Thursday, July 06, 2006

Shearer prefers Zidane


‘Zidane is the definitely the best player Ive ever played against’ Alan Shearer admitted during last nights World Cup match between France and Portugal. Whilst Id agree that Zidanes talent is colossal, I think Shearer is in danger of putting someones nose out a bit, unless he has forgotten the occasion only a year ago, 19th of March 2005, Newcastle v Pompey, when Shearer was fortunate enough to share the pitch with the awesome talent of Giannis Skopelitis. Show some respect.
In other news it appears that the original handwritten resignation speech by David Beckham has been unearthed (see photo). Certainly looks authentic.

Monday, July 03, 2006

The England manager job: Marry in haste, repent at leisure

Now Phil Scolari has indicated that he would be prepared to listen to future offers from the English FA, it raises the question of just why did the FA rush the decision to appoint nobodys favourite, Steve McClaren, as the next England manager?
Scolari was the FA’s number one choice, a man in a different league in terms of class, experience and success than McClaren. He is also evidently a man of integrity, refusing to promise himself to England before the World Cup as it could have (and would have) undermined the fortunes of his current employer, Portugal.The English FA don’t seem to have understood his integrity. Maybe it is an alien concept to them, maybe they have become too used to dealing with people without any integrity, maybe it is something they themselves lack. With an indecent haste in April they instead appointed Steve McClaren, a man who we could have judged much more thoroughly after this World Cup. As it is now, we can see he has been a fundamental part of an England management regime that has repeatedly failed to record any level of success with arguably the most talented group of English footballers in a couple of generations. England are ready for a fresh direction, a new beginning. Instead we are left with the legacy of an inexplicably rushed decision by the FA to award a multi-million pound contract to a man who promises to do little more than deliver more of the same.