I remember seeing Ian Wright doing a trail for the new series of the utterly pointless and puerile Gladiators in which he claimed it would be the TV event of the year. How wrong he was. Actually, he was wrong well before today on Centre Court but that's another story. Don't get me started about the spangly powder puff big cotton bud TV show he presents. Pathetic, worthless and immensely sad and an insult to the word 'garbage'.

Anyway... Andy Murray vs Richard Gasquet. Phenomonal and a true match of two halves. Lucky for Murray, only the second half counts. At two sets to love down, Murray was broken to trail 4-5. Gasquet came out to serve for the match. Murray had to break to survive. Something he had shown no signs of doing previously. When it really mattered, he did it. To 15 as well. It wasn't even close. that remarkable achievement could have been all for nought but that Murray then went on to force a tie break and win it with an astonishing shot from way, wayt out on his left hand side. Queue the roaring and shouting that would have had the English quailing had he been in a Mel Gibson film of a few years back.

We were then treated to two sets of powerful, skilful and relentless match play tennis from Murray in which the crowd were key and to which Gasquet had no answer. A more mature Murray seized the moment when he saw his opponent lose a little belief and he was utterly merciless. I'm not going to go in to boring detail about his array of shots and all that. Nor his fist pumping and magnificent exuberance. It was a joy to watch. Exciting, entertaining and requiring no lame attempts at looking tough into camera one.

What I want to say is this. Here we have a young British player (and I've heard all the moronic whining from English people refusing to support him because he said he wanted England to lose at football. Grow up. He has.) with the talent to match his belief. I remember saying he'd be Number 1 by the time he was 21. Well, that won't happen because of an injury hit last year but he's heading high right now. He has an all-court game that will test the best. He has fitness, he has power and he has speed. And most of all, he knows he is a potential great and is not embarrassed about it. Hew really can reach the top and go one better than Henman in winning a Grand Slam.

Gasquet played his part in a fantastic match of tennis and will consider himself very unlucky to lose. But we have seen the emergence of something special today. Win or lose against Nadal on Wednesday (and it may be a match too far this time around) it makes no difference. The progress Murray has made in the last ten days speaks volumes. He is a growing presence on the world stage now and no one will want to face him. He's got that ethereal thing that all the finest players have... he's dangerous and you've never beaten him until you've shaken hands with the umpire.

What utter, utter bollocks.

Never mind that failure to qualify meant England could get shot of Maclaren, the fact is, as the tournament looms ever larger, the reality is starting to bite. We will not be there. Couldn't care less about the other home nations these days by the way. England aren't there and that renders the tournament dull and uninteresting. And there is no true England fan who would dispute that. I went to the World Cup Japan in 2002, to Euro 2004 in Portugal. And I'm upgrading to englandfans+ so I can go travelling again. All in the knowledge that abject failure is staring me in the face as it so often has...

Of course we wouldn't have won Euro 2008. Of course we'd have suffered penalty heartbreak. Of course we'd all have been put through the wringer as we got out of our group by the absolute skin of our teeth. This is what supporting England football is all about. And people are trying to say they won't miss it? Bull shit. I love that gut-wrenching agony. The nerves as kick off comes round and the spectre of depression looms just 90 minutes away. There's even a perverse part of me that enjoys the empty feeling after the inevitable quarter final elimination. The kindred spirits you see all about you with the long faces. The sad looking flags fluttering dispiritedly from the backs of cars from those who will not be bowed by defeat.

Who would not rather have all that to face than Lineker failing to get excited about Russia and Croatia playing teams we should have faced. Yes, we'd almost certainly under-achieve and darkness would grip the nation for a few days but always, always if you're in the tournament, there is a chance. And one day, my friends, one day...

And one of the most depressing about this sorry affair is that all the pundits I heard kept on saying. 'well, it was inevitable', shrugged their shoulders and started speculating about whether Ronaldo would go ro Real or not. Not a one mentioned that Grant's sacking is an absolute outrage with no basis in footballing terms whatever. Chelsea feel they have a divine right to win a trophy every season. They do not. What Grant did in his nine months in charge was take a team that was not his, get them to one domestic final, to the final day in the premiership with hope of winning it and to the final of the Champions League (something ego Jose failed to do), the blue riband event of European club football. This is a fantastic achievement and a more solid platform from which to win multiple trophies next season is difficult to build.

