More Metatarsal Misery

In a chilling sign of things to come, Michael Owen will be out for two to three months with the injury du jour for England internationals: a broken metatarsal. Owen broke his fifth metatarsal during Newcastle's 2-0 defeat at Tottenham on New Year's Eve. He should be back in action around March or April, but we fear this won't be the last time the words metatarsal, broken, fifth and bone are seen together before June.

Gary Neville broke the very same bone in 2002, as did Steven Gerrard in 2004, as did Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004, effectively ending England's challenge (especially after Vassell came on to replace him.)

David Beckham, always keen to be a little bit different (sarong, mohican etcetera), famously broke his second metatarsal shortly before the 2002 World Cup, and only made the tournament after Uri Geller summoned his awesome magical powers to heal the broken bone. Well 45eachway believed him.

But why is this injury so popular? Mark Lawrenson proposed an interesting theory while presenting the 606 phone in on Five Live:

"It's the boots." he said. "They're made of nothing these days."

Source: BBC

Ian Wright - Most Embarrassing Dad Ever

Remember when you were 13 and you weren't doing so well at school? You just wanted to keep your head down and not draw any attention to yourself. But your dad decided it would be much better to charge through the school gates and start yelling at your teacher, hoping to bully said teacher into giving you a better report. Remember how embarrassed you were?

Shaun Wright-Phillips doesn't have to remember, as this is exactly what his dad did over the Christmas holidays. Only instead of school it was the England football team and instead of a teacher it was Sven Goran-Eriksson. Speaking on his Granada Men & Motors Show (located somewhere in the bowels of Sky Digital) Wright Snr. had this to say about his favourite Swede:

"The man’s like a wet fish. He’s got as much passion as a f***ing tadpole. He’s useless. Speaking as an England fan, I say he’s not good enough to be managing the country. And if he doesn’t pick Shaun because of what I’m saying then he’s a bigger you-know-what than I thought he was. He’s corrupting all the women in the office at the FA. It seems what he’s doing is s****ing as many women as he can. If he put as much attention into the team as he does in the office, we might be doing a little bit better."

Poor Shaun. But his dad wasn't finished.

“For me, playing for England against other countries is like modern-day war. We are going to war against another country, going into their country and battling and you have to beat them. It’s a great feeling when you do that. But, as a country, I think we are being beaten too regularly. There’s something wrong. I would scratch a guy’s eye out for me and the team. That’s what fans want.”

Has your dad ever ruined your chances of representing England at the World Cup? Leave a comment and let us know.

Source: The Sun

Good News For Hooligans:

England have two thorns in their side; the infamous 'left sided problem' and the even more infamous hooligan problem. Ashley and Joe Cole are providing some answers down the left, while David Swift was having some success with the other problem.

As the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead officer on football, Swift was responsible for the recent rehabilitation of English fans. The days of fearful foreign barmen soiling their black slacks at the mere sight of a St. George were on the way out. Swift had developed good relations with the FA, the supporters' groups, and his overseas counterparts. After a promisingly peaceful Euro 2004, Swift had expected to be in charge for 2006, and was taking German lessons in preparation.

However, Swift has been promoted to the post of acting chief constable in Staffordshire, and will no longer be available to lead the way in Germany. The timing seems awful. After two World Wars and two semi-final penalty defeats Germany is the focal point of English xenophobia, and Swift's replacement now has less than six months to prepare. German barmen might want to invest in a spare pair of slacks.

Source: The Guardian

What do you think? Are England's days as a nation of meatheads finally over, or is Germany 2006 just an accident waiting to happen?

England Team Selector:

Think you can do Sven's job? Have a go (unpaid of course) with the BBC Team Selector.

45eachway was surprised to find its team didn't differ too much from the current bosses:

GK: Robinson
RB: Neville(G, obviously)
LB: Cole(A)
CB: Campball
CB: Terry
RM: Beckham
LM: Cole(J)
CM: Lampard
CM: Gerrard
CF: Rooney
CF: Owen

Please feel free to post your selections below in the comments section. Anyone caught selecting Owen Hargreaves gets a zero for the day.

Too Many Captains?

The England captaincy debate is back. The Daily Mirror report Tony Adams saying Beckham should pass the armband to John Terry if England are to have any chance in Germany. The Mirror's headline Terry in June is fantastic, but this is the same Tony Adams who repeatedly argued England should bench Wayne Rooney at Euro 2004.

Elsewhere, one of Frank Lampard's relatives is touting him as the next England captain. Harry Redknapp ('Uncle Harry' to Frank) told Sporting Life "I really think Frank should be the next captain of England because I think he's got something about him ... he's a real credit to his family."

It's not Frank's fault (we've all got crazy Uncles), and John Terry is fully behind Beckham , so there's no big conspiracy. Beckham has been captain of England for 5 years now, and will still be captain next June, no matter how clever the headline writers get, (or how proud it would make Uncle Harry.)

