now.....................................................

Lost In The Wilderness

I'd like to avoid talking about you-know-what but you can't really can you?

What a shambles.

I don't agree with people that it is a lack of passion on the part of the England players. I do think they lack confidence and belief as a team though. Partly because of how badly things have gone in recent times and partly because they know as well as we do that the formula simply isn't right.

This is about strategy and tactics. There was no evidence that the players were not following Capello's instructions. There was just no evidence that they all had a shared understanding of what they were supposed to be doing in any given situation.

They just seemed lost.

I feel ill just thinking about it so lets move on to nicer things.

Like our upcoming match against Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.

A team with a proud history it would seem, having boasted such renowned players as Dixie, Bunny, Pongo and Nibbler.

In addition to the Dixie, Bunny, Pongo and Nibbler era, which would seem to have been something of a heyday, they have also had what Wikipedia describes as a "wilderness period" - which lasted forty seven years!

I wonder if this season will be described in the future as a 'wilderness period' for the Foxes.

If so - let's hope it doesn't last that long.

Tales Of The Unexpected

A few unexpected things have happened today.

There was of course the appointment of John Terry as England captain, which was a surprise since virtually all the predictions I had heard were that Rio Ferdinand would be the preferred choice.

Then there was the announcement that Emmanuel Adebayor will be staying at the Arse after all, despite the summer-long speculation that he would be leaving.

I got home this evening to a letter from someone I met when I worked in a Wimpy bar aged 17 (for those of you who remember Wimpy). I haven't seen or heard from her for years so how spooky that she suddenly decided to write.

The best surprise of all though, was a telephone call from my stepson in America. As sometimes happens in families we haven't spoken for over two years directly, although we have sometimes communicated a bit via Facebook recently. The call came out of the blue but was very welcome.

We caught up on his news and talked some baby talk. And then we talked about football.

I haven't yet met his wife Betty as I was away when she came to England. But she is apparently learning about football too - the proper game that is not the American one.

Of course that means there are two people in that household that could become Chel$ea fans unless I can bring my influence to bear.

I will have to plot a strategy.

I think this calls for something unexpected.

Get The Right Man For The Job

I think the way the FA is going about the business of finding a new manager for the England football team is flawed.

As I understand it the only real pressure in terms of time is the fierce public, and in particular media, interest. I am not aware of any important international engagements coming up which require us to have someone in place. We certainly don't need one to prepare for Euro '08 do we for goodness sake.

I was very struck when I heard Ian Holloway interviewed on Talk Sport recently. He talked about the small window of time in which he had to make major career-changing decisions when he was faced with the choice between Plymouth and Leicester.

That situation was different though. There was an imperative to get someone in and for them to hit the ground running.

In my view the FA should have just put the brakes on. They should have made it clear that they would take as long as necessary to identify the right person.

Yes there would be huge and on-going media interest. Yes everyone would moan.

And no doubt the FA would say they have to answer to the fans.

But I am certain that if you asked any English fan what they wanted they would not say an immediate decision. They would say they want the best man for the job.

And lets be honest, eventually the story would become stale and the media focus would shift. With good PR which included smoke screening and red herrings they could have taken back the power. Pursued various options. Gathered information. Sought to target who they wanted then work to get it over time.

Instead they have given away all their power. Their actions smack of desperation. Everyone now knows - or at least believes - that Mourinho was first choice and Capello second. If he turns it down then anyone else offered it starts to look like an 'also-ran'. Just what happened with McLaren.

I tell you what. I would love to get involved in running the FA. They would have to let me be in charge of course. But I am sure I could make a better fist of it than some of the current incumbents. In other words - I am the right woman for the job.

So if any of my readers have friends with influence perhaps you could have a word in the right ear.

The Combover Hits 70

I read and hear a lot about people thinking English football is going to rack and ruin.

Too much money in the sport. Too many foreign players in English teams, resulting in home-bred players not being developed and given opportunities. Too much commercialism. A take over by the chattering classes.

So what was it like then? What are they hankering after?

Well I think it is this (points to picture)

Not this of course.

But the man. Bobby Charlton. Or rather Sir Bobby Charlton as he now is.

Birthday boy today. 70 years old.

So what was so great about him? The 106 caps for England? The 249 goals as a professional footballer, 49 0f them international? His grace, speed, athleticism and thunderbolt shot?

Well according to this commentator,:

"Charlton stood for something that the world admired. He was a gentleman, the ultimate in old-fashioned sporting heroes. He was never in trouble, never argued with referees, showed honesty and respect to opponents. It made him a perfect role model, the essence of the Corinthian ideal. His status as the greatest ambassador in the history of British sport rested unequivocally on his unrivaled sense of fair play."

Question is, would he work today? Could he be that person who can live up to their superstar status? Would he understand what people want and be able to give it to them?

With that hair do? ....................probably not.