Yet he was sacked because of some mud. I note Arsenal won nothing this season. Wisely, they did not sack Wenger. And back in the days of Fergie's early tenure at Man Utd, they stuck with him when to sack him would not have been wholly unreasonable. It doesn't take a footballing genius, nor a statistician to work it out. Keep faith with a boss who is doing a good job and building for success and you will achieve success. Rocket science it ain't.

Sorry, Chelsea fans, but I hope your club has a dreadful, underperforming season next time round, I really do. Man Utd will be better than you. So will Arsenal and I hope both Liverpool and Everton nudge you aside too. How do you fancy the UEFA Cup in 2009/10? Perhaps you'll have to sweat on entry via the fair play league. So, no chance then.

But she has been unable to demonstrate her undeniable greatness on the most important stage of all. We can only hope that her assessment of her chances is more than a pipe-dream. With preparation time running out, pardon the pun, we are left fearing she will either be unable to be competitive or unable to run at all. I find it hard to believe she will still be at the top of her event when the games come to London in 2012 and that means Beijing is her last best chance of Olympic gold.

An athlete of her class needs these opportunities not to feel robbed at the end of their careers. And there will be a big hole in the centre of her trophy cabinet if she fails to make the games this year. My fingers are crossed. So should yours be.

Yes, I know it's dramatic and all that but it isn't football. There are no team tactics, and the only skill is in hitting a ball from 12 yards and hoping your standing foot doesn't slide. Because in the end, this final was settled by a patch of mud beneath the boot of John Terry during an artificial ending to an exhilarating match. Shouldn't be this way, if you ask me. John Terry was disconsolate, clearly blaming himself for losing the match. Wrongly. He had a great game but he is now forced to carry the can for events beyond the final whistle.

So what should we do? Well, fundamentally, the game needs to go on until someone scores. But of course, there has to be a conclusion in a reasonable time. So, some artificiality is necessary but it must retain the team ethic and skill of player and manager. Tactics should be evident right until the end. Now this is not a new idea, but at the start of extra time, each team should be reduced to ten men (red cards not withstanding). Every ten minutes, a further player is withdrawn. The decisions on who is withdrawn will win the match for one side or another. They are not arbitrary and they do not leave one man carrying the can for a spot kick failure. Football is played until the game is decided by that single golden goal.

I think what's key to this is that at the outset, every player knows that the game will be settled during play, not by a fairground sideshow. So there is no 'playing for penalties'. This forces endeavour during extra time. Results will come quickly. Defending will win you nothing.

So, debate away... what are the strengths and flaws of this? Can it work?

If true there can only be one conclusion, which is that the Thai bloke is a complete twat.

The defensive organisation should be studied for years to come. The sheer will not to conceed needs to be understood by psychologists and lectured to other football teams. And the raw energy, belief, heart, grit, determination and all the other words that mean 'precious little flair but plenty of basic football skill allied to desire' was uplifting, frankly.

I hadn't meant to watch this match but it became, as these games do, utterly compelling. And as the minutes ticked by, my desire not to see Rangers concede grew in concert. I love seeing sportspeople put themselves on the line. Really give absolutely everything in pursuit of their goal. I love it when genius is involved and I love it when strength of character is involved. And the bald fact was that Rangers did not want to concede more than Fiorentina wanted to score.

Thence to penalties and the lottery that this is. It was the level playing field Smith had been after. And despite Ferguson's early miss, there was always the knowledge that somehow, Rangers would prevail. And so they did. The Rangers keeper, Alexander (an ex-Ipswich man, by the way whom our Manager, Jim Magilton let go with his blessing to play on a bigger stage though under no pressure to sell) pulled off the one vital save and put enough pressure on Vieri for the once great man to miss over the bar. Nacho Novo finished the job with a coolly taken winning kick.

There may not have been guile and beauty in Rangers' victory but there were the mechanics of an astute plan deployed to perfection. And actually, who's to say that there is no beauty in that?

Well done, Rangers. Well done indeed.

And perhaps as worrying are the rumblings that Avram Grant might be removed from the Chelsea helm if he doesn't win the Champions League. WHAT?? I despair. Into the last two games Chelsea are still in the Premiership race. He made the Carling Cup final and is in the final of the Champs league. How can this not be good enough for a man in his first season in charge? Dear God, save us from stupid club owners. Have neither of these people looked at why it is the Man Utd and Arsenal are so consistently successful? And why it is that Aston Villa are making quietly impressive progress?

