England National Side is becoming Laughable; and here is why...

Most people who follow Fabio Capello's England National Team are becoming used to the 'drama' over the Captaincy, New Recruits, the Management and the frequently lifeless performances we have become accustomed to. What is it at the moment that is making the England set-up almost cringeworthy to follow and love?

England's performance against Wales was a decent one, certainly in the first 15 minutes. Darren Bent and Ashley Young drew praise from the likes of Terry Venables, as did Scott Parker, whose long absence in the England set up was rightly ended with a decent performance. Whilst we as England fans can enjoy things that occasionally go well, all too often the Media and Fans alike are debating what is wrong with our National Team. None more so than the recent Captaincy debacle and perhaps the need for new Management BEFORE the next major tournament.

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With so many talking points in the Barclays Premier League and on the International Scene, is their something that you would like to read about, or even share your opinions on?

International Games are a topic we can all discuss!

Leave a Comment on this article with your ideas and topics!

Whether it is the Title Run in, the Battle for Europe, Relegation Fight or an issue at your Club, leave your ideas and I will come back with something enjoyable to read! I am also looking in to publishing some Championship-based articles, so your ideas are valuable to me!

Many Thanks

DH


P.S. To comment, simply type your comment and in the drop-down menu select 'Name/URL'. That is all you need to do!

Liverpool v Utd, Wolves v Spurs...We have to see Video Technology in the Premier League!

Whether you like Nani or not, he was certainly the victim of a disgusting Jamie Carragher challenge. Photo: Metro.

I was watching Match of the Day last night and seeing two hotly contested games; Liverpool v Man Utd and Wolves v Tottenham. If you follow either of these teams, you will know that the games yesterday each consisted of some debatable incidents that have left groups of fans seething! I aim to discuss the incidents from BOTH GAMES and decide how Video Technology could have played a part in each.

Aston Villa Fans Left Understandably Fuming at Gerard Houllier

In a week that Aston Villa bowed out of The FA Cup for yet another season; Villa fans are left wondering why the experienced Gerard Houllier devalued the competition by naming such an under-strength side. Villa travelled to Man City and were on the receiving end of a 3-0 beating on Wednesday night, so what was going through Houllier's mind when he named that team? I intend to assess Wednesday nights events in relation to the remainder of another season without silverware for Aston Villa. 

Villa 'Reserves' were truly crushed at Eastlands. Photo: Metro

Cracks Continue to Show At Arsenal. What Must Arsene Wenger Do?

Those of you who watched yesterdays Carling Cup Final between Arsenal and Birmingham will have at times been stunned at the state of Arsenal's defensive prowess (or lack of). A lot has been said in the media about the result and how it came about. I would like to initially focus on what Birmingham did well during the match, as I think this has not been recognised as much as it should. The focus however will be on what The Gunners are lacking  at this stage and the effect it may have on the remainder of their season. 

Arsenal players dejected after a catastrophic defensive display. Photo: Tom Jenkins, Guardian

Alex McLeish should be credited for an astute tactical set up against an Arsenal side still yearning for silverware. a 4-5-1 set-up ensured a packed midfield who's tireless work ethic paid dividends. The 6ft7in Nikola Zigic was the lone Striker and was clearly the main target for almost every forward pass that Birmingham played, including almost every kick that Ben Foster put up field.  McLeish will have known that Arsenal's suspect back-four would struggle to cope with Zigic; and so it proved when the Serb headed Birmingham into the lead.

Ferguson Says "Nothing In It" As Rooney Loses His Cool Once Again

Rooney was lucky to get away with a blatant elbow. Photo: Telegraph

Another Man Utd game passes and despite a resounding 4-0 crushing of Wigan, what I took from the game was that Wayne Rooney continues to behave like a thug on the football field. An off the ball incident is again the talking point; one that needs little discussion when you see it! Why is it that Wayne Rooney (given his almost dyer performances earlier in the season) continues to act like a angry little juvenile when he knows there are 20 camera's focusing on him for 90 minutes?

Dalglish's Tactical Set Up Ensured a Torrid Start For Torres

Torres had 29 touches of the ball in 66 minutes, showing how he was deprived of the ball against his old employers. Photo: Guardian

An astute piece of tactical prowess from Kenny Dalglish ensured that new £50m signing Fernando Torres endured a debut to forget for Chelsea. Given all the hype of the fourth most expensive player purchase of all time, it was Liverpool who went to Stamford Bridge and spoiled the party with a 1-0 victory. I intend to focus on exactly how Kenny Dalglish won the war of tactics against his counterpart Carlo Ancellotti.

Are Liverpool Fans Mad To Even Consider Champions League Football Next Season?

Suarez made an encouraging start in front of the Anfield faithful. Photo: Liverpoolfc.tv

Listening to talkSPORT last night highlighted to me how the spirits and musings of football fans in the modern day can be so radically altered with a few good results. A Liverpool fan phoned in to discuss the chances of Liverpool catching a Champions League place this season, which even a month ago would seem utterly absurd! Are you a Liverpool fan, and if so what do you think? Are you an outsider looking in and seeing that this particular fan was utterly deluded? Here is my analysis of such a prediction…

It is only a matter of weeks since Premier League football fans were discussing the rut that Liverpool were very much stuck in and how they may be close to becoming relegation candidates! Whilst I never at any point felt they would remain at the wrong end of the table for very long, things showed few signs of getting better.

Drop Wayne Rooney! Man Utd must use hotshot Hernandez from the start of a match.

What does Javier Hernandez have to do to earn a start at Man Utd. Photo: BBC Sport

I am an admirer of the football Man Utd can at times play. Tonights stubborn performance against Blackpool saw United take a smash and grab three points with a 3-2 victory. Whilst it irritates some football fans that United refuse to be beaten, I for one see it as a magnificent testament to what they are all about as a footballing side. One thing however is bewildering me...Why is Wayne Rooney not sat on the bench for Man Utd?

I do not want to go on about the sparkling career that Wayne Rooney has had, nor the threat he still poses as a player on the field of play. Javier Hernandez has scored on 7 occasions this season, most of which have come from a cameo appearance towards the end of games; opitimised by the fact he has seen only 753 minutes of football this season. On the other side of the coin, Wayne Rooney has played over 1000 minutes of football this season, scoring only twice.

How Has Darren Bent's Goal Changed Aston Villa and Man City's Seasons?

Darren Bent's tireless performance saw him score on his Aston Villa debut. Photo:BBC Sport

Darren Bent scoring on his Aston Villa debut was never in doubt, but has the £24m Striker's goal buried Man City's title hopes in this Premier League campaign? It seemed fitting that Villa's record purchase won the game despite only touching the ball 27 times in 94 minutes; demonstrating what he does best with so few touches of the ball. Brian Kidd summarised Man City's performance as "lackluster", suggesting they will bounce back from the defeat. Whilst I do not disagree with Kidd's comments, I do think the title hopes that certainly were existent are now all but gone for Man City. As for Villa, the Man City win should provide them with a solid basis upon which to turn their season around.

Darren Bent at Aston Villa…Fantastic! However, why was Martin O’Neill not given £18m for a Striker?

Darren Bent’s impending move to Aston Villa this afternoon has filled me with excitement. As a Aston Villa fan, I have been begging for the club to sign a striker with a proven record of scoring goals in the Premier League. If this transfer was to go through we would certainly be getting a Striker with an excellent track receord. TalkSport presenter and ex-Villain Stan Collymore however seems to be against the move, suggesting that the transfer is an act of desperation from Villa. So, why is Randy Lerner spending a reported £18m (rising to £24m) on Bent when he did not appear to show the such faith in Martin O'Neill?

Darren Bent has proven he is a class act in the Premier League. Photo: Guardian

Statistically Gareth Bale has been no better than Theo Walcott in this seasons Premier League, so what is it that Walcott lacks as a player?

Theo Walcott is quite simply the Marmite Man of the Premier League! 50% of football fans think he has quality attributes, whilst 50% see him as nothing more than a player who has a decent turn of pace. If you’re an Arsenal fan, you may agree when I say that Theo Walcott strikes me as an incredibly talented player lacking in self-belief. As you will also read later in the article, Walcott compares very similarly to Gareth Bale this season, but with one fundamental difference…

Walcott is an excellent player yet to realise his full potential. Photo: TeamTalk

Edin Dzeko's Arrival At Man City Must Spell The End For Their Expensive Mistake

Adebayor's stamp on Robin Van Persie showed exactly what he has to offer Man City...nothing. Photo: Evening Standard

Emmanuel Adebayor is one of those players who has been consistent, in that he has never reached his full potential; and never will. Football fans and the media alike have used a whole list of expletives to describe the player. The highly rated goal-machine Edin Dzeko has now arrived at Eastlands; a move which has surely put the final nail in Adebayor's coffin (at least in the Premier League).

Edin Dzeko...The Missing Link in an Ambitious Man City Side

Edin Dzeko could be just what Man City are looking for. Photo: caughtoffside

If we are to believe recent reports, Edin Dzeko will be a Man City player within 24 hours in a deal worth around £27m; but what will he bring to Man City in a bid to try and reignite the perhaps fading title hopes? Despite rumors of David Suarez heading to Man Utd, I am more excited about the far more likely transfer on the other side of Manchester. I for one have not written Man City out of this season's title race; and I think that Edin Dzeko could be the solution to what Man City are lacking.

Can Man Utd Improve Away From Home To Fend Off Man City's Title Charge?

We are now approaching 2011 and the midpoint of the Premier League season. The season to date has seen some very interesting results, but where is the Premier League title going to end up? Man Utd's sheer resilience and ability to not be beaten sees them at the peak of what I consider to be the most hotly contested Premier League title since it began. The blue half of Manchester will be buoyed by the fact that they are sitting on level points with United; despite United having two games in hand at this stage. So, if we are to believe the words of Man City's First Team Coach Brian Kidd then the title is Man Utd's to be lost, but where could it be lost?

United have gone about their business almost quietly this season. Whilst the focus of many articles in the media and blogs alike has focused on Chelsea's faltering form, or Arsenal's evident inconsistency or on the crisis at Liverpool, few have focused on the fact that Man Utd remain unbeaten going into 2011!

Man Utd have been a formidable force at home this season. Photo: Zimbio.

Aston Villa - Tough Times Lie Ahead As Houllier Loses The Fans

Following the scenes at Anfield on Monday night, Aston Villa manager Gerard Houllier is not a popular figure amongst the Villa faithful. His widely reported comments following Villa's 3-0 loss to Liverpool were a final kick in the teeth to fans who have been given nothing to cheer about recently. Houllier's job has now been made a great deal harder. Not only does he need to somehow haul Aston Villa from the wrong end of the Premier League table; he must now tackle scathing Villa fans who feel his loyalties in some ways remain on Merseyside. 

Houllier was welcomes back by the Anfield faithful, but quickly dismissed by angry Villa fans. Photo: AFP

Toon Soon? - Newcastle Chairman Mike Ashley Sacks Chris Hughton

This afternoon it took an announcement on Radio 5-Live to realise that the game we so rightly love is becoming stranger and stranger by the day. This afternoons news that Chris Hughton has been sacked as Newcastle manager is bewildering to me. I intend to focus on the reasons behind the sacking and what lies in store forthe club for the remainder of the season. I’d also welcome the opinions of Newcastle fans and football fans alike on the fickle nature of the business these days.

Let’s focus simply on facts to begin with. Newcastle United lie 11th in the Premier League table this afternoon, having taken 19 points from their opening 16 games. The club lie 5th in the ‘Goals Scored’ table, with 24 goals. They have conceded 25 goals in 16 games so far this season, which is 7th best in the Premier League. Perhaps crucially the club lie 17th in the Form Guide (based on the last 6 games). This is for me the reason why Chris Hughton has lost his job this afternoon. Form is an unbelievably powerful tool by which to judge the success of a Manager in football. Whilst some may argue that this is entirely accurate, others would suggest that their are many more factors by which to determine success.

Chris Hughton will no doubt feel bitterly disappointed at the sacking. Photo: NUFC.co.uk.

Arsenal - Superb Samir Nasri Covers Up Arsenal's Frailties For Now

Last week I posted an article focusing on how Arsenal may suffer in the absence of Cesc Fabregas. Today's 2-1 victory over Fulham has not changed my mind on Arsenal completely, however I feel compelled to write an article focusing on where Arsenal are getting it right; and where they are still lacking in my opinion. I would welcome the opinions of Arsenal fans and football fans alike in determining how the clubs' fortunes may pan out over the remainder of the season.

Samir Nasri has been in scintillating form this term. Photo: Daily Telegraph Online.

Hardest Football Players...Do Any Exist In The Premier League These Days?

It is an age-old debate that is still discussed amongst many football fans. Who is the hardest player in the Premier League? Whilst I realise the article topic is a little diluted, I do think it is worth talking about; if simply for entertainment value. I also value the thoughts of football fans who may enlighten me on how a player is judged to be 'HARD' these days. I intend to focus on the Premier League's hardest players from my era (90's, 00's) and decide if the cliché is a thing of the past. I would also appreciate some feedback on hardest football players from back in the day (circa 60's and 70's) and how these players have been given such a prestigious label!

Was Duncan Ferguson the hardest player ever to grace the Premier League? Photo: Daily Mail.

Arsenal - Could Fabregas Absence Damage Arsenal's Season Further? Can Spurs Capitlaise?

Arsenal fans will undoubtedly agree with me when I say that Cesc Fabregas is one of the greatest Midfield talents the Premier League will see. A domineering Midfielder so comfortable on the ball he can make an experienced crop of Midfielder's look shabby. I think Fabregas is what really makes Arsenal tick, which is why I believe his reoccurring hamstring injury could prove very costly for Arsenal this season. Tottenham fans will be licking their lips when they see big names like Fabregas forced to watch from the sidelines because I feel Arsenal are the only team to stop Spurs breaking into this season's top three.

Will the Fabregas injury continue to stop Arsenal getting into their rhythm? Photo: Football News.