Don't get the "Terry in June" gag? This should make things a little clearer.

Swedish Continuity Shames England:



Lars Lagerback has extended his contract to coach Sweden until 2008, as the Swedish FA continues its smooth, sensible approach to hiring managers. Lagerback was Assistant Manager to Tommy Soderberg at the 1998 World Cup, then joint manager (again with Soderberg) at Euro 2000, the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. In 2004 Lagerback took sole charge of the team and mounted a successful World Cup 2006 qualification campaign.

Such successful tranquility contrasts favourably with England's Human Resources record over the same period:

(deep breath) Terry Venables was not offered a new contract despite reaching the semi-finals of Euro '96, then Glenn Hoddle was P45'd for his religous beliefs (and losing to Sweden) in 1999. Howard Wilkinson filled the void while the FA negotiated with the owner of Harrod's over Kevin Keegan's contract. Keegan took the job part-time in early 1999, then full-time in mid 1999, then had a meltdown at Wembley in late 2000. Peter Taylor filled the void while the FA considered their options/panicked again, eventually settling on Lagerbacks's compatriot Sven-Goran Eriksson in late 2000 even though he was busy coaching Lazio until mid 2001. Sven then negotiated a payrise so astronomical in early 2004 that the FA can't afford to sack him, even if he turned their headquarters into a house of ill repute, which he did in mid 2004.

45eachway bets the Swedish tabloid writers envy their English counterparts though.

Sources:
Sporting Life World Cup 2006 (for the story)
EnglandFootballOnline (for England manager stats)
BBC (for Sven timeline)

Bruce Backs Heskey:



Steve Bruce has grown tired of managing Birmingham City and decided to do Sven's job instead. Bruce says his striker Emile Heskey will make the World Cup squad as he "is a better centre-forward than Peter Crouch".

Crouch comes well above Heskey on Sven's "things to take to World Cup" list (which 45eachway imagines attached to Sven's fridge with some sort of novelty magnet) but Bruce is eager to make Heskey's case:

"Of his type, there is nobody better in the country than Emile. He was our player of the year last season and people realise when they play against him how difficult he is to handle. He is big, strong, quick, powerful and has a good touch"

Unfortunately, Emile has never looked the part at international level. He has the same problem that 45eachway has with the ladies; he's just too nice. He works hard and puts in plenty of groundwork, but never quite stands out. Despite his imposing physique Emile is reported to be gentle as a kitten, possibly a result of his slightly feminine name.

Steve Bruce meanwhile, should forget about Sven's job and concentrate on his own. Birmingham are currently third from bottom in the Premiership.

Source: The Guardian

Are Umbro Picking The England Team?



The Mirror carries a strange story today. It seems someone at Umbro has received assurances that David 'Calamity' James will definitely be in England's World Cup Squad. Umbro supply the England team kit but they also sponsor David James individually, giving them a vested interest in where he spends next summer.

The Mirror quote Umbro's senior vice-president Martin Prothero as saying "We have been led to believe David James will be in the squad. David has had his critics but he's very experienced."

A series of typically erratic displays at Euro 2004 saw James permanently lose the England No.1 shirt to the more reliable Paul Robinson. His most recent high profile blunders came in the 4-1 friendly debacle against Denmark, after which James told the press he "hadn't prepared properly" and hadn't expected to play. Many England fans quite happily never expected James to play again.

This begs two questions: are Umbro picking the England team? And would they pick Owen Hargreaves? The answers are no and no. James' place as one of the three goalkeepers is more to do with a lack of quality competition between the posts than any murky corporate influence. And Owen Hargreaves is sponsored by Puma.

Source: The Mirror

Crouch Stands Tall:



Peter Crouch has rediscovered his goalscoring touch. He scored two in Liverpool’s 3-0 FIFA Club World Championship Semi-Final win over Deportivo Saprissa to add to the one he scored against Wigan at the weekend.

Later the same day, the Premier League’s Dubious Goals Panel awarded him a second goal against Wigan, previously credited as an own goal by Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt (who will be relieved).

Depending on how you calculate such things the £7 million striker had gone either 22 games, 7 long months or (my favourite) 24 hours of solid football without scoring. The much maligned 6'7" forward has actually been playing quite well, but doubts were expressed about a goal-shy forward wearing an England shirt.

So lets lay off the big man for a while now. England will take at least one 'target man' to Germany, and we can all agree that we don't want it to be Emile Heskey or James Beattie.

Source: The Independent

FA Sticking With Umbro:





The FA has extended its deal with England kit suppliers Umbro until 2014. Don't know about you, but I think this is decent news. The current kit (modelled above by Beauty and the... sorry, by Rachel Unitt and John Terry) is not too shabby.

Jlloyd Samuel Still Wants To Face England:



Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel hasn't given up hope of playing for T&T against England at the World Cup. Samuel was born in Trinidad but has represented England at U-18 and U-21 levels. He was also in the full England squad for last years friendly against Spain, though he didn't make an appearance.