It worries me because some are treating clubs like personal play things. Meddling in matters they plainly don't understand and displaying childish impatience that makes them unfit to be owners of our biggest clubs. As more and more clubs are sold to the super rich the problem will only get worse. And what no one wants to think about is what happens when these children tire of their toys and look for something newer and shinier to play with...

If any other player decides to get involved, they should be booked. If they persist, they should be sent off (under current rules there is no sin bin and this is another place where a sin bin would be perfect, by the way). You could throw in this as an extra deterrent. If another player from the offending team joins in, the ball moves forward ten yards. If a player from the oppo gets involved, the decision is immediately reversed.

That's it. No more surrounding the ref brandishing imaginery cards. No more intimidation of the official. Let him do his job and he will do it better than he does now.

Great scott, how much simpler can it be? Is there anyone out there who doesn't understand this?

Let's get one thing straight. All these 'supporters' in far flung countries are really nothing of the kind (ex-pats excepted). They are armchair footie-watchers who buy shirts and put up posters of the better-looking players on their walls. They do not understand the culture that underpins English league football. They have no idea what it means for a proud Geordie to be a Newcastle fan and to watch his or her team at St. James's Park. They know nothing of the joy and pain of being a lifelong fan of your home team. And they never will.

On another tack, I'm trying to work out if these matches could be played at any other time than in a mid-season break. I don't think so. This is the mid-season break that is needed (so we are told) because it would reduce the number of injuries suffered in the latter months of the season due to the attritional nature of weekly football. Someone needs to tell me how these injuries would be helped by transatlantic flights, a game in God knows what climatic and pitch conditions, appearances, jet lag, acclimatisation training etc.

This is a plan that cares not about the players. It cares not about the home supporters who remain the lifeblood of every club. And it cares not about the essential fairness that MUST underpin a league championship. Look. In a league, every team plays each other home and away. This is fair and equitable. How can having another random round of games meaning you play one club three times be anything else than a mortal blow to the very basic ethic of league football?

It is simply a moronic idea that has the making of money as its only goal. Richard Scudamore would like you to think there is an element of missionary work involved... taking the great game to the provinces and all that. Bollocks. This is more like a crusade, looking to crush other countries' professional leagues under its steel shod boots. If the Premier League really wants to make money overseas, far better to suport the construction of properly supported pro leagues in places where beamed in TV from Europe makes them struggle so badly. Feeder clubs, places to loan your players, places to find new players for your team. All these can be achieved to the long-term benefit of our league. But it'll take a bit of altruism to achieve. And I suspect that is a word Scudamore would have to look up. Idiot.

Whether he succeeds (and I hope he does) or fails, football lovers are in for some terrific times on and off the pitch. Keegan the manager will turn Newcastle into a dynamic footballing force. I'm predicting St James's Park becoming a true fortress for them once again. And on the road, just bags of goals at either end. At every club he's managed, this is what we have seen to a large extent and I don't see his style changing. It must be wonderful to be a Newcastle fan right now. Expect excitement... and rightly so. Expect success... well, a tougher challenge but if he can attract the right players, why not?

Keegan the media face has always been gold dust. He carries his passion for the game and his job to every interview, to every dugout, and he is unafraid to express himself. Most of us will recall the shattering of his dreams in the 'I would love it if we beat them!' interview when he had been well and truly 'Fergied'. I doubt we'll see such an outburst again. But having watched his press conference this afternoon, and seen the determination and the humour shine through, er are set for some really precious moments.

Gawd love 'im, it's great to have him back.

1 - He has a phenomenal track record in club football. Proven to be able to win championships in extremely tough leagues like Spain and Italy.
2 - Not scared of players. If his reputation is true, we might actually see players willing to die for their shirt when they pull on the three lions. We won't see players shoe-horned into areas where they are not compfortable and we will play a recognisable system as a team. Hallelujah.
3 - Will not stand interference from the FA. This is a very good thing. He won't be a patsy or a puppet of the board. If they stick their noses in, he'll walk. We need a manager who will do it his way or not at all.
4 - He actually wants the job.
5 - But most importantly of all, and the reason he was the number one choice... his name is the greatest Christmas gift ever to the tabloid headline writers. Years and years of puns and plays on Fab and Cap and 'ello!'. They must be drooling with anticipation.

Reasons why we ought to be worried about this appointment:

1 - It has happened in a big rush. The root and branch investigation into English football's failings appears to have taken three weeks. And even if it is still ongoing, it will be shoved on to the back burner while the FA board cross their fingers and pray Capello delivers success on the field.
2 - It misses the point about the most successful England manager of recent times. Bobby Robson, that is. From small club on limited budget to England manager. The key skill of any national coach is to get the best out of the available talent. This is the same model operated by almost every club outside the top 4 in the premiership. A national manager cannot but in the big player. This is a test for a man like Capello. All very well having millions at Madrid. So we'll see ifa good CV really does make a good national manager.
3 - All England players will need to learn how to roll over six times following the briefest of contact with an opposition player, or failing that, a stiff blade of grass. Seriously though, I do fear an indulgence of play acting (worse than now...) when we really get to the bones of how to win football matches, Italian style.
4 - He knows nothing at all about English football or its players bar what he has seen on the telly. This was the same for Sven, of course. He didn't win us the world cup, did he?

Got to say I'm in favour of this move. I think Harry Redknapp would have made a fine choice too and his time will still come. But for now, this appointment will restore hope and that is exactly what English football needs just now.

It should be blindingly obvious to everyone that the reason there are so many foreign players in the Premiership is because they are BETTER THAN THE ENGLISH PLAYERS. Wake up. Our technical skills are woeful. Croatia gave us a lesson in how to play international football last night. Their players are not based in the Croatian league. They play in Holland, England, Italy... all over the place. If we really want English players in the Premiership in greater numbers, they have to prove themselves good enough. And cheap enough, for that matter.

It is clear that our coaching and schooling of young players is wrong at the most basic level. Youngsters should not play anything other than five a side until they are ten, or even older. Physical presence can be developed as a player grows into adolescence. What they need when they begin is to learn the abilities to trap, hold, pass, move, shield, press, control. I don't care how fast they can run or for how long. It is immaterial. I cringe with embarrassment too often seeing how 'lesser' countries are so comfortable on the ball. How easily they pass and move.

There is a reason why Owen Hargreaves is the best technical player in the England side. It is because he learned to play football in Germany.

You do the maths.

I'm too disappointed to say anything clever and incisive. Next summer is going to be a desert for England fans. And that will hurt.

It is traditional to call for the manager's head at times like this and Mac did have a slow start. But he's into his stride now and dumping him will not help anyone. And who will do a better job? Martin O'Neill. Well, possibly but does he want it? And it isnn't like Villa are challenging for the title. And don't anybody say 'well he doesn't have the players' because it is exactly that situation he will face with England. Jose Mourinho? Dear God, no. I do not want that strutting peacock in charge of my national side. Just because a man can win championships by spending piles of cash does not make him good international material. National managers have a limited pool of talent. You cannot buy in any more. Unless you're Irish and keen on geneaology perhaps. That's why Bobby Robson was such a good manager. He never had the money to spend at Ipswich and so had to know how to get the best out of the squad available to him. Think about it.

Anyone else? Errrm. Not a host of names are there? Hiddink is too old and cynical, Klinsmann is a German and Wenger doesn't even know that the English have football players of their own. A knee-jerk sacking only benefits the appetite of the press for blood. If they wanted him sacked, they should have shouted louder after the 0-0 against Macedonia at home. That was where this campaign went wrong. And if he goes and the 'best man' whoever he is, tells the FA to go forth, what then? Another bloody shambles.

Leave it be. Let him take on the next World Cup campaign and please, please, remember this. England aren't that great. Good on their day but no strength in depth and a confidence that is wafer thin.

Our pack won it, no secret there. But I have to say I don't think I've ever seen a more one-sided forward contest in international rugby. So dominant were we by the end of the first half that, once we'd gone ahead in the second half (a half in which Australia scored no points at all.. and yes I know we scored zero against South Africa in 80 mins but it just shows how we are improving) I could not see the Aussies coming back to win. Our turnover ball was hugely impressive, our driving was solid and most of all, our scrum was awesome and more disciplined than I have seen from England in a long time. As soon as our pack had the ball, I could relax, knowing they would not give it away.

Seeing the looks on the Aussie pack's faces whenever a scrum was called is something I shall remember for a long time. It wasn't fear, exactly, but it was shock, confusion and hopelessness. And our forwards just rolled on over them every single time. Magnificent stuff. Simon Shaw has been given the nod in many quarters as Man of the Match but my pick would be Andrew Sheridan. A massive presence, dropping the right words in the right ears at the right times and masterminding our pack dominance. It might not have been pretty but it was incredibly effective and a show of force that others ought to be wary of.

France are next up and I see that we 'have no fear' of them. But I saw the France v All Blacks match too and any team who can grind down the All Blacks and then outscore them with relative comfort in the second half is a team to be respected mightily. Our biggest foes right now are over-confidence and the blight that is spilling the ball in the loose. Too much of that against France and we will come unstuck. They, like us, have improved beyond recognition since the opening games and they are at home. It promises to be a superb occasion. Get in front of your TVs and prepare to have your nerves shredded most finely.

He has always been an uncomplicated cricketer and in many respects a genuine throw back to what could be termed more relaxed times. Fitness was never at the top of his agenda. He fielded in the slips and was one of the safest pairs of hands you'll ever see. Running in the field was a rare enough sight. And when batting, he was a stranger to the quick single, preferring to deal in boundaries or gentle ones and twos if necessary. Mind you, after 16 years at the very top and scoring bucket loads of runs, why wouldn't he play the way he wants and not bow to modern pressures?

It sounds a bit like I'm having a go at him for being, well, a little large, and I'm not. I will always remember him striding to the wicket and praying that we could remove him early whe neven the best are vulnerable. Too often though, I have sat and watched the bitter-sweet sight of him scoring heavily against England. His grace at the wicket was a joy to watch. He kept it simple, always appeared to have time and his range of shots was unsurpassed. A magnificent batsman. One, unless you are Pakistani, that you are delighted to see the back of. And that is perhaps the biggest compliment you can give him.

He'll be missed on the international stage but one hopes he stays on to coach the new generation. The game can always do with more Inzys.

Witness the Rugby World Cup. As much fire and passion (in most games anyway but that's another story) yet any decision that is questioned is not done so by 15 men clustering round the ref and shouting. It is done by the captain, on his own and is hence sorted out very quickly and respectfully. Only once have I seen another player question a reffing decision. A Georgian prop was about to make a noise but the ref, perhaps half his size, merely put a finger to his lips and shook his head. Problem solved.

I pray this pilot works. One of the central blights of football the world over is the normally unfounded screeching injustice of players when they believe a decision has gone against them. Ally this to the sin bin and wave good-bye to foul-mouthed abuse from Old Trafford to Hackney Marshes. Say hello to better referees too. This has no downside, only goodness.

A great man, a great British sportsman and a great ambassador for tennis. Knight him immediately.

Sport is a wonderful and cruel thing. When South Africa restricted (if that is the right word) India to 153, they clearly assumed that ambling out and batting would do the job. However, the Indian bowling attack was, barring Sreesanth, quite superb. RP Singh and my favourite angry off-spinner, Harbajhan Singh bowled beautifully. Even without the injured Dhoni behind the stumps, two wafting SA batters were stumped. And the fielding backed them up too, not often you can say that about India. On the SA bench, the dawning realisation that they were first, under prssure and later, about to go out, was a joy to watch. That's where square-jawed, gum chewing, chippy chat gets you, Graham Smith. Absolutely nowhere.

So, I snigger at the host's exit while very much looking forward to two excellent semi finals... Pakistan, India, Australia, New Zealand. Impossible to choose a winner and that is the great thing about 20/20. Played hard and focused (England take note) 20/20 matches can go either way and it is a game in which a single over can turn a match. Great entertainment.

More of a shock is the extraordinary coverage. Top headline on FiveLive and BBC Breakfast TV, the subject of the FiveLive phone in as well and no doubt there is blanket coverage on many sports websites, radio and TV stations. I daren't turn on Sky Sports News. He has had the British media in thrall ever since he turned up. They drool at the prospect of a Jose comment and can find no wrong in him despite his often daft comments. Who will win the adulation now?

While I have some sympathy for the way Jose was treated in the last few months... having a director of football put in place, forced into playing has-been strikers etc, I will not miss him at all and rather hope he disappears off to manage in Italy (where he says he would like to go), Spain or, oh I don't know, Luxembourg.

Admittedly, he was good fun in the beginning. Charming and disarming in his honesty. But it changed pretty rapidly and rather than the smile, we got the scowls and the tirades. Sure, he was under pressure but, hey, £5 million a year means you need to be able to handle it. And I don't think he could. Ever blind to the crimes of his own players, he had the sharpest of eyes for offences committed against them sixty yards away and even resorted to a parody of Sir Alex, showing the fourth official his portable TV for a replay of a disallowed goal last weekend. He never understood about balance in football. Never understood that Chelsea could actually lose games or that officials could make mistakes. I got very bored of hearing how unfair it always was. How his team were singled out for bad treatment. But you know what, Jose? You needed to rise above that. You needed to be aware you had a very talented squad who shouldn't have cared if one goal was disallowed because you'd already scored four or were going to during the 90 minutes.

We hear a great deal about what a brilliant manager he is. And his record is pretty damn good. But at the very top, if you're told that you will be measured on winning the Champions League and you fail to do so, you can have few complaints if you are shown the door, or find it so AWFULLY hard that you have to take your leave. Whatever. Takes your money, pays your price.

For Chelsea, though, there are serious implications. If what we hear about interference is all true, then any other manager will be little more than a figurehead and that is the way to mediocrity. So, the door is clearly open for Graham Rix...

Although they were helped by some diabolical goalkeeping and a stunning bullet header own goal, England have laid a marker for the rest of the tournament. Kelly Smith is an accomplished and seriously deadly striker and our midfield packed with hard tackling and good passing. We look dangerous down the flanks and through the middle and our defence appears sound against anything barring free kicks. What will have encouraged England so far is a hard fought clean sheet against a very strong German side, a good battle against a decent Japanese team (unlucky to concede the draw with the last kick of the match) and a confident demolition of a poor Argentinian team.

I've enjoyed the tournament so far. I've only watched bits and pieces of England matches but, having been a cynic of women's football, I have to hold my hand up and admit that on this evidence, the chortling behind my hand at the mere mention was wrong. Skill, passion, energy, pace and a high level of excitement. Everything you want from any game of football, frankly. And what you don't get are volleys of abuse, arguing every decision, surrounding the ref, play acting (well, not much) and utter cheating. You should watch a match if you can. You might be in for a very pleasant surprise.

Still, neither total we faced was huge. But what we haven't learned is that the loss of a couple of wickets means little. NZ went from 34-4 to 163-8 with a little patience linked to well-picked big six hitting. By contrast, having gone serenely to 60 odd without loss, England lost their heads yet again, losing wickets to stupid shots (KP... trying to reverse sweep perhaps THE cleverest spin bowler in world cricket and getting bowled through his legs) and comical run outs.

So what lessons can be learned from this poor display? Well, that Atherton was right (sorry, Athers). Domestic 20/20 specialists do not necessarily make good on the international stage. Luke Wright is a great talent but young and naive. Chris Schofield looked lost as soon as the pressure was on his bowling. Maddy scored runs today but has had a very average tournament besides. So. Pick your best batters and bowlers and ask them to do what they do best in every form of the game. Don't get cute with your shots. Straight hitting brings runs. Funky pick ups over fine leg and reverse sweeps only work half the time. Don't play across the line of straight deliveries. When you've been hit for six, perhaps don't bowl the same ball in the same spot. Oh... just like normal cricket then.

Ah ha.

The pair bossed the midfield to such an extent that the Russians had no answer in the first half and either played on the break or down the flanks in the second. This limiting of their attacking options made our back four's job pretty easy. Even when they did threaten, what was really pleasing was the way one of Barry and Gerrard was there to break up the play and bring the ball clear. The link between back four and midfield was solid and meant that we were very seldom reduced to thumping the ball upfield to relieve pressure and hence immediately surrender possession.

In an earlier blog, I said we should play Barry on the left. OK, got that one wrong. He is a revalation to me in central midfield. Barely putting a pass astray, playing simply, enabling our strikers to cause heaps of trouble and of course, laying on Owen's first goal. I sincerely hope that McClaren resists the temptation to include his 'star' players merely because they are fit. I'm talking about Lampard in particular who ought to be set for a good long spell on the bench as Gerrard's understudy while Carrick, if he ever makes the team again, should be subbing for Barry.

