The Galaxy can certainly use a winger and Rogers by my estimation, is better than anything we’ve got righty now. He’s from SoCal and wants to play for them. He’s even indicated that if his only choice was to play for Chicago, he would likely not come back to MLS even if it means staying retired.

My opinion on both Robbie and also NBA player, Jason Collins coming out as gay is firstly, that they are to be credited but secondly, that in this day and age it’s sad that such a thing should be so extraordinary. Indeed, the way that the public reacted to Collins was actually so low-key that it was pleasantly surprising. That’s not to say that these guys coming out isn’t a big deal: it truly is. This is a watershed moment in US Sports. However, their orientation itself should in my opinion, be so easily accepted as not to be a big deal – and refreshingly, that seems to largely be the reaction.

However, MLS’s rumoured attitude to this trade strikes me as unsavoury. If Robbie hadn’t just come out, the scenario would be that LA Galaxy wanted his rights and that Chicago, having fairly traded for them, would need to receive an offer that worked. As it seems to stand right now, the talk is all about MLS presiding over the situation, leaning on Chicago to make this happen. It is heavily rumoured that if Chicago ask for too much, or even reject the deal entirely, MLS is going to step in and determine the trade value themselves and mandate that Chicago accept. All so they can get the positive PR and publicity that comes with having the first gay, male player in an American major league. Even more slimy is the touted idea that they want to get this through quickly, lest the free agent Collins finds a team first and NBA beats them to the punch.

We’re talking about a man who initially intended to step away from the sport after his announcement, in part because he didn’t want to be known as “The Gay Footballer, Robbie Rogers”. Yet it’s that very aspect that is driving the league to treat this trade differently. They are effectively making this not about Rogers as a player or a guy that fits LA’s footballing needs but about his sexuality. In my opinion, that’s wrong.

I can’t say I don’t see the appeal. I support Rogers. I was disappointed that he had initially chosen to retire, though I respected that decision. I would very much like to see him play for the Galaxy and I’d be lying if I said the chance to get behind him and say “good for you” wasn’t a small part of that. At the same time my interest is more about football. If he was a middling centerback who didn’t fill a need, I’d be less enthusiastic.

The principal remains though, that this should be treated like any other trade. If Chicago puts forth demands and LA can’t or won’t either meet them or negotiate a compromise, then so be it. If Robbie decides that it’s LA Galaxy or nothing, then I think that would be a shame as he’s too young with too much of a career ahead of him to be retiring. However, if he feels that he needs to be close to home and a deal can’t be done, then again, so be it. Chicago have expressed that they would prefer he come and play for them. He is also free to sign for any non-MLS club, should he have the desire and opportunity.

At the end of the day, the reality can’t be ignored entirely – after all, it appears that Chicago are negotiating to keep the rights of a player that won’t play for them anyway. Those circumstances along with the wants and needs of Rogers will become a factor organically. That however, is as far as it should go.

I hope a trade happens. I hope Robbie Rogers comes here and makes an impact. I think the guy has done society a service by breaking a taboo. Most of all, I’m glad he’s rethought his retirement. MLS should step back and let the teams and any players involved work this out the same as they would any other deal. Robbie Rogers sexual identity and brave decision should not be cheapened by MLS, just for the sake of publicity.

Then this Alex Ferguson fellow came along and just around the time the kid had started to actually learn tangible things about the game, things weren’t going well – or at least that’s what everybody seemed to be saying. So for a while, he rode the bandwagon that famously produced the banner “3 Years of Excuses and its Still Crap – Ta Ra Fergie”. Then came that FA Cup Final. In an incredible match, United had drawn 3-3 with Crystal Palace after extra time. The lad noted that his grumblings about Jim Leighton had been vindicated but what a match! The replay didn’t match the original fixture but it was won by United via a rare goal from Lee Martin. Momentum started to build. In 1991, United defeated Barcelona to win the Cup Winners Cup in Rotterdam. His Dad had leapt off that aforementioned sofa, hugged him and swung him around. The next season, Man United competed on multiple fronts only to lose out late to Leeds in the league after a heavy spell of fixtures. However, a Brian McClair goal landed them the League Cup.

Then it happened: the first season of the Premier League and this time United made no mistake. The enduring image of that season for this kid will be the man he’d once wanted gone, dancing on the field alongside Brian Kidd as United kept their title dreams alive via two Steve Bruce goals against Sheffield Wednesday. On the night the league was sealed, the kid – now a little short of his sixteenth Birthday – was in bed. His Mum pushed the door open and gave him the news: Manchester United had won the league! United hadn’t been playing that night: Aston Villa had lost 1-0 to Oldham athletic, ending the race. The kid and his brother went downstairs and watched the events unfold. Neighbouring United players Steve Bruce and Peter Schmeichel were being interviewed from one of the others sofa. Schmeichel’s enormous hand was enough to hold his young daughter, they noted with amusement.

After this boy went back to bed that night, he felt like bursting as it all started to sink in.

“Wow”, he though to himself “I support the Champions…”

The rest as they say, is history. I was of course, that kid. It’s amazing to think how long 26+ years actually is. Yet after learning of Sir Alex Ferguson’s impending retirement, it probably seems longer. I obviously remember a time without him but it’s now hard to imagine that ever being the case. It’s also hard to imagine ever doubting him. The guy deserves one hell of a tribute. In the modern era of football, it’s easy for some to dismiss a Manchester United league title as par-for-the-course. People can always point to the club’s revenue, the grandiose transfer fees, the pulling power of being that team. It’s also easy to forget how long it had been without a title when he arrived or how difficult it is to remain successful as players transition in and out of the club. Fergie hasn’t just excelled in transitioning the occasional outgoing individual – he’s transitioned entire generations, entire eras, not to mention evolutions of play and even the changing face of the game and its business side.

He’s known as a fiery character. A grumbler. A man who plays mind games, complains when things don’t go his teams way yet shrugs it off when they do. He’s a manager of men, of egos, of personalities. Tales of thrown tea-trays, flying football boots and the fabled “hairdryer treatment” are all down in football folklore. From McGrath and Whiteside to Roy Keane via David Beckham and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, it didn’t matter how good or important you (or anyone else for the matter) thought you were. You did things his way or you were gone.

Yet for all this, there’s also a nurturing, fatherly side. Few pass through Old Trafford without talking about the impact he’s had on them. Like family, he’ll administer home truths and push those around him to be the best they can but he’ll also protect them with rigourous fervour. When Eric Cantona walked away after the scruitiny following the Selhurt Park incident, Fergie pursued him to France and brought him back. When David Beckham was being burnt in effigy over the France 98 red card, he circled the wagons and urged him to use it to raise his game. When the English media were declaring Ronaldo’s position at United untenable after his part in Rooney’s own World Cup dismissal, he once again talked him into staying.

It’s not all “in-house” though. Managers throughout his reign at Man United have frequently spoken of his role as a mentor, advising and encouraging them, especially those new to the job. More of his on-field rivals speak of him as a friend away from the game than as a nemesis.

Fergie has never been a tactical genius. He’s had his share of disasterous transfers. However, he has always had a track record for getting the best out of players. He instills a drive and will to win in them and in return, they give their all for him, stopping only when its officially won or lost.

I’m not going to list everything he’s won or quote figures. There’s been plenty of that already. This is about a man who has been not just a figure in sports but a fixture in the hearts and minds of Manchester United fans everywhere. Not just that though: he’s an example of strength, determination, belief, drive and hunger; an embodiement of heart.

“Thanks” doesn’t really cut it for what you’ve done for that nine-year-old kid’s club. You took a wonderful club with an incredible, magical history, returned it to the top and delivered generation after generation of glory. “Thanks” is all I’ve got though. That and this lengthy blog post.

So thankyou for everything Sir Alex Ferguson. We’re going to miss you like hell.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride over the last few years.

First there was the infamous “super injunction”, taken out to block reports of an extramarital affair. Upon the overturning of the injunction, the British media informed us with sadistic glee that the reported “other woman”, was the ex-girlfriend of his England and Chelsea teammate, as well as his good friend, Wayne Bridge.

The press and public were up in arms. It’s true to say that the circumstances of the reported affair were sleazy to say the least. It appeared that not only was he cheating on his wife with his mates ex, but that he’d been lending a “supportive” ear to Bridge in the meantime. However, I’ve never agreed that the England captaincy, or even England selection, should be awarded based on moral fiber. Indeed, I fear that if we laid bare all our England team’s private indiscretions (like any teams full of wealthy young athletes) we’d struggle to find anybody pure as the driven snow. The tricky part though, is that Bridge was a potential call-up for the impending 2010 World Cup, with other friends in the squad. For this reason, Fabio Capello decided for professional reasons that it would be better to give the captaincy to someone else.

Terry said little about the situation. Perhaps he thought it better to say nothing and get on with his football.

In any case, after various injuries to replacement captains, Terry would eventually be reinstated sometime after the World Cup.

Fast forward to last season and the infamous Anton Ferdinand incident. From a legal standpoint, there was a case to be proven. Damning footage of Terry mouthing what appeared to be a racist insult was going viral. Complaints were made. Terry was arrested and charged with using racist language. The trial was scheduled for after Euro 2012. As we all recall, Fabio Capello made the reasonable decision to leave Terry as captain based on the fact that he was innocent until proven guilty. The FA, a significant time later in the face of yet more public opinion calling for the England captain to be a virginal white-knight, went over Capello’s head and once more Terry lost his captaincy. As far as we know, Terry elected not to get involved when Capello stated his irritation at the FA’s move to the Italian press. I’m not sure if there was much he could have done on the day of the meeting where Capello and the FA decided to part ways.

My personal thoughts at the time, were that upon finding out that the FA had gone over Capello’s head, would be to come out publically and voice my appreciation for Capello’s support, but in light of avoiding any upheaval to the England camp, I’d be turning in my captaincy until the case was resolved. Perhaps throw something in about still being dedicated to acting as one of multiple leaders on the pitch. At least something to curtail the rapidly increasing ugliness that threatened England’s Euro preparation and keep the manager in place.

Terry said little about the situation. Perhaps he thought it better to say nothing and get on with his football.

Then there was the 2012 Champions League final. Terry, in the semi-final second leg, was sent off for blatantly kneeing an opponent in the back. His initial reaction was to go to the media at halftime to protest his innocence, only to retract it when he realised quite how blatant the aggressive and needless foul had been.

Again, while I’m not a professional footballer, I like to think that pride, humility and a sense of responsibility would have caused me to let those that won the final be center of attention. Sure, overjoyed that my teammates had done me proud and got the job done in my absence, I’d have gone to collect my medal and celebrate. However, I certainly think I’d have enough class to have the captain on the night raise the trophy. If he were gracious enough to offer to raise it with me, that might be too big an experience to pass up. Terry however, went one better. Instead of letting the moment be about the team and their achievement, he decided not only to be front and center, but to suit up in his full kit, shin pads and all, like a ten-year-old mascot.

Not a hint to be found of remorse or apology for doing something stupid and irresponsible for needlessly costing the team a key player on the biggest night of Chelsea’s existence. He basked in the glory like it had all been down to him.

So now, Brave John Terry (JT to his friends and Steve McClaren) has finally decided to bring his England career to an end. Because he feels he’s getting too old? No. Because he feels he has nothing to contribute? Um…I very much doubt it. Because he wants to make way for a the next generation of England players? Apparently not.

No… the language he used to deliver news of his international retirement pointed heavily to principle. It’s not enough that England Manager, Roy Hodgson wants him to stay on. It’s not enough that the press seem to still be deluded by the notion that Terry is or ever has been, among the best defenders in the World. He has been slighted by the FA, for whom like so many, Terry’s legal defence doesn’t ring true. The defence, for those who’ve been living in a cave, far far away from football (hello to you, Rafa Benitez), was that while Terry did utter the words (which I’ll paraphrase to avoid offence) “you effing, black Liam Stacey”, it was actually preceded by the phrase “do you think I called you a…”.

See! He wasn’t saying anything racist at all! Shocked by the suggestion of an opponent, he chose not to say “what?”, “did I hear you right?”, “I didn’t say that!”, but “Oi Anton, do you think I called you a… etc”.

Sounds a bit iffy, but it’s technically possible and it couldn’t be proven otherwise, hence the acquittal. The FA however, only needs to base its decision on what it thinks is most probable and are pressing ahead. So Big JT has decided that while he kept nice and quiet while rumours of his infidelity threatened team chemistry, or while his manager fell on his sword with a major Tournament approaching, NOW it’s suddenly time to get principled.

But maybe I’m being too cynical. Maybe this is a new, principled, ethical John Terry, who has finally decided that it’s time make a sacrifice for something he believes in. Though it’s odd that if he feels so strongly about these FA charges, which have been in the pipeline for several months, that he waited until after the last major tournament the aging defender will probably be selected for.

I guess we can look to the future now. Go back to the dream of that elusive second England World Cup. I just pray that if we somehow win one in the next forty years, it’s raised exclusively by someone involved in the match and not a wrinkly John Terry in full England Kit.

While I feel no shame in pinning this up as a celebration of an achievement and a cheeky dig at a rival, I felt that this moment trancended football and rivalries and that it was appropriate to take the pic down and throw it away. At the very least, knowing the full, disgusting truth of what had happened in 1989, meant that there was no place today for any symbol of a battered Liverpool. Others have already covered the content of the reports. I won’t retread the same ground any further, except to say the following:

I believe that most of the public always believed that Hillsborough was an issue caused by negligence, safety issues and terrible decisions by people in charge, as opposed to unruly fans getting out of control. The tragedy was bad enough when we knew just that. As I read the findings, the whole thing just got dirtier and more despicable the more I read. The fact that the stadium had noted issues was more than bad enough. The actions of the police to cause the crush was more than bad enough. The idea that the police would then falsify their reports is deplorable. The fact that they would seek to falsly incriminate the fans makes you sick to your stomach. That they would incriminate the dead… unspeakable. Then you find out that not only could lives have been saved, but that this fact was actively hidden in the aftermath. There are no words for those actions and heads should roll.

Fast forward to this past weekend. Sir Alex Ferguson has made a clear point of asking fans to not sing about this situation. He has called for an end to chants about Hillsborough and about Munich. Again, I believe (or at least hope) that a majority of fans didn’t need to be told. Indeed, it’s a shame that such chants even exist to begin with. Ditto Heysel chants, chants about the dead in general. I’ve always been against them, regardless of side or subject. So have the majority of fans I know, whether they support Man Utd, Liverpool or whoever. That we have to even have these conversations at all is particularly sad.

Even sadder is that some (and let me stress it was a highly-criticised minority) at Old Trafford chose to chant “Always the victim, It’s never your fault”. They shouldn’t have needed a request from the manager to display a little common decency. That they received one and went ahead anyway, is simply pathetic. I’ve heard the defence of course:

“It’s about Suarez and has been chanted since the Evra incident..”

Okay – let’s for the sake of argument, give you the benefit of the doubt. You were all singing about Suarez. That’s what you had in mind. Fair enough. Then answer me this: How much of a moron do you have to be, that you lack the common sense to see how this could not be interpreted as a sick reference to last weeks findings?

One of the biggest tragedies of Hillsborough is the fact that actions that would have prevented it, were only carried out in it’s aftermath. While on nowhere near the same plain, it’s sad that football still fails to nip things in the bud. This type of chanting should never have occurred at any point in time. Human decency should have been the only barrier required. Then again, football stadiums haven’t always been – and sadly too often still aren’t – hives of humility and class.

I found one comment made by Joe Jordan to be disappoining today. He made the considerable, valid point that those chanting such things should be subject to lifetime bans. He then followed it up with the claim that he never heard Liverpool fans chanting about Munich during his United tenure. Fair enough. Perhaps he didn’t. But what’s helpful about that statement? Whether he heard it or not, those chants exist and have been sang by many a Manchester United rival down the years. Why imply that one group of fans is a bigger culprit than another? Every team has fans that are not above this behaviour, unfortunately.

What we should be doing is drawing a line under ALL of this. It doesn’t matter who you support or who you’re singing about. If it refers to human tragedy, it has to stop. If it’s the death of a former player of Manager, you shouldn’t go there. Race, colour or religion should be a no-go. Homophobia should be out. I’d also like to throw in the stupidly widespread practice of goading genuninely hurt players while they receive treatment. It’s one thing if he’s clearly milking it, but when a guy is down for several minutes, with for all we know, his career hanging in the balance, that’s ridiculous.

So let’s take this opportunity to set a new standard. The fact that this was a minority and that they have been roundly criticised by those inside and outside the club, at least provides hope that this can be broadly achieved. Let’s throw out the sick chants.

That’s not to herrald an end to banter, to ribbing, to amusing, clever chants. I want the rivalries to continue. But I’m not the kind of fan that actively loathes a person just for following a rival team. I certainly see no joy, entertainment, or comedy value in making light of terrible events.

But let us as a community, regardless of our allegiences, draw a line under this and respect our rivals.

Why, were it not for the random roulette of the non-practicable penalty shoot-out, we’d be twelve-time World Champions by now.

At least that’s what they all seem to think that we think. It’s a notion not helped by the tabloid press and overzealous media. After the last World Cup draw, The Sun presented the viewing globe with the headline:

England
Algeria
Slovenia
Yanks

“The Best Group Since The Beatles”

It was almost karmic justice when Robert Green dropped Clint Dempsey’s speculative effort over the line. It also made for little sympathy when we were denied a game-tying goal against Germany. Then again, the way Germany played that day, nobody could deny the better team had won.

However, I urge my fellow human beings to actually engage in discussions about the national team with sensible, grown English people. Not 14 year olds in Bigsoccer’s World Rivalry forum, or drunk men wearing Union Jack t-shirts. Those people are not likely to provide rational discourse on the matter.

Talk to almost any other England fan and they’ll surprise you. If anything, you’re probably more likely to find yourself cradling a distraught man, his shoulders hitching as he sobs uncontrollably, emitting barely-formed phrases such as “youth development”, “winter breaks” and “root and branch”.

Like any team, expectations vary over time. Sometimes we hope to do quite well. Other times, we wonder why we’re bothering to make the flight. The only thing that might be construed as arrogance or exaggerated expectation derives from a simple fact: as good or bad as the England team is, they should really be better.

The nation boasts 60 million people, more-or-less all of which are aware of the sport, most of which have played it and a high percentage of which love it. The modern form was invented there. They formed the first competition, played in the first international and it’s league has existed since the late 1800s. It is a developed, wealthy, democratic nation, with a free press, modern technology and full access to the world’s information. We should at least be in the rotation of contenders.

We aren’t though and you won’t find many amongst our population who genuinely think otherwise. The only time I recall us being particularly bullish about our hopes was WC 2006, which was more a product of the perception that the traditional big guns weren’t as strong as usual. Even then, regardless of what local bookmakers may have said (and you tend to have to offer shorter odds for you national team, so you still have a business should they pull it off) we still weren’t clear favourites.

So I turn to Swedish legend Jonas Thern, who today stated that “The one shot towards the France goal over 90 minutes was all it took to ignite the chronic English illusion of world football supremacy”. I’m sorry Jonas, but who on earth have you been speaking to? Which journo was it and which orifice did he place to your ear?

“Chronic English Illusion of World Football Supremacy”

Yes, I’m sure from Portsmouth to Berwick-Upon-Tweed, England fans looked on breathless.

“See how we trick Ribery and Nasri into thinking they have the upper hand by allowing them to hold the ball for minutes at a time!”

“Ah, the talent of Milner! If not for the fortuitously positioned French Fullback, Welbeck would have rose like a salmon to dispatch his glorious cross!”

“Hark! A goal by Lescott!! The natural order has been restored! England once again rules supreme!!”

“A 1-1 draw!!!! ……..Michel Platini!! Eric Cantona!! Rene Artois!! Napolean Bonaparte!! Dawn French!! Jean-Luc Picard!! Pepe Le Peu!! Your boys took ONE HELL OF A BEATING!!!”

I’ve not witnessed any such reaction. From what I’ve seen and heard, attitudes have varied from “Good result” to “hated our style of play”. Generally, the lions-share seem to accept that it was a good, solid, if unattractive performance from a not-so-great England team, under less-than-stellar circumstances. Given the opposition, the final result has been greeted positively and the more optimistic views of the tactical approach note that a talented attack failed to create much.

Thern however, seems to think we’re boasting about our display. Again, I’ve heard nothing of the sort.

“Did you see how we bunkered and counter-attacked? I’ll confess, that despite my wife’s friskiness I had to inform her I was heading straight to the land of nod after such an exhilarating demonstration. I fear I was already spent. Look out Spain! Here we come!”

Indeed, the ironic thing about all this is that Sweden are hardly a footballing interpretation of the Karma Sutra themselves. They’re something of a bogey team for England, but they’re also a long way from the outfit that finished 3rd in USA ’94. Having said that, they’re no whipping boys either and plenty of England fans are nervous, because a strong result is needed.

The truth is though, Mr Thern (and please don’t misinterpret this as me viewing England as a reborn Super-Brazil) we should be good enough to beat Sweden. That’s not a prediction (various jinx-related criteria prevents me from such behaviour) but given your display against Ukraine and the result in our last friendly – not to mention the effect on the group standings – it would be a major stumble if we didn’t.

Group B is the much-hyped “Group of Death”. Just how deadly it is will be influenced by whether Portugal live up to the expectations of about two tournaments ago. People have spent so long expecting that team to produce a performance worthy of their dazzling array of talented players that the anticipation has dried up. That might just make them dangerous. Having said that, Denmark look like just the kind of organised, if not spectacular outfit that can frustrate them. Germany are on Spain’s heels in the list of favourites, while Holland on the back of the World Cup final appearance, are probably promising something similar to the Portuguese the aforementioned eight years previous. Germany also seem to be juxtaposed to England in the “cock-up” stakes. No matter what issues or expectations the German’s have, they tend to deliver a perfromance regardless.

Group C is almost a second Group of Death, except it contains Spain. Of course, some have asked if they can maintain the hunger this time around. To those people, I point to Barcelona’s trophy cabinet. No, I’m afraid that any talk of waning desire from Xavi & co, is born purely out of meagre pickings when trying to find an actual weakness. Also, their Group C opposition appear more stubborn than dangerous. Ireland will make up what they lack in raw talent with the underdog spirit and determination that saw them qualify for this and narrowly miss out on the World Cup. Croatia have enough about them to cause any team problems on their day. Italy should be in a shambles, but while they don’t compare to past generations, adversity has bolstered them in the past and in Cassano and Balotelli they boast an enigmatic duo that could take the tournament by storm, or equally have a psychotic break.

Then it’s on to the Group of D. Because it’s neither a group of dearth or death and it keeps the D theme going. France are favourite here almost by default. They seem to have regrouped since their farcical World Cup and in Ribery and Benzema boast an exciting attack, further bolstered by Valbuena and Nasri. England already deserve the Golden Lemming for the worst lead-up to a finals tournament in recent memory. Having said that, the circumstances, the new coach, the injuries, the Liverpool Select XI, the Players Not Selected XI and a myriad of injuries mean that for once, the English media aren’t piling gargantuan, unrealistic expectations on the team. That’s a good thing. And while I have your attention, I’d like to once and for all squash the widely held belief that such expectations and delusions of grandeur are shared by the population at large.

The average English person knows that there are at any one time, a number of teams for closer to major international glory than our team. We like to think we’re in the conversation, that if we perform extra well, we’re in with a shout. But regardless of what any overzealous bookmakers, semi-literate tabloid journalist or woefully out-of-touch BBC Pundit might suggest, we actually have an accurate idea of how good we are as a team.

That said, the expectation for the England team is making it out of the group. Whatever success they do have, expect it to be ground out. Don’t write off a tricky Sweden or home Ukraine team either.

So my prediction? I’ll be obvious. Like most of European (and indeed World) football for the past four years, that Barcelona-tinged, possession based Spanish midfield will likely dictate the course of this competition. To date, nobody has come up with a definitive answer to it. Even when Barca or Spain have failed, it’s not only been rare, it’s also tended to be lucky. Defeats against the USA in the Confederations Cup and Inter and Chelsea in the Champions League, have tended to be come as much from what the Spanish side failed to do as what the opposition did. But for a better finish here, a converted penalty there, or a refeeing decision reversed, those results could all have gone either way. There’s only one team that really rivals Barca right now and even they’ve been walloped by them. That of course is Real Madrid, who will also be contributing many a gifted player to the Spanish team.

While I’m an advocate of equal rights, an end to sexism, racism, homophobia and any other kind of archaic prejudice, it must be nice to know that you can put your foot in your mouth with almost no repercussions.  In his eternity in charge, President Sepp Blatter has famously commented on the tightness of the shorts in the women’s game, recommended abstaining from gay sex during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, suggested that making a racist comment to an opponent during a match is simple gamesmanship which could be scrubbed out with a handshake at the final whistle; he even recently praised the President of Uzbekistan,  Islam Karimov for being a passionate football fan, dedicated to the development of the game in his country.  Anyone wondering why that would be controversial should google “Karimov Human Rights”.

I suppose there’s the downer of having to deal with people like Jack Warner (though hopefully not him specifically any longer) and the constant accusations of corruption – but then again, you don’t get the impression that Blatter exactly ‘suffers’ from those alleged circumstances, if you get my drift.

The crowning glory though, is that you don’t even seem to need any experience, formal connection or knowledge relating to the game.

Just sandwich yourself between Pele and Franz Beckenbauer at the latest tournament final and enjoy.

As part of his role though, Sepp does unfortunately broach the subject of the game presides over.  His latest comments seem to be prompted by Chelsea’s penalty shoot-out victory in the UEFA Champions League Final (why, by the way, was the suspended John Terry wearing his full Chelsea kit? Does he just lay awake at night thinking of new ways to be an obnoxious twat?).  He’s declared that such victories coming via penalties was a “tragedy”.  This is slightly confusing, given that in the wake of the vuvuzela-serenaded, month-long snoozefest that was World Cup 2010, he was suggesting using that very tiebreaking method to avoid draws in the group stage.  Perhaps he too facepalmed at the sight of Terry reveling in a result he had very little to do with and decided “this must never happen again”.

Of course, some of my fellow Englishmen have quickly jumped to the conclusion that this is all because an English team has finally beat a German team in a penalty shoot-out.  There remains a school of thought that FIFA, UEFA and the footballing world detest us.  I wouldn’t be surprised.  After all, our FA has spent most of the game’s history scoffing at every new international and continental tournament established.  It’s only in the last few decades we’ve become the happy, PC, squeaky clean bunch of bureaucrats we see today.  However, I doubt that’s Blatter’s motivation for this latest opinion.

For decades, football fans the world over have lamented the cruelty, luck and randomness of the shoot-out in deciding the outcome of a game.  They’ve tried replays, sudden death extra time, not-so-sudden death extra time among other methods to give KO games a theoretically ‘fairer’ conclusion.  Replays worked best, but are logistically difficult and not really practical for short tournament schedules.  The “Golden” and “Silver Ball” extra times were a disaster that effectively told the players “screw up in the next thirty minutes and you’re finished”.  They effectively scared away the attacking football they hoped to encourage.

The thing that pains me most about Blatter’s comment though, is that he just stated it with no actual suggestion for change.  He said he’d have Beckenbauer and his task force think about it.  Given that this isn’t a new puzzle, it’s a bit like coming out and saying that disease and famine are bad things which we’d like to eliminate.  It’s a pointless soundbite.  Though truth be told, “Pointless Soundbite” would probably be a more fitting job title for the FIFA President.

As he’s raised the subject though, I’ve often thought of using leads as some form of tiebreaker (yes, this has got me on my “Imaginary Ideas that Probably Contain Fatal Flaws I Haven’t Thought Of” tangent agains).  Let’s face it, many penalty shoot-outs have sent a team through to the next round (or in Chelsea’s case, to the title), despite them never having been ahead at any point in the fixture.  The question is, how do you apply it?  The main options would probably be “time spent ahead”, “number of leads taken” and “size of lead”.

“Number of leads taken” seems like a fair option, but it does tend to reward you for repeatedly giving up an advantage.  Alternatively, “size of lead” encourages continued attacking, but penalises a team for making a dramatic comeback.  “Time spent ahead” might encourage teams to sit on a lead and resort to timewasting much earlier.  Perhaps after the first lead, only “coming from behind” leads would count.

So if the score goes 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 the number of leads is tied at one apiece.  After that, we count “largest lead” and if that’s also tied (which it would be at this point) we then use “time in lead” as the final tie-breaker.  That way, we reward the team that lead the most times, giving an incentive to increase the lead, which in turn makes “time in lead” something that occurs organically, rather than being played for.

I’m not sure how good an explanation that was.  I’m not even sure it’s a good idea.  But it is at least an idea – one I haven’t heard before and one I’ve given at least a little thought.  More poignantly, it’s probably more than the reigning FIFA President has put into it.

David Bolt entry here: http://www.bigsoccer.com/soccer/david-bolt/2012/05/30/blatter-opens-a-door-for-kosovo-will-gibraltar-be-next/

So it’s been twenty years.  Two whole decades.  John Major was the English Prime Minister.  Oasis and the Spice Girls were unheard of.  I was still in high school.  Wayne Rooney was but a child.  Manchester United hadn’t won a league title in over a quarter of a century.  Axl Rose was on speaking terms with Slash.  Ipswich Town’s John Warke was in the 75^th season of his playing career.  [NAME OMITTED DUE TO MY INABILITY TO FIND FOOTAGE OR REFERENCES TO BACK IT UP] could be caught by TV cameras, clearly mouthing a racial obscenity about Peter Ndlovu and it would not only go unmentioned, but the footage and the goal preceding it would make it onto the video “Goals Goals Goals – 101 Goals from the first Season of the Premier League”.

Twenty years since the monumental day the top division of English football started being called something different.