FIFA stipulate that after a player represents a nation at youth level, they can still switch nationalities if they do so before the age of 21. Samuel is 24, and FIFA rejected a request to allow Samuel to play on November 3rd 2005. However, the Trinidadian authorities have lodged an appeal and The Soca Warriors (Trinidad's excellent nickname) still hold out hope.

Samuel told the Aston Villa website "The appeal is still going through and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I do feel Trinidadian and the chance to appear for them on the biggest stage and play against England is mouthwatering."

Meanwhile, Trinidadian authorities have lodged similar appeals for Tottenham striker Bobby Zamora and Fulham goalkeeper Anthony Warner. These players desire for the big stage is understandable, but it remains to be seen whether the Socca Warriors who got the team to Germany in the first place will be so enthusiastic.

Sources: BBC, Soca Warriors

Sven Says Three Places Up For Grabs:



Sven Goran Eriksson has suggested there are only 3 places up for grabs in his World Cup squad. Speaking at the German Embassy he revealed, "I could pick at least 20 players now, then I have to start thinking harder." He also dropped some not so subtle hints as to who he has in mind for these final 3 places. Here's a rundown of the candidates he namechecked:

Jermaine Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur, forward, 23 years old)

• Caps /Goals: (15/1)
• Pros: Has pace to burn and is a clinical finisher, making him an ideal understudy to Michael Owen.
• Cons: As with Owen, it's been suggested he doesn't bring other players into the game. When Owen was suspended against Northern Ireland, Sven chose to play just one forward (Rooney) rather than start Defoe.
• Sven Says: "I was very happy to see Jermaine Defoe score the goal he did for Tottenham on Monday night."
• We Say: Some good Premiership form in the next 6 months and he'll be the 4th striker (behind Owen, Rooney and Crouch)

Kieran Richardson (Manchester United, left winger, 21)

• Caps / Goals: (4/2)
• Pros: Made an eye-catching debut against the USA last May when he scored 2 goals, including a Beckhamesque free-kick. Also one of the very few who can play wide left.
• Cons: Subsequent England appearances were not so distinguished. Also struggling to get regular games at Manchester United.
• Sven Says: "One of the leading under 21 players"
• We Say: If he gets some regular football (maybe on loan somewhere?) then could make the plane thanks to his left foot.
  

Wayne Bridge (Chelsea, left back, 25)

• Caps / Goals: (21/1)
• Pros: Was firmly established as second-choice left back (behind Ashley Cole) until a broken ankle in February 2005 put him out of action for 8 months.
• Cons: Asier Del Horno has taken Bridge's place in the all-conquering Chelsea side.
• Sven Says: "You look at Bridge and question how many games he will have for Chelsea."
• We Say: If he can prove his fitness, he'll be on the plane. Like Richardson, he may have to move in the January transfer window.

Jonathan Woodgate (Real Madrid, central defender, 25)

• Caps / Goals: (5/0)
• Pros: Real Madrid spent £13.4 million on Woodgate, making him a 'galactico'. He's great in the air and solid in the tackle. He's everything an international defender should be except...
• Cons: ...he's constantly on the treatment table. It was 18 injury plagued months before he made his debut for Madrid. Then when he finally played in September 2005 he scored an unlucky own goal. Some good from followed, but was cut short by another injury in November.
• Sven Says: "What will happen with him from now to the summer? There's plenty to think about."
• We Say: We feel for him, we really do. But the odds on him staying fit long enough to impress aren't good.

Sven also mentioned three uncapped players, saying "It's really up to them to convince me they should be in the final group. If they play even better than they are today, who knows?" The hopeful youngsters mentioned were:

Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur, midfielder, 18 years old)

• Pros: Quick and skillful. Has looked dangerous when he's played for Tottenham this year.
• Cons: Hasn't played regularly and has Completed 90 minutes just once so far this season.
• Sven Says "He's not too young"
• We Say: He probably is too young, and will have to do a lot between now and May to make the squad. With Tottenham's gigantic squad he might not get enough chances to impress.

Darren Bent (Charlton Athletic, forward, 21)

• Pros: Has scored 11 goals for Charlton this year, despite playing as a lone striker. Also has 8 goals in 12 U-21 appearances.
• Cons: He's the only striker in contention who has yet to make his senior England debut.
• Sven Says: "One of the leading Under 21 players"
• We Say: If Defoe (or any other striker) gets injured, then Bent could go. Needs to keep scoring in the Premiership and get some caps in friendly games.

Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham United, central midfielder, 21)

• Pros: The current Under-21 captain, and producing some mature, all-action, domineering displays for West Ham
• Cons: The sheer number of similar midfielders vying for Sven's attention (Michael Carrick, Scott Parker, Jermaine Jenas, Owen Hargreaves etcetera).
• Sven Says: "He's not too young."
• We Say: Deserves a chance, definitely more so than the likes of Hargreaves.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian