Prediction League: Week 23 - Predictions

Birmingham vs. Wigan
Chris: Birmingham
Ian: Birmingham
Gary: Birmingham

Bolton vs. Wolves
Chris: Bolton
Ian: Bolton
Gary: Draw

Burnley vs. Portsmouth
Chris: Draw
Ian: Burnley
Gary: Burnley

Chelsea vs. Man City
Chris: Chelsea
Ian: Chelsea
Gary: Chelsea

Stoke vs. Arsenal
Chris: Draw
Ian: Draw
Gary: Stoke

Aston Villa vs. Man United
Chris: Aston Villa (had to, really)
Ian: Aston Villa
Gary: Aston Villa

Liverpool vs. Blackburn
Chris: Liverpool
Ian: Liverpool
Gary: Draw

Sunderland vs. Fulham
Chris: Draw
Ian: Fulham
Gary: Draw

Tottenham vs. Everton
Chris: Draw
Ian: Tottenham
Gary: Draw

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Not fit. Not proper. Not helping.

Not so long ago, it wasn't all that simple to draw any conclusions about the so-called Fit and Proper Persons Test for owners and directors in football. The Premier League and Football League both have tests of this kind, and although they have differences their primary aim is to prevent criminal, unscrupulous or penniless individuals from owning football clubs.

The main question on supporters' lips was whether the tests were being applied properly. Were they stringent enough? Were they working effectively? And did they need to be standardised across the leagues and better enforced?

The fact that Thaksin Shinawatra managed to take ownership of Manchester City highlighted the toothlessness of the Premier League's test. Granted, he'd never overseen a football club's financial demise, or taken multiple businesses to liquidation. But his human rights record was in question at the time of his takeover and that just about sums up the Premier League. Money uber Alles.

Many months down the line, the specifics of the Fit and Proper Persons Test are perversely of lessening consequence. Debate over the test has become generalised from individual clauses and requirement to arguments about the process itself.

Football bloggers and podcasters actually no longer need to study cases in depth in order to grasp idiosyncasies and exceptions. The question isn't whether the Football League and Premier League tests are being applied properly anymore - it's whether they're being applied at all.

Nothing is being done to protect our clubs. Tell Portsmouth and Notts County supporters that their catastrophic owners in late 2009 had been filtered for both means and morals. They just weren't.

At County, Munto Finance was a key piece of a complex ownership puzzle which began to fall apart when Sol Campbell jumped ship. It imploded when the club was sold to Peter Trembling for one pound and then on to Ray Trew for the same figure. Sven Goran Eriksson left, and now the County dream is over.

All that remains is a large wage bill groaning under the weight of Kasper Schmeichel, whose father Peter has some backtracking to do after his vocal belief in the Notts County project.

But what were County doing paying for Schmeichel in the first place? What the hell were Eriksson and Campbell ever doing at Meadow Lane? Munto Finance was a shady proposition from the start, and the fact that nobody really knows who exactly owned the club should have rung alarm bells.

If bloggers like Ian King, our own Gary Andrews and John Beech were asking these questions as far back as August, there must have been dissenting voices at the Football League. The test simply did not even begin to do its job and now Notts County Football Club is on its knees.

The story at Portsmouth is even more concerning. The club is on the brink thanks to a string of takeovers this season. The previous owner, Sacha Gaydamak, should himself have been the subject of Premier League assurances to fans that it was he who owned the club and not his father.

But the Fit and Proper Persons Test has failed Pompey repeatedly since. Sulaiman Al-Fahim has been exposed as a charlatan. Many people suspected or knew as much, and yet his takeover was ratified. Similarly, Ali Al Faraj was allowed to step in to clear up the Premier League's mess, and then failed to pay the staff and players on several occasions.

The club is now in the hands of Balraim Chanrai, a businessman who took up his option as a creditor to seize the club. Administration looms and, given the debts involved, winding up is a very real possibility.

So you tell me whether the Premier League's test has protected Portsmouth here. The constant, of course, is Peter Storrie, who still thinks he earns his seven-figure salary. In fact, he should never be allowed in a football stadium again after overseeing Portsmouth's collapse.

Was Pompey's ludicrous spending worth it for an FA Cup win? What price a day at Wembley?

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Landon Donovan video for United Against Malaria

Back in January we brought you Kolo Toure's video for United Against Malaria.

Landon Donovan, the American midfielder on loan from LA Galaxy to Everton, has been at it as well. It's a great cause supporter by some great players. Check 'em out at unitedagainstmalaria.org - you know you want to.

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TFT Podcast Ep 38

Russian football is something of an enigma for many European football supporters. From the game-changing Soviet sides of decades gone by to the oil giants of the 21st century Russian Premier League, Russian clubs have an aura about them with which we're quite unfamiliar.

Today, we think of the Russian Premier League as an emerging giant. It's ranked sixth by UEFA, and gives the impression of prosperity through a proliferation of highly-paid South American players and big talk from the oligarchs who run the show.

Think about CSKA Moscow, who benefited from the talented Vagner Love's goals before he returned to Brazil. Think about how much Zenit St. Petersburg have paid to some high-profile managers. We see Russia as an affluent, burgeoning footballing nation.

Supporters of FC Moscow might disagree. After finishing sixth in the Russian Premier League - one place away from European football - the club announced this month that it would be unable to fulfil its RPL commitments in 2010 because of the cessation of investment from Sporting Projects, the marketing arm of Norilsk Nickel which was responsible for the club. Moscow have now been formally expelled from the league, replaced by Alania Vladikavkaz.

In this week's show, The Cynical Challenge author and Eastern European football enthusiast James Appell joins Chris Nee and Gary Andrews to shine some light on the rise of Rubin Kazan, the fall of FC Moscow and the fortunes of Russian clubs in Europe this season.

We also discuss the prospect of football being played in Siberia through the winter, the start of this year's Asian Champions League and Shakhtar Donetsk's Europa League tussle with Fulham.

The Carling Cup final between Manchester United and Aston Villa is on the agenda this week, and we round-up the results and fixtures in the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League as the business end of the European season approaches.

There's an Audioboo from Queens Park Rangers supporter Alex Callaghan, who gives his view on the departure of the club's controversial figurehead Flavio Briatore and Rangers' prospects without him.

We hope you enjoy this week's show, and if you do or don't please let us know in the comments below. You can subscribe to the show in iTunes (don't forget to leave us a review) or listen on the media player at CSRN.

Follow us on Twitter, "fan" us on Facebook and tell your friends. If you want to share your views on a specific story or aspect of the game via Audioboo or bog-standard MP3, drop us an email with the file attached and some background information on yourself and your "Boo".

twofootedtackle[at]googlemail[dot]com

Have a good week.

Download link (mp3, 45mb, 66 mins)

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Get one over on Cristiano Ronaldo

Love him or hate him, Cristiano Ronaldo's one of the world's best. My friends at Castrol Football have been in touch about a unique opportunity to show the Portuguese superstar what you're made of. It's a competition named Challenge Ronaldo, and the prize is pretty impressive:

1. (Deep breath)
2. Timed event challenge against Ronaldo
3. Return flights to Madrid and two nights in five-star accommodation
4. A sightseeing tour of Madrid, presumably not on one of the millions of red buses you see going round Bath
5. Guided tour of the Bernabeu
6. Food for the duration of the trip
7. A signed "gift" from Ronaldo - I'm suspicious of that one

Gotta be worth answering three questions to go to Madrid and get pwned by Ronaldo, right?

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Prediction League: Week 22 - Round-Up

Everton 3-1 Man United
The Toffees comfortably beat Manchester United at Goodison Park to add another twist to the title race. Good win from Everton, who have also beaten Chelsea and Manchester City in the last couple of Premier League games, however, not good for us; no points here.

Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland
Sunderland are in dire straits, they have now not won since that last time they beat Arsenal at the Stadium of Light back in November, a staggering 13 games. Not a comprehensive win from the Gunners but three points is three points. And one point each goes to us.

West Ham 3-0 Hull
West Ham winning 3-0 is always a shock these days, but when it comes against a side like Hull then it is not such a surprise. Back to back wins now from the Hammers as they try to wrangle themselves out of a relegation battle, points go to me and Chris.

Wolves 0-2 Chelsea
Chelsea stumbled over the line against Wolves to capitalise on Manchester United’s slip up and go four points clear at the summit. As always, it is no surprise that we all predicted a Chelsea win.

Pompey 1-2 Stoke
A late goal from Stoke could have possibly hammered the final nail in Portsmouth's coffin as they came from a goal down to snatch all three points at Fratton Park. Pompey remain rooted to the foot of the league, while Stoke remain unbeaten in 2010. Only two points handed out here and they went to me and Gary.

Aston Villa 5-2 Burnley
It was always going to be a home win wasn't it? Well, going on their away form, yes. They did however shock everyone by taking the lead in the game but Villa pegged them back in the warm up to their Carling Cup final next week. Three points for the three predictors here.

Fulham 2-1 Birmingham
Another side to come from a goal down was Fulham to beat Birmingham. Despite their Europa League commitments it was a great performance from the Cottagers, great goal from Bobby Zamora also. Chris and Gary take the points here.

Man City 0-0 Liverpool
As Cheryl Cole says in the L'Oreal ad - "Dull, limp and lifeless" those are fitting words to describe this game. Points were handed out, and they went to Gary and Chris.

Wigan 0-3 Tottenham
Tottenham are winning in the race for fourth place after this 3-0 win. Great win from 'Arry's side, but it remains to be seen if they will actually finish fourth. Just one point here and that goes to me.

Blackburn 3-0 Bolton
It's safe to say none of us saw this result coming. I don’t which is more shocking Blackburn winning 3-0 or the fact they have only lost at home twice this season, such a shock that none of us predicted a home win.

We took six points each this week so it means the table remains the same, albeit with six points added on.

1.Chris - 103 points
2.Gary - 97 points
3.Ian - 96 points

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Chelsea hunting Napoli wizard Marek Hamsik

If you haven't heard of Marek Hamsik, you soon will. The Napoli midfielder will be Slovakia's talisman as they aim to overcome Italy, Paraguay and New Zealand at World Cup 2010, and is most certainly one to watch in South Africa this summer.

After that, my hope for him to stay at the San Paolo is likely to be in vain. While Walter Mazzarri has turned around the Naples outfit's fortunes since the departure of Roberto Donadoni - taking them into the fourth Champions League spot at the time of writing, though not the time of publication - Hamsik is a man in demand and could well have some attractive options. In a sense, the Partenopei probably have to qualify for the Champions League in order to keep him.

Like striker Ezequiel Lavezzi and defender Fabiano Santacroce, Hamsik has been consistently linked with a move away from the south of Italy. England's been on the cards, much to the amusing disgust of Napoli's eccentric chairman, movie mogul Aurelio De Laurentiis.

And with Hamsik's contract negotiations yet to be concluded, the brilliant 22-year-old is on the shopping list for Roman Abramovich and Chelsea. Speaking to the wonderfully named Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli, former Chelsea "transfer market observer" Carlo Iacomuzzi revealed that he has scouted Hamsik for the West London club and that more scouts have been sent to Italy to check on his progress.

According to Iacomuzzi, Abramovich is on board the Hamsik wagon and a bid will be tabled this summer, with 30 million euros being the figure mentioned.

While I believe he's worth every cent - or whatever the hell 0.01 of a euro is - it's difficult to see where he'd fit into the Chelsea system in the short term. If they do sign him, it's a sign that Carlo Ancelotti will be looking to the future and beginning the task of Chelsea's difficult impending rebuilding operation.

Hamsik is an enterprising, dynamic midfield player with a fantastic eye for goal, a wide passing range and a great engine. It's not something Chelsea are lacking currently, but with Michael Ballack aging, it's possible that Hamsik has been earmarked for his spot in the middle. A midfield unit boasting Hamsik, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien is mouthwatering.

But Chelsea won't have it all their own way. Former Blues boss Jose Mourinho is said to fancy taking the Slovakian gem to Inter. That's if he's still in Milan by then, which I'm not personally convinced about.

So, would Hamsik be a good signing for Ancelotti and Chelsea? Let us know what you think.

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Referees: how to use your yellow cards correctly

As football viewing goes, twofootedtackle's weekend was a whirlwind of goals and controversy. My local team, Tooting & Mitcham United, snatched a point at home against local rivals and fellow playoff hopefuls Sutton United. In Italy, Inter Milan took less than 40 minutes to have two men sent off; their opponents, Sampdoria, notched a red card of their own late on. And then Aston Villa and Burnley shared seven goals between them.

The referee at Villa Park had a decent game. I haven't checked who it was - credit goes to him for being largely anonymous - but he got more decisions right than wrong when it mattered. The man in pink at San Siro was far from quiet, and Jose Mourinho's reaction to red cards for Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba was matched only by that of the Inter supporters, who managed to pull off a visually stunning 'white handkerchief' protest after Samuel Eto'o's booking for a dive in the penalty area.

Such a shame, then, that those decisions were all entirely correct. Not so the late dismissal of Samp's Giampaolo Pazzini, who picked up a second yellow card for a foul in Inter's penalty area. While his challenge had a vague air of cynicism about it, there is no way it was deserving of a booking.

The same problem occurred in England. Craig Fagan was sent off for Hull City on Saturday and his yellow card was undeserved. It was a foul, nothing more. As for Colin Hartburn of Tooting and Stoke City's Andy Wilkinson...well, they were genuinely scandalous second yellows. Hartburn cleanly won the ball but was sent off regardless. Wilkinson simply stood his ground - in fact, it was superb defending.

With referees seemingly happy to establish that every foul by a booked player deserves another yellow card, perhaps the card-happy chappies would be prepared to dish some out when they were clearly deserved? Not a chance.

At Imperial Fields, Sutton's on-loan Exeter City youngster James Norwood was booed off by Tooting supporters. Having been fortunate to escape with a yellow card for his retaliation to Hartburn's first bookable challenge, he then performed an appalling dive in the penalty area under the faintest of touches from Tooting striker Simon Parker. The referee, by now losing control of the game, waved away his protests. For some reason, no yellow card was issued.

Referees, if you want Respect, here's what you need to do. Stop giving specious second yellows for run-of-the-mill fouls, or for no fouls at all. You know when you're giving a soft yellow card so just stop. It's a man's game. The first thing football supporters want from officials is not a superhuman ability to get every decision correct, it's consistency.

The second is for referees to cut out diving. If a player dives and you don't give a free kick or penalty, book him. The rule is already there. And if you can't tell the difference between an honest challenge which grounds an attacker and an attacker's dive, you shouldn't be there in the first place.

(Pic via BBC Sport)

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Serie A: Inter 0-0 Sampdoria

Claudio Ranieri's Roma revival means there's more pressure on Inter Milan at this stage of the Serie A season than one might have expected. They're having one or two problems turning draws into wins at the moment and the visit of high-flying Sampdoria won't have been taken lightly by Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese manager didn't select a single Italian in his starting line-up. By contrast, the Blucerchiati were represented by no fewer than ten home-grown players.

Chances were hard to come by until Giampaolo Pazzini unlocked the Inter defence against the run of play in the 16th minute, lifting a clever chip over Ivan Cordoba's challenge to set up Andrea Poli. Julio Cesar was equal to Poli's firm volley and held on well.

On the half hour Inter created a good opportunity to open the scoring. A searching ball found Diego Milito, whose superb knock-down was wasted thanks to Samuel Eto'o's dragged finish.

Thirty seconds later, the match took a dramatic turn. Pozzi was chasing a through ball and gaining ground fast on Walter Samuel. Already on a yellow, Samuel thrust an arm back into the face of Nicola Pozzi, preventing him from nicking the ball and earning a fully deserved straight red card.

The free kick was blocked by Ivan Cordoba, who earned a yellow for breaking from the wall and, amazingly, the 38th minute saw him dismissed for a second yellow card. Pozzi was again involved, nicking the ball away from Cordoba and drawing the foul. Again, it was the correct decision, and Inter's lack of discipline was inexplicable.

Although the referee was right to dismiss Samuel and Cordoba, he made certain of an angry reaction at the break by blowing for half time just as Eto'o was shaping up to cross the ball after receiving it from a throw-in. It was an incredible first half, and not for reasons which will have pleased Mourinho.

The second period began with both teams adapting to the unusual personnel situation. Sampdoria played the ball around, going from wing to wing as they headed towards goal. The Nerazzurri started to use the strengths of Milito, playing long and trusting the Argentine to hold the ball up and wait for support.

In the 54th minute Inter came close to reaping the benefits. Wesley Sneijder drove a free kick from fully 40 yards which flew just above the corner of Marco Storari's goal.

Seconds later, it was bad news again for Mourinho. Chasing down an overhit cross, Eto'o crumpled under a challenge from Luciano Zauri in the penalty area and was - again correctly - given a yellow card by the referee, by now unbelievably unpopular with Inter staff and fans. Mourinho was visibly fuming and the supporters embarked upon an impressive visual demonstration of their displeasure.

Complain as they might, Eto'o's booking was deserved and his furious reaction would probably have earned him a red in any other game.

But the next man to go was a Sampdoria player. Giampaolo Pazzini will argue that his second booking, picked up inside the Inter penalty area for a silly but hardly vicious foul, would not have been given in another game. In truth, the referee had become rather picky by that point and was dishing out cards for most fouls.

In the 78th minute Eto'o missed a golden opportunity to give Inter an unlikely lead. A better shot was required when through on goal, but Storari simply had to apply a firm hand to send the Cameroon striker's strike wide.

Inter's second half performance was impressive in terms of sheer determination and attacking ambition in the face of adversity, and they deserved their point. It was hardly a bad result in the circumstances, but Roma host Catania tomorrow and will relish the possibility of gaining another two points on the leaders.

For all their advantage in numbers, Samp were toothless. With two spare men, it was arguably a match in which Antonio Cassano would have provided the much-needed creative spark from the bench. A shame for Luigi Del Neri, then, that the controversial forward is "injured".

With Sampdoria failing to capitalise on an unexpected chance to pick up points in the fight for fourth, fans of Napoli, Genoa and Juventus will be thankful for his enforced absence.

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Prediction League: Week 22 - Predictions

Everton vs. Man United
Chris: Draw
Ian: Man United
Gary: Draw

Arsenal vs. Sunderland
Chris: Arsenal
Ian: Arsenal
Gary: Arsenal

West Ham vs. Hull
Chris: West Ham
Ian: West Ham
Gary: Draw

Wolves vs. Chelsea
Chris: Chelsea
Ian: Chelsea
Gary: Chelsea

Portsmouth vs. Stoke
Chris: Draw
Ian: Stoke
Gary: Stoke

Aston Villa vs. Burnley
Chris: Aston Villa
Ian: Aston Villa
Gary: Aston Villa

Fulham vs. Birmingham
Chris: Fulham
Ian: Draw
Gary: Fulham

Man City vs. Liverpool
Chris: Draw
Ian: Man City
Gary: Draw

Wigan vs. Tottenham
Chris: Draw
Ian: Tottenham
Gary: Wigan

Blackburn vs. Bolton
Chris: Bolton
Ian: Draw
Gary: Bolton

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Prediction League - Week 21 - Round-Up

I’m very sorry for the impromptu break last week, but things were really busy and with the FA Cup taking place over the weekend I knew that I could leave the results for a week. I know there were games played mid-week last week so I'll try to be as succinct as possible by just summing up who got the points in each game.

Liverpool 1-0 Everton
Surprisingly, no points were given out in this game. Both Chris and Gary went for a draw while I hoped for an Everton win.

Bolton 0-0 Fulham
No points were given out here either as Chris and Gary went for a home win, while I went for an away win.

Burnley 2-1 West Ham
Third time lucky? Alas no. Once again all of us had conflicting predictions, so no points here either.

Hull 2-1 Man City
This prediction looked to be as safe as houses, but sadly, none of us saw Phil Brown's side claiming all three points.