Okay, so technically, the top division of the Football League broke away. And technically, to this very day, the Premier League remains a separate entity. And yes, the vast mountains of cash that the breakaway top-flight received via the resultant TV deals has led to the hordes of expensive internationals, worldwide appeal and domestic English Football’s rise to the top of the sport’s commercial mountain.

I still challenge the notion that the league is significantly better or even different enough to warrant being referenced completely separately from the hundred years of top-flight football that preceded it.  After all, that period contained England’s greatest ever spell of dominance in the European Cup.  And we’re not talking a run of mere semi-final and final appearances.  We’re talking about English clubs bringing the thing home year after year.

Within that hundred year spell, we saw legendary players, the rise of great teams, iconic managers; some of the best and most important moments in England’s domestic football history.

Now, here we are, urged to celebrate a rebranding. We’re asked to frame the occasion by selecting from a bunch of goals that omit everything by George Best and a bunch of games that omit the 1989 season finale between Liverpool and Arsenal.  As if this whole Premiership 20 Year Awards concept were designed to just irritate me, those nominations aren’t even a great selection.  No 8-2, 5-0 or 6-1 drubbing, let alone a 7-4 where one team was always trailing by a couple of goals, can be described as a great game.  And then whichever JCL fanboys are voting on this, select Wayne Rooney’s  overhead kick as the best goal from a collection that includes Le Tissier’s gravity-defying run against Newcastle, Beckham’s halfway-line chip and Bergkamp’s (if he meant it) clever flick.

I even have to ask if the Premiership is something we really, as fans, want to celebrate?  There was a time when a selling point of the English game, even during Liverpool’s dominance, was that unlike many continental leagues, new challengers emerged periodically and organically.  Who could forget Ipswich, Derby and Watford coming up and competing with the status quo?  I like to think (though I’m of course, swayed by bias) that United’s dominance is in no small part down to Sir Alex Ferguson and his capacity to generate team after team.  But it can’t be denied that they also benefit from some sound marketing strategies and ample revenue streams.  It’s also telling that over the past twenty years, most of their contenders have either been teams that were already big and relatively wealthy (Arsenal & Liverpool) or were given a leg-up from some kind of benefactor (Blackburn, Newcastle, Chelsea, Man City).

Now it would be remiss of me to make the statements in the previous paragraph without considering some other potential factors.  Most vital is the UEFA Champions League and the revenue it bestows on its entrants – especially via it’s ludicrous “Market Pool” allocation, that rewards Premiership clubs at a higher rate than its opponents.  The fact that four teams have regularly qualified for that competition in recent years, pocketing tens of millions of pounds in prize-money that is unavailable to the rest of the league, has certainly contributed to the emergence of a “Big 4” in the league.  It’s probably also worth considering that had Sir Alex Ferguson of Man Utd and Arsene Wenger of Arsenal not had such long continuity, success and tenure at their clubs, things might have been a bit more cyclical.

It may also be worth noting that despite a reputed “widening gap” between the Premiership and Division One/The Championship/Bernstien’s Magical Golden Collective/Whatever Pointless, Confusing & Inappropriate Name They’ve Given the 2^nd Tier this Week, while there have been teams that have yo-yoed between the top two divisions, there have also been plenty that have come up and established themselves.  Furthermore, outside that top four, there’s been a lot of variation in league placing’s over the years. So perhaps we need to see how things progress in a post-Fergie/Wenger Premiership before blaming it too much for creating a glass ceiling.

Anyhoo, back to my petty grumblings about “The Premier League: 20 Seasons of Sky Sports Presenters Ignoring the Scoring Records of Jimmy Greaves and Dixie Dean”. Y’see, I know enough about my own cynicism to realise that I’d be complaining about this on some level regardless.  These celebrations and awards aren’t entirely without merit.  The breakaway did happen after all and it is a twenty year anniversary.  What I find most irksome though is that this epitomises the frequent elevation of Premership era achievements over all else.  We’re constantly informed that Alan Shearer is the highest scorer in Premier League history. In the history of the English top flight, he isn’t even in the top ten.

I’ll grant you that Jack Rowley and his 433 goals was from an era where games were more open and average scorelines much higher.  But what about Ian Rush, Gary Lineker or John Aldridge? Players whose prime only just preceded the Premiership – a Premiership that at least initially, bore little difference to the Division One it replaced.

If the league had improved beyond recognition from the one that produced European Champions in the late seventies and early eighties, there would be merit to this, but I’d argue that it hasn’t.  Any perceived improvement since the inception of the EPL had more to do with overcoming the stagnation and insular thinking that saw English football fall behind during its five year European ban.

So by all means, go ahead and enjoy the Premier League’s second decennial  celebration.  A decade is a valid period for looking back and reliving recent memories.  I think it would be more prudent to just celebrate the last ten years but that’s just me.  A lot has been achieved in the Premier League era – most notably England’s top league becoming the most watched domestic championship in the world.

However, let’s not allow a rebranding and commercial performance to draw such a deep dividing line between past and present.  Let’s not forget what Ramsey, Busby, Shankly, Revie and Clough did as manager’s.  Let’s remember the quality that the likes of Billy Meredith, Dixie Dean, Bobby Charlton, Trevor Francis, Glenn Hoddle, Paul Gascoigne, Gianfranco Zola, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robin Van Persie possessed as a true celebration of English League history.

It’s been a great twenty years… but an even better 124.

Perhaps it’s just coincidence. Perhaps it’s psychological on the part of the manager and/or the players. Perhaps Harry like so many of us, believed the hype and has been mailing it in. The fact remains though, that Spurs have been awful since Redknapp was anointed Manager-in-waiting of the England team.

How wrong we all were. Reports suggest that that the FA knew precisely who they wanted. They interviewed one man and gave him the job. That man is of course, the Fergie of Scandinavia himself, Mr Roy Hodgson.

Of course, the first question to spring to mind is “should this man be leading England into Euro 2012”? To my mind, the answer is a resounding “no”. I know what you’re thinking: “Ah… he’s a Redknapp man!”. Again, no. He shouldn’t be managing England in Euro 2012 either. Fabio Capello should. Whatever you thought of his ability or performance, it was bafflingly stupid of the FA to create circumstances that left us manager-less so close to a major tournament. Then again, apart from codifying the rules of the game, the FA hasn’t done much right since its inception.

As for a certain other complete idiot, who has been finding new and interesting ways to compromise his various teams’ chances abroad since slipping over in Moscow, I won’t ingratiate him by mentioning his name. Let’s just say that the sooner his overrated backside retires from the game, the better.

Going back to Roy, I have no complaints about his appointment. He’s very familiar with the unique animal that is International Football. He won’t need to adjust to long spells between games or being restricted to a specific pool of talent. He’s done it before and largely done it well.

Are the fans on board though? According to The Sun and some of the populist LCD reactions, it would appear not. In their eyes, Roy Hodgson is mediocre, not enough of a personality and most damning of all, has a speech impediment.

Why mediocre? Well apparently this conclusion was drawn from his average Blackburn tanking after a great first season and his inability to rapidly achieve with a Liverpool that 18 months later, with tens of millions spent on additional transfers, are still atrocious.

How about the fact that he did alright with Inter? Took multiple teams from rank mediocrity and underachievement to championships?

“Pah!” Mr LCD Sunreader scoffs “He can’t even say ‘Rank Mediocrity’ without it being ‘embawassing’ – plus I’ve never paid attention to any foreign team that doesn’t play in the YOOFA Champyuns League so those seasons don’t count!!”

Fulham? West Brom?

“Well… they aren’t top class sides…”

So Pompey, West Ham and Tottenham are?

“….but ‘Arry made them overachieve….”

Like Hodgson then? At Fulham and West Brom?

“Well….um…. er…. He can’t pronounce his Ws!!….”

I see…

The bit about him not having the right personality? Well apparently it’s “part of the England manager’s job” to provide media sound-bites and deal with relentless criticism from a plague of two-bit journos. I’ll tell you what guys, if you try supporting him and the team for once (and no, your free pull-out St George’s Cross which you’ll likely give away on the eve the competition doesn’t count) then a sound background in football management and coaching is all he’ll need.

I mean, come on lads: you’re asking him about briefly playing in South Africa forty years ago? Yet the man you’ve championed for months, was facing trial for tax-evasion when Capello left? “Bwing on the Euwos”? Really? Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. We’re talking about a paper that when reporting on the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, went with the headline “Katrina’s Wave”.

In fairness to the media at large, most have been objective, while making mention of the public’s underwhelmed response. A few are reading a lot into the regular England players’ lack of reaction. However, the rush to hold Redknapp up as “the people’s choice” owes a lot to this same press. Of the fan reactions, repugnance seems to correlate with ignorance. The more knowledgeable the fan, the greater the appreciation for Roy. Conversely, you get the feeling that if a packet of crisps had been championed in the media, the more dimwitted section of fans would have been on board with that too. Them and Gary Lineker, perhaps.

So what does this all mean in the grand scheme of things?

On one hand, it might for once temper expectations. Faith wasn’t exactly high after the World Cup. We’ll also be lacking our star forward for two of the three group games (not that he’s been that stellar in International Finals of late). Transitioning to a new manager in this situation was always going to be hard. Doing it with a guy that the disgruntled, populist crowd doesn’t believe in, might actually make progression from the group under any circumstances, an acceptable aim.

The other side of the coin though, is that if Roy Hodgson can’t live up to those reduced expectations, patience will be in short supply. The villagers are already revolting, over the FA overlooking man the tabloids told them to like.

All in all though, Roy Hodgson comes with a sound resume. While teams like Malmo FF, Halmstad and Switzerland may not set the pulses racing, his achievements with them can’t be denied. Most notable of all is that at his most successful, Hodgson has exceeded expectations to an extent that Harry Redknapp has never commandeered.

I for one, look forward to sitting back and simply observing the England team, without the layers of hype and anticipation that the press put out and the rest of the world wrongly connects to the majority of our fans. If anything, it’s nice to contemplate that should we come home without the trophy, the malaise and frustration that normally swamps the courage should at least be in shorter supply.