Category Archives: Articles

So a 2-0 win over Costa Rica has seen England complete their build up to World Cup 2018 and head for Russia, and they remain unbeaten since their defeat to France nearly a year ago.The next time they set foot on a football pitch it will be for real in Volgograd against Tunisia on the 18th June, that is when it really matters, friendlies only tell you so much as competitive… Read Article →

The dust has settled and decisions have been made and barring injury the final 23 man squad for England at World Cup 2018 has been selected by company man Gareth ‘GS’ Southgate. Here are a few of my musings on the squad. GOALKEEPERS Obviously the shock omission is no Joe Hart leaving three keepers with just 9 caps between them. It is a bit of a gamble with a lack… Read Article →

There was a time when the build up to a major tournament meant national hype, anticipation and a good deal of optimism. Nobody actually expected England to win, but most harboured a hope, however forlorn, that it just might be possible. In recent years, that good feeling seems to have dissipated entirely. Now the general feeling is one of resignation or worse still, complete apathy. It’s a shame, but perfectly… Read Article →

Another decent friendly performance for Gareth ‘GS’ Southgate’s England against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. A deserved 0-1 victory, Jesse Lingard with the goal, in a mostly dominant display and the result most certainly flattered the hosts despite a late rally. REBUILDING THE ORANJE I think it would be fair to say that this current Dutch team are nothing like the great teams of old (actually they nothing like the team that finished… Read Article →

So UEFA have devised a new competition called the Nations League to cut down on the multitude of meaningless friendlies, the draw took place last Wednesday in Lausanne. The plan is to pitch teams of a similar standard (dependent on their UEFA ranking) up against each other, in four different ‘Leagues’ A, B, C and D. There will be promotion and relegation as well as in the summer of 2019, playoffs… Read Article →

So England have qualified for the World Cup next year and the FA breathe a huge sigh of relief, yet more money into their coffers whether England perform or not. ALL INCLUSIVE PLAN So what happens next? Well let me tell you. They bleat on about how fantastic it is for England as a whole that we have qualified and how the entire country will be a part of the build up to the… Read Article →

He may be a company man and is only managing England because his face fits but credit where credit is due to Gareth’GS’ Southgate. Last months come from behind 2-1 victory over Slovakia, just days after a pretty unconvincing performance in victory against Malta, showed that his version of the national team does at least have some kind of backbone. One win from their final two qualifying games against Slovenia (Thurs 5th… Read Article →

Today saw the announcement that any people had been expecting, as Wayne Rooney announced his retirement from international football. Having been called back into the latest squad by Gareth Southgate, Rooney declined the call up and said he would be concentrating on club football from now on. He leaves as England’s all time record goalscorer, with 53 goals in 119 caps since his debut in 2003. He is perhaps under… Read Article →

Media and FA company man Gareth Southgate is now beginning to realise that managing the England football team is not all about being a liked man within football, nice little soundbites and being a decent bloke. If he did not know before,  it is about getting results in matches that matter, especially against inferior opposition as well as having a bit of tactical nous and making sure you can get… Read Article →

So it’s time to answer the burning question – the one that’s been keeping you up at nights. What is the greatest England team of the last 30 something years? As you might imagine, this post comes after yet another lengthy pub discussion regarding all time greatest players. Everyone has their opinions and all are equally valid, this one just happens to be mine. Just one caveat: in order for… Read Article →