Man United 5-0 Portsmouth
A perfect score in this one, as we claimed our first three points of the weekend, one for each Pompey own goal.

Stoke 3-0 Blackburn
Our second perfect score came at the fortress that is the Britannia Stadium; it was a comprehensive victory for all of us and for Stoke.

Sunderland 1-1 Wigan
I was the lone crusader in this one picking up my third point of the weekend.

Tottenham 0-0 Aston Villa
I picked up another point here after envisaging a draw between the two sides in the race for fourth place.

Birmingham 2-1 Wolves
Yet another perfect score for all three of us. Birmingham are fast becoming a safe team in regards to predictions.

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal
Finally, the London derby produced a quadruple of perfect scores for us as Chelsea beat Arsenal to continue their time at the top of the table.

Chris continues his run at the summit of the Prediction League, but as I say each week the gap is narrowing. Certainly the race for second place between me and Gary is on. Let's take a look at the table:

1. Chris - 97 points
2. Gary - 91 points
3. Ian - 90 points

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TFT Podcast Ep 37

The TFT Podcast has reached the ripe old age of 37 and to celebrate we invited our first ever guest, John Stanton, back into the studio. On the agenda this week: South London football - focusing on Crystal Palace, Wimbledon and Tooting & Mitcham United (and John's club, Fulham) - Notts County, the Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League, and the Premier League's plan to introduce playoffs for the fourth CL qualifying spot.

TFT Podcast Ep 37 is now available via iTunes, by clicking this MP3 and on the media player at CSRN.

Rock and roll. Stay tuned for big news next week.

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Premier League playoffs for last Champions League place?

According to several media outlets, the Premier League "is considering a four-team play-off to decide who takes the fourth Champions League qualification slot". From what I gather, the playoffs would be very similar to the Football League's promotion playoffs. The team finishing fourth would presumably play the team finishing seventh, and fifth would play sixth.

The rationale, of course, is that the stranglehold of the traditional 'top four' - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United - is unbreakable, boring, predictable and ultimately very damaging to both the Premier League and wider English football. With the Premier League becoming dull and clubs spending themselves into oblivion, there seems to be a paradigm shift among supporters and the media. Both now appear willing to say "enough is enough" when it comes to football's impending implosion.

The aforementioned 'top four' have of course voiced their opposition to the proposal shared with them earlier this month, proving that Premier League football clubs are nothing but money-hungry, self-serving businesses. So much for the working class game.

There is precedent for this approach. In Holland, a similar concept was trialled but has now been abandoned. Cynical supporters might argue that it was brought in to rescue an ailing powerhouse, a possibility which cannot be discounted in any discussion about the Premier League's proposal. In an ideal world, the Champions League would be for champions. But that's not realistic in the modern game, so is this new proposal a hit or a miss from the Premier League?

The case for

It's important to acknowledge that the status quo is not acceptable anymore. The Premier League's rationale is, for once, sound. The traditional 'top four' have been the beneficiaries of a shambolic system which has allowed pound after pound after pound to flood their way, making them ever more powerful. Not that they've been particularly wise with their finances, but that's another post altogether. The fact of the matter is that the Champions League places in the Premier League have become a closed shop. That's why the Premier League is as dull as dishwater, and that's why so many of us are fast losing interest.

Change is no longer optional.

The potential result of opening up the last Champions League spot in the Premier League is a more exciting division - simple as that. The 'big four', especially Liverpool and Arsenal, would be drawn into battles on two fronts. At the top, the title race should be made more interesting by the necessity for four teams to fight for the top three spots. Below that, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and any number of other clubs would be trying to secure playoff spots and play their way into the Champions League through the new route. The crossfire in the title race might even - whisper it - open up third place. A more exciting Premier League is not only desirable; it's becoming essential.

And the more regularly one of the current 'big four' fails to qualify, the more unstable the cabal becomes. Again, that can only be a good thing for the competitivenss of the division. Sure, the big boys might not have budgeted for this eventuality and it could be disastrous. More fool them.

Let's not underestimate the possibilities. Liverpool, for example, dropping out one year could have more effect than we might expect. It could break the influence of 'top four'. Refereeing decisions might slowly become impartial again. Injury time might be applied correctly. "Big name" players will find it more difficult to effectively referee matches. This crap is ruining the game and anything that gives it a kick in the knackers is surely worth a try.

The introduction of playoffs also means there will be a playoff final - and what an occasion that will be! Personally, I'm not necessarily against the Premier League having a glitzy showcase match at the end of the season (as long as it doesn't decide the title winners). And for me, the argument that this is just a scheme to create another money-spinner for Wembley stadium, which we all know is desperate for cash, doesn't wash. Wembley's accounts are not really the Premier League's concern.

The case against

So, the downside. The clubs aiming to take advantage of the new system - the likes of Spurs and Villa - would face a potential dilemma. Steady building is always advisable in the top flight, but the sudden opening of a door will certainly appeal to the game's short-termism. The temptation will be profound, and the opportunity to jump in two-footed to this new space would not be one the clubs would like to miss. Manchester City, of course, probably don't need to be too concerned about this - but others most definitely do. Gambling on the future has been hugely damaging for more than a handful of clubs now, and it has to stop.

One of the major problems is that finishing fourth - or winning the forthcoming playoffs - doesn't actually earn much. "Champions League qualification" is, in fact, anything but. It's just the right to attempt to qualify. So in reality the playoffs could (would?) see a team go through the drama of scraping into seventh on three wheels, overcoming the fourth placed team, winning a high-octane final at Wembley, and then being knocked out of the Champions League in August. What's the point? As anti-climaxes go, this one would be above average.

In fact, that scenario raises another concern. Traditionalists like myself would argue that the European Cup should be for the champions only. What on earth would be the point of a top-end mid-table club being knocked out in the CL qualifiers? Chatting to Luke from The Football Ramble last week, we touched upon UEFA's missed opportunity. The Champions League might well be a lucrative competition, but the Europa League is the UEFA Cup's dying offspring.

The solution? Bring back the UEFA Cup in its knockout format and re-introduce the Cup Winners' Cup. They were fantastic competitions and would be a far more prosperous duo than the limp-wristed and universally disrespected Europa League. The Champions League could regain some of the European Cup's integrity. I think that a well-managed UEFA Cup could cover any loss of profit incurred by streamlining the Champions League. Allowing clubs that might well have finished outside the traditional UEFA Cup slots to compete in the Champions League would be borderline stupidity.

I've also heard people questioning the motivation behind this proposal. It's a little bit "grassy knoll" but it's a valid consideration nonetheless. Isn't this just to protect the 'big four', so the argument goes, from Manchester City and their bottomless pit of money? It's the flipside of the assumed reasoning: if Liverpool or Arsenal, for example, fail to finish in the top four, this is their safety net. I like this argument, I admire it's cloak-and-dagger suspiciousness. But surely Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United aren't just opposing all this as part of their master disguise?

The TFT alternative

Truth be told, I haven't really considered the possibility of introducing playoffs into the Champions League race. As I've mentioned, I want a return to the impossible integrity of Champions meaning champions. However, this proposal has got me thinking and I think I've worked out how to take the benefit of the case for and nullify much of the case against: a one-off match. Opening the race up to one extra team would still make the league more exciting, but not allow the ludicrous possibility of a seventh-placed team playing in the Champions League.

So, fourth plays fifth at Wembley in a fight to the death. 90 minutes, extra time and penalties. One Saturday afternoon in May, one chance to upset the apple cart. I think that's a happy medium that ticks the right boxes and ignores the wrong ones.

And another alternative...

I first read about this proposal at VillaTalk.com and one of the members there proposed an even more radical alternative, but one which undoubtedly has definite merit. I'll give you the problems first. The Premier League is boring, largely because of the Champions League cabal. The Europa League is rubbish. And the League Cup, and to a certain extent the FA Cup, aren't what they used to be. So 'Gringo' has come up with the bright idea of solving all these problems in one. The end of season playoffs would feature the fourth- and fifth-placed Premier League teams and the winners of the two Cups.

The winner of that series goes on to play in the Champions League. It's not a bad idea, but my main concern would be the complications arising when one or both of those competitions are won by a top three club. Do the runners-up go in? (Millwall in the Champions League?!) If not, we're back at square one with the seventh-placed club having a shot at the big time. Give me a one-off match between fourth and fifth any day.

What do you think of this new proposal? Is there a better way? Is it even needed? Over to you...

(Pic via BBC News)

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Serie A: Napoli 0-0 Inter Milan

Sunday evening's Serie A clash at the San Paolo saw two of Italy's top clubs battle for vital points in their respective campaigns. Inter Milan travelled south looking to strengthen their vice-like grip on the Scudetto race, while Napoli were looking to move back into the top four with a win over the Nerazzurri.

Napoli started well as the match began at hectic pace. In the tenth minute they were unlucky not to take the lead when the brilliant Slovakian midfielder Marek Hamsik received the ball on the edge of the box following Walter Gargano's free kick, bending the ball against the crossbar beyond the despairing reach of Julio Cesar.

Hamsik was involved again a few minutes later, swinging in a perfect cross for German Denis. The Argentine's thumping header came up against a Cesar-shaped brick wall thanks to an excellent reaction save from the Inter stopper.

Inter also hit the woodwork in the first half with a stinging left-footed half volley by Sulley Muntari which shook the top corner of the goal frame just before the half hour mark, but the first half belonged to the Partenopei. Juan Camilo Zuniga, one of Pierpaolo Marino's last signings, caused regular problems for Inter down the right wing.

Inter finally got a foothold in the game just before half time and began to knock the ball around crisply, drawing the whistles from the San Paolo crowd. But, like the Azzurri, they were unable to make their pressure pay and had to settle for a goalless scoreline at the break. Muntari, fortunate to have avoided a yellow card until his third foul, was incredibly lucky to make it to half time.

Inter came out all guns blazing for the second half and four minutes in they were appealing loudly for a penalty. Napoli failed to clear a cross and Diego Milito went down easily after a tug to his shirt by Gianluca Grava. A minute later Wesley Sneijder was grateful to receive only a yellow card for a nasty foul on Gargano.

Goran Pandev should have continued his impressive scoring run on the hour. Having found himself staring down Morgan De Sanctis witht the ball at his feet, he could only fire his shot straight at the goalkeeper when a yard either side would have seen the ball in the net. It was a real let off for Napoli and the first real sign that they might regret not opening the scoring in the first 45 minutes.

Napoli had an even better chance a few minutes later. Denis leapt to nod a cross back to Quagliarella on the edge of the area and the Neapolitan's volley thumped the bottom of the post. In truth, Denis' failure to finish from the rebound has to go down as an awful miss. Nevertheless, he was soon putting Cesar under pressure again and the Brazilian had to be sharp to keep Inter level.

The same move by Denis gave Napoli another chance with eleven minutes left, but Hamsik's volley screwed wide of Cesar's goal with the Azzurri in the ascendancy despite Inter's introduction of Samuel Eto'o and the increase in tempo he brought to the match.

The sides had to settle for a point each, a result which puts Inter seven points clear at the top but does few favours for the home side.

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Win Jerseys for Life with Soccerpro.com

If you like football shirts, this one's most certainly for you. I wanted to point you, the loyal and over-polite readers of twofootedtackle in the direction of a pretty kick-ass competition from our friends at Soccerpro.com.

To celebrate their World Cup 2010 range, they've launched a Jerseys for Life sweepstakes competition.

Okay, so it's not really 'for life' but getting your favourite team's shirt for free every year for the next ten years is still a rather impressive prize. And just as a sweetener, you'll get a $10 voucher (if you're in the UK, that's...well, you can work it out) just for entering - and they've got some good gear on the site so that's worthwhile.

Once again, to enter the sweepstakes you just need to visit their Facebook page via the Soccerpro website. Good luck, y'all!

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Footballers who should have kept their privates private

Ashley Cole is a silly, silly boy. A day after it was confirmed that the Chelsea and England left back has fractured his ankle, the national newspapers are reporting his hilariously outlandish version of how naked photographs of him in a hotel bed ended up on the mobile phone of a topless model.

I'll leave you to work out exactly how likely it is that Cole is innocent in this situation, given that his story includes the fact that he has an unregistered pay-as-you-go mobile phone, the calling card of philanderers up and down the land.

But he's not alone, as far as footballers who hang out with their wangs out are concerned. So here's twofootedtackle's list of footballers who should've kept their mancocks to themselves. Thanks to @oftd, @9men, @dirtytackle and @carl_palmer for tips and reminders. And apologies to The Spoiler, which has undoubtedly covered all of these lengths at length previously.

So, knob gags over and done with, it's down to business.

1. The boy Cole might look like a bit of a tool himself, given that he's married to a rather famous sex symbol, but at least he didn't go one further. Former Boca Juniors star Ever Banega, now at Valencia, can't say the same after performing the five-fingered shuffle in front of a webcam
2. Also engaging in a spot of first-person relief was Aston Villa's Ashley Young, who was caught on a webcam during a chat with Bristol beautician Sarah Taylor. But it's okay, it wasn't Ash - it was "Lewis"
3. Still, at least Young wasn't involved in Villa's most embarrassing sex scandal video. Former Villa goalkeeper Stefan Postma wins that one hands-down after bending over during a session with Mrs Postma and...well, doing it the wrong way round
4. It's not easy being a Brazilian footballer. At every turn, there is a blonde beauty squawking out her siren tones and practically forcing you to get your bits out. Just ask Ronaldinho, who just about managed to avoid showing the goods, and Elano who apparently most certainly didn't. The same goes for youngster Alexandre Pato, whose rather lovely wife was presumably nonplussed upon discovering no fewer than 18 pictures of Little Ducky had made their way into cyberspace

Mr Cole, you're in good company (and I don't mean Vernon fecking Kay). I only hope that's all you've been up to...

(Pic via Valencia Offside)

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Join us at Socrates 3

TFT regulars will know all about Socrates, our more-or-less quarterly meetup for football bloggers, podcasters and writers in the London area, run in conjunction with - or more accurately by - our friends at Some People Are On The Pitch and The Onion Bag.

Next week sees the third incarnation of said meetup and I'm delighted to extend the invitation to bloggers who might be casting a beady one over TFT this fine day. If you're a blogger or podcaster and you can get into London on the evening of Tuesday 16th February please get in touch with us at this address: socrates[at]the-onion-bag[dot]com

Socrates takes place in Vauxhall at the home of our very generous sponsors, Football3s (full address here).

What's in it for you? Well, it's a chance to shoot the sh*t with fellow writers about all aspects of the beautiful game and its dedicated blogger corps. But more importantly the booze and food are free (sponsors, y'see) and this event will feature the mouthwatering prospect of free chicken balti pies courtesy of a kindly local merchant.

So come and join us - it's fun, I promise. That email address once again: socrates[at]the-onion-bag[dot]com

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Nani, Match of the Day and the Lost Art of Tackling

Wednesday night's midweek Match of the Day was, for once, quite fascinating. It took a stance, started a campaign. "Tackling is dead!" it proclaimed through a barely disguised expression of rabid displeasure. In a studio where the two expert analysts were well-known defenders, it's only natural for them to defend...er...defending.

And the removal of tackling is something which concerns many of us, in particular football supporters with a traditionalist bent. It's something I wrote about in a past blogging life and is an almost weekly frustration. The issue touches more areas of the game than one might think. It's tied into the apparent increase in diving, and also affects tactics, tempo and technique. It's important, and while I don't think MOTD should become a magazine show - their discussion of Alan Shearer's appointment at Newcastle United last April was inappropriate and ill-advised - I don't see any problem in the ex-pros in the studio making clear their frustrations when related to in-game incidents.

The only trouble is that the tackle Alan Hansen and Lee Dixon chose to condone in their crusade to restore the Lost Art of Tackling was the wrong one. Manchester United winger Nani was dismissed in the first half of United's match with Aston Villa on Wednesday after a foul on Stiliyan Petrov, for which the Portuguese received a straight red. I was behind the incident at Villa Park and it was so clear cut that I eschewed my usual 'supporter's ire', opting instead to shrug and say "red" confidently to my cousin next to me.

Sure enough, Peter Walton pulled Nani to one side and sent him off. Despite Darren Fletcher's whining, United's response as a club has been - perhaps reluctantly - the right one. In his post-match interview on MOTD, Mike Phelan accepted Nani's red card as the correct decision. Later, Alex Ferguson described Walton's call as "fair". The vast majority of people I've spoken too since the match have said it was a clear red card, although a few dissenters have made good points in favour of the other side of the argument.

But for once, I think Walton had an uncharacteristically good game. You wouldn't know that if you took your cues from Hansen and Dixon, who highlighted the two big decisions in the match and went on to say he might have got them both wrong. The second decision was a late penalty shout for Villa, when Jonny Evans had hold of John Carew's arm and the Norwegian striker hit the deck. The MOTD verdict? A possible penalty. But as a Villa fan, I have to say that both live and in the replay, I thought the big man went to ground far too easily and awarding a penalty would have been an injustice.

Nani's tackle on Petrov was analysed in depth by the gruesome twosome, and they seemed to be tripping over themselves to speak out against the general flow of public opinion. 20 years ago, mused Hansen, it wouldn't even have been a foul. He described Nani's leaping lunge as a "slide" and told viewers that when a player slides in from the front it's inevitable that studs will show. He also said that Nani got a "good chunk of the ball" and then argued that he hadn't gone over the top of the ball - at the exact moment the replayed footage showed him catching the top of the ball as it rolled underneath his foot. That's over the top.

To me it was truly baffling listening to two ex-defenders justifying Nani's tackle while watching footage which seemed to entirely contradict their assessment.

The wider argument is a fascinating one, although I'd argue that tackles like Nani's (two feet off the ground, lunging, over the top and not under his control) would not have been accepted eight, ten, twenty or thirty years ago. The truth of the matter is that tackling is a skill sadly in decline, and it's the modern game's fixation on players like Nani that's perpetuating that. Today, "modern fans", sponsors and money men like beautiful, marketable football. Fast, tricky talents like Nani (and Cristiano Ronaldo, although he's a big strong bastard too) are crucial to that and are a joy to watch at their best.

But we can't have it both ways, and the fact of the matter is that slight players can be lightweight when they're on the receiving end of a robust tackle and tend to whine and bitch when it happens - quite apart from the fact that they can sometimes be genuinely injured by legitimate tackles. Simply put, little dudes don't like getting hit hard.

Personally, I'd say they just have to deal with it because that is - or rather should be - the reality of the game. But tough tackling is a lost art because the powers that be prefer pretty, plastic football. So in a sense it's heartening to see some of our pundits speaking out in favour of the humble meaty challenge, but the guys on MOTD chose a particularly poor example with which to back up their case. Going back to days when that type of tackle was acceptable would be backtracking beyond reason. There's a reason two-footed tackles were outlawed, and that's because they bloody well hurt.

Still, at least we can still enjoy the sliding tackle while it lasts. Villa would be nowhere without it, lately.

(Pic via Man United Pies)

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Three: an Arsenal Web Documentary

Just wanted to share with you some work by my friend Andrew Weber, an Australian Arsenal supporter who's been making a documentary series about following the Gunners down under. Looks like hard work!

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TFT Podcast Ep 36

Ah, Wednesday morning. Cup of tea, a stroll down to the studio and the learned tones of myself and Gary Andrews seeping into my brain as I edit the twofootedtackle Podcast. This week we're up to Episode 36 and celebrated this arbitrary milestone the only way we could: by inviting Terry Duffelen of The Onion Bag and The Sound of Football into Studio 31 to have a right old chinwag.

"But what did you talk about?" I hear you silently yell. Well, it's a truly global affair this week.

We look back on a fascinating week in the Premier League and ask whether Arsenal have any hope of mounting an assault on the title and suggest that Hull City's improved form stems directly from Phil Brown's decision to finally shut his face. We talk about the Merseyside derby and are joined by the American Soccer Show's Zach Woosley, who gives us his take on the fortunes of Landon Donovan.

From the USA, via Portsmouth, we head to Germany to get Terry's update on the state of play in the Bundesliga; Bayern Munich have won every match since forever but still haven't caught Bayer Leverkusen at the top, while I share an Alan Partridge-style factoid about basement club Hertha Berlin.

Then it's the A-League, where Australia's top six will be jostling for position this weekend before embarking upon their unusual post-season playoffs, which are arranged to reflect league position - more details within. Melbourne Victory top the table and have a great chance to retain the title, but they play second-placed Sydney in the final regular season game. Should Sydney lose or draw, Gold Coast might just sneak the all-important second spot.

And in part three, we're back on more familiar territory as we return to Europe to talk about John Terry, the England captaincy and the draw for the 2012 European Championships, which took place in Warsaw on Sunday.

Playing us out this week, we have an unsigned band aiming for a World Cup hit. You can check out the full track here.

Episode 36 of the TFT Podcast is now available via iTunes, by clicking this MP3, or by visiting the media player at CSRN. I've also embedded it below, RSS reader fans.

Please leave any comments or questions in the comments section below. We'd also be eternally grateful if you followed us on Twitter and became our fan on Facebook. It'll work in your favour too, because you'll be the first to hear some forthcoming huge news about the future of the show.

Have a bostin' week, footy fans.

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Blood clot ends Gary Cahill's World Cup hopes

Bolton Wanderers' promising central defender Gary Cahill has seen his dream of playing in World Cup 2010 dashed after being taken ill with a blood clot in his arm last Friday.

Cahill is some way down the pecking order in Fabio Capello's England reckoning but probably isn't a million miles away from a place in the squad - he'll certainly be there in the future. John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Matt Upson and one or two other players are ahead in Capello's mind, but the likes of Michael Dawson might soon find themselves behind an in-form Cahill as the manager selects England backup with one eye on the future.

Cahill was taken to hospital on Saturday when his arm became swollen, and Bolton manager Owen Coyle told the press that the blood clot is expected to keep Cahill out of action for "months". Cahill's only chance of being on the plane to South Africa in June would be to play his way in. Even with a miraculous recovery, he simply won't have time to do that now.

I have a lot of time for Cahill. He really looked the part during his time at Aston Villa and improved with every game he played for the club. He's a very talented ball player as well as a sharp and effective defender, and he really is future captain material in the Premier League. And he scored one of the best goals I've ever seen, in one of the greatest matches.


Stepping away from football for a second, I really do hope this injury isn't as serious as it sounds because it can be very problematic. Get well soon, Gaz.

(Pic via Football Fancast)

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Euro 2010 qualifying draw: reaction

UEFA officials drew the all-important balls out of the pot in Warsaw yesterday, and the qualification groups for Euro 2012, aka the 2012 European Championships, are now set. Below, you'll find a screenshot I stole from the BBC which saved me typing out the whole lot:

Being a football blogger with a bit of a thing about international football, it would be ignorant of me to let this draw slip by without passing wind comment. Here are some thoughts I have about the groups and the draw process itself.

• There were a couple of geographical 'pockets' of teams which were kept apart in the draw, most notably a bunch of former Soviet states. I'm not sure how I feel about this, but Russia boss Guus Hiddink didn't approve
• Most of the big boys have, as is natural given the structure of this draw, a pretty friendly route to the finals. England, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal shouldn't have too many problems, but Turkey may prove difficult opponents for Germany
• Speaking of which, there are some spicy ties in store. Germany's matches with Turkey are always noisy affairs, and Austria will fancy a go at the Group A favourites too. Meanwhile, England and Wales have been drawn together in Group G
• Heroic performances could see the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales bag playoff spots, but Scotland need a miracle to get out of Group I against Spain and the Czech Republic
• The Croatians will be laughing heartily at the thought of breezing through Group F unbeaten. You heard it here first

Qualifying begins in early September 2010 and finishes in November 2011, including the playoff rounds. The nine group winners will join Poland and Ukraine in the draw for the finals, along with the second-placed team which has the best result against teams other than the group winners.

The remaining eight runners-up will play a playoff round to determine the final four next November. Game on!

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Prediction League: Week 21 - Predictions

Liverpool vs. Everton
Chris: Draw
Ian: Everton
Gary: Draw

Bolton vs. Fulham
Chris: Bolton
Ian: Fulham
Gary: Bolton

Burnley vs. West Ham
Chris: Draw
Ian: West Ham
Gary: Draw

Hull vs. Man City
Chris: Man City
Ian: Man City
Gary: Man City

Man United vs. Portsmouth
Chris: Man United
Ian: Man United
Gary: Man United

Stoke vs. Blackburn
Chris: Stoke
Ian: Stoke
Gary: Stoke

Tottenham vs. Aston Villa
Chris: Tottenham
Ian: Draw
Gary: Aston Villa

Sunderland vs. Wigan
Chris: Sunderland
Ian: Draw
Gary: Sunderland

Birmingham vs. Wolves
Chris: Birmingham
Ian: Birmingham
Gary: Birmingham

Chelsea vs. Arsenal
Chris: Chelsea
Ian: Chelsea
Gary: Chelsea

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TFT Podcast Ep 35

It's Wednesday, and that can only mean one of a few things here at twofootedtackle - this time, it's the podcast. This week's guest in the Studio of Truth & Wisdom was ITV.com's Luke McLaughlin, and with John Terry on the front and back pages of every newspaper there was only one place to begin: John Terry.

Also on the agenda this week were the Africa Cup of Nations, the Premier League, the Championship, Nottingham Forest and - of course - the end of the transfer window. And we didn't mention Andy "Two-Phones" Burton once. Because we would have vomited.

If you're Emile Heskey, you probably shouldn't listen to this one. I love you really, Emile.

You can listen to Episode 35 right now by subscribing in iTunes, listening to this MP3, popping over to the media player at CSRN or just clicking play on the player below.

Please leave your comments below, on Facebook or Twitter, or send us an email. Peace.

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Prediction League: Week 20 - Results

A fantastic weekend as far as the Prediction League team was concerned this weekend with us all racking up some decent points, but not enough to make any changes in the leader board. Let’s get down to business, here are the results:

Birmingham 1-1 Tottenham
It’s not easy to go to St. Andrews and win these days, which is why a late goal from Birmingham was not really a shock; that said, this was a game Spurs really should have one. The points go to Chris and Gary here.

Fulham 0-2 Aston Villa
Two goals from Gabby Agbonglahor secured a win for Villa a Craven Cottage, somewhat surprisingly I was the only one to predict an away win, and therefore, the points go to me.

Hull 2-2 Wolves
Scrappy 2-2 draw was a fair reflection of the performance of both sides in this game, both managers will be happy with a point, and so will Gary who adds one to his tally.

Liverpool 2-0 Bolton
The pressure is eased from Rafa Benitez once again as a 2-0 win over Bolton lifts the spirits of the Kop faithful, and their position in the league, as they now move up to 5th, one point to Chris, and one point to me here.

West Ham 0-0 Blackburn
Another game that was a fair reflection of the performance of the two team involved was at Upton Park, no magic from either side to break the deadlock. A point to both teams, and a point to two of our predictors: Chris and Gary.

Wigan 0-1 Everton
The Toffees continue their good form in the league as they remained unbeaten in their last nine games. Wigan are plodding away, but are dropping points at the same time, but they are relatively safe in 14th. Points go across the board here, as we all predicted an away win.

Burnley 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea continue to dominate the league, but they were made to work for their points at Turf Moor. A good win though, they got three points and so did we, one point each.

Man City 2-0 Portsmouth
Man City get back to winning ways and keep up their chase of fourth position, while Pompey look to be up the creek without a paddle as they remain rooted to the foot of the table.

Arsenal 1-3 Man United
An apparently “in decline” Manchester United showed their title credentials at the Emirates this weekend by hammering the Gunners 3-1. Overall, it showed Arsenal are not capable of sustaining a title challenge, but their real test is next Sunday. The points go to Chris on this one.

Sunderland 0-0 Stoke
I can say I know anything that went on in this game, but Sunderland keep up their disastrous run of form after a great start to the season. If you can’t win, then a point is the best option, both sides, I’m sure will be happy.

As I said before no changes in the league table, Chris remains at the summit and I stay rooted to the foot of the table, while Mr. Consistency aka Gary keeps his place at second:

1.Chris - 93 points
2.Gary - 87 points
3.Ian - 83 points

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Why resignation is John Terry's best option - and who should replace him

John Terry's headed winner against Burnley on Saturday evening did nothing to ease his visible distress after the decision to overturn a superinjunction allowed allegations about his private life to leak into the public consciousness.

Terry reportedly had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of former Chelsea colleague Wayne Bridge, an affair which may or may not have resulted in an abortion and Bridge making himself unavailable for England duty. It will almost certainly end up in divorce, if Monday's newspapers are anything to go by.

What does this have to do with football? Firstly, Terry and Bridge are former team-mates for Chelsea and potential team-mates in World Cup 2010. Bridge's apparent refusal to play under Terry is - on the face of it - unproblematic. Ashley Cole dwarfs him in terms of quality and Stephen Warnock would be more than adequate as backup. But the betrayal of a colleague is not easily forgotten and the dressing room may well reflect that regardless of Bridge's absence.

Secondly, Terry is the captain of England. His position is about more than football. He's a talisman off the field, an ambassador for the Football Association. In essence, he is the global face of English football, notwithstanding the ubiquitous David Beckham. This is the latest in a string of allegations against Terry and its serious nature renders it a transgression too far.

England are bidding to win the right to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022, and he's not the kind of character we should be putting forward as a representative for that bid. And if we want the England captaincy to retain any of its prestige and mystique, John Terry has to go.

But it's not only the FA who would benefit from Terry's resignation, it's the Chelsea man himself. Deep down, he knows he should go. If he does, it will take the sting out of the press coverage which he will, like it or not, be suffering indefinitely. It would take off the pressure and attention (up to a point) in one swift thrust. It's his one last silver bullet.

Furthermore, acting early would guarantee his place in the England team and ease any potential dressing room unrest. That can only be good got Terry and for England, whose weakness at centre half means Terry is utterly indispensable.

But who should replace Terry should he resign as England skipper? Although I don't think Terry should take this into account when making his decision, Fabio Capello is sadly not spoiled for choice. That's particularly true if Terry goes on moral grounds. Can we then appoint Steven Gerrard or Rio Ferdinand in good conscience? I think not.

To my mind, that leaves Capello with two options. Both have had their problems off the field, but they seem to be firmly in the past. They're both solid, excellent quality players capable of leading by example and being professional and mature in the ambassadorial role of England captain.

Wayne Rooney might sound like a strange choice but he's now in his mid-20s and is the undisputed kingpin at Manchester United. In fact, he's almost doing it all by himself. But my choice would be Frank Lampard, a natural, hard-working leader whose energy and desire to win would grace any team. More importantly, giving him the captaincy might just tease him into becoming England's most prominent player, to make him to England what Gerrard used to be for Liverpool.

On Soccer Saturday the panel noted that Lampard is now more than just the man who arrives late into the box. He gets involved in every move, linking the play with quick passes from the edge of his own box forwards. For me, that puts him in a natural captain's position and helps make him the best option.

So, should Terry resign? And if he does, who should replace him? Over to you.

(Pic via Sportige)

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Five eye-catching players from the Cup of Nations

Followers of our World Cup 2010 blog will know that I've been keeping an eye on events in Angola during the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, both with the World Cup in mind and just out of general interest.

Having watched many of the games, I thought I'd share the names of some players who caught my eye during the tournament in January. First, some notes. This is not an exhaustive list, nor does it represent my opinion on the best five players in the competition. I'm also not saying these guys are going to be world-beaters. They simply impressed me over the space of a few short games.

And yes, I'm aware that this is hardly ground-breaking stuff and most of these players are well known names, at least for football geeks.

• Mabina - the fabulous Petro Atlético Luanda and Angola player turned on the style from an attacking right back position and showed off his abilities as a midfielder. He loves to get forward and his crossing is stunning. In Angola's first game, he set up Flavio's second goal with a mouth-watering centre from the touchline. He's got tricky feet, too
• Youssef Msakni - the teenager, who plays for Esperance Tunis and Tunisia, is a very exciting but painfully raw talent. He's an attacking midfielder who favours the left flank for his national team, and making probing, aggressive runs forward. His passing range is impressive and he can go past a man with ease
• Rainford Kalaba - the U.D. Leiria and Zambia man has a lot of potential and is a skillful, slippery player with deceptive strength on the ball. Despite slightly erratic shooting, he really looked the part
• Manucho - the Angola and Real Valladolid striker will be a new name to nobody, but having only previously seen him at ACN 2008, Manucho impressed me in 2010. He holds the ball up brilliantly and likes to drop deep and turn the ball round the corner for overlapping players. A weapon like Manucho is a real bonus for teams who like to get behind the opponents' defence. He's not bad in the channels either
• Gervinho - the Ivorian international forward has made a name for himself in Ligue 1 with Lille, but his performance in Angola was the first time I've seen him. He drops very deep to get involved in the play, using a good change of pace and no small measure of skill to beat his mane. He's a good passer and, judging by his record in France, loves to score a goal or 18

So, that's my two cents. Have you been watching the Africa Cup of Nations? Who caught your eye?

(Pic via Koora)

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