It is interesting that in a game where neither Cole nor Wright-Phillips sparkled all that much, we were able to make a mess of a previously solid Russian defence (one goal conceded all group before Weds night) because our centre pairing could take the strain and maintain the required pressure. There is hope for this England team yet, and therefore hope for McClaren. But only if he pays attention to what is right in front of his face.

As for Rooney. Does he come back for Heskey? You know, that's actually a tough one. Yes, if he will play in a defined role as support striker for Owen (because that is why Owen has looked so dangerous in the last two games). But brilliant though he is, he is prey to selfishness and over confidence and that leads to wasted chances. This is not about pandering to egos or having any player with a divine right to play. This is about England winning football matches, and in some style. Nothing else matters.

As a fan, wishing to see all three matches and not being omnipresent was a problem. All three ought to have clashed at around 5pm. And because they did not, performance of the day has to go to England's cricketers. Beating India in the decider of a seven match series was a terrific achievement. it really does look like brighter days are ahead for our one day side. We outplayed India throughout the day and won deservedly by seven wickets with 12 odd overs to spare. That is a resounding win against very good opposition. Great to see Freddy back but I worry about his long term fitness. Great to see KP score runs and keep concentration under pressure. And great to see Luke Wright opening the batting. I don't care that it didn't pay off this time. What the selectors did was make a brave decision based on form and that is the right way to go. Critically, the emphatic nature of the victory against a strong and passionate Indian team meant the game was done before 5pm... kick off time at Wembley and in France. Luvverly.

In second place, England's beleagured footballers. Too often we've scratched out results against crap opposition. This time, against a very average Israel side, we went at them for 90 minutes, scored three, could have scored six and came away with poitives in every department. Special mention to Gareth Barry who was excellent in the centre of midfield. To Shaun Wright-Phillips who just gets better and better. To Micah Richards who is a mountain in defence and a genuine threat coming forward. And Michael Owen who looked sharp and scored a lovely goal. As for Heskey, well actually, he played well, spent less time on his arse than usual and gave the forward line balance. Oh, and Joe Cole. Great player, end of story. If I was the England coach, who cares who else is fit for Wednesday against Russia, you have to start with the same 11. Anything else is a betrayal of all the work, energy and belief. As for speculation making this the end of Beckham's international career, well I doubt it. If SWP isn't fit or doesn't perform, who else would you play? Serious answers only.

Which leaves England's rugby players. I saw bits and pieces of this match and it was a turgid affair. The US were all muscle and no style and England tried to be fancy and dropped the ball a lot. Yes, we won 28-10 but scored no bonus points while other sides playing the weaker teams in their groups have run up big scores. In the end, the win was everything, of course, but the manner was very disappointing. All we had to do was stick to a single game plan (probabaly sucking players in to rucks and mauls before using our wing pace to score tries would have done it. It's simple after all) and we'd have scored 60 points. I just don't think we gave the US enough respect for being organised and tough tacklers. We tried terribly clever moves which are unnecessary against lesser opposition and screwed them all up, more or less. Must try harder. Or we'll get a sreous beating by South Africa next weekend.

Roll on Wednesday, the 20-20 World Cup and, sort of, the South African challenge.

From an Indian perspective there was much to be happy about Dinesh Khartik's replacement, Robin Uthappa, played a superb, if sometimes fortunate innings to close out the game. Zaheer Khan put down further evidence of why he is probably bowler of the tour on either side, and the wonderful Tendulkar and Ganguly set up the victory with an opening stand of 150 scored at almost seven an over.

From the England perspective, the future is surely bright. Luke Wright's fearless 50 got us back on track. Shah's maiden ODI century was a joy and Mascarenas' five consecutive sixes off the last five balls of the innings were breathtaking. But, and there are still big buts. I worry about Kevin Pietersen. He is a great batsman and looked as though he was returning to form with his 50 but he seems to lose concentration and focus at critical moments. For me he was responsible for both Collingwood's and his own run outs. Bad calls or ignoring calls, neither is pretty. And in the field, he cost us eight runs. Once with a lazy dive early on, which got ganguly going and later, letting a ball through his body at long on. In a close match, this is very costly.

Any of you who've read the previous entry know I went on about Indians chirping and abusing English batsmen. Well, tables turned this time. And the lesson today is, pick your target carefully. Chris Broad is a fine young player, a very promising bowler who could well turn into a genuine all-rounder. But yesterday, he chose to have a go at Suarav Ganguly in the midst of the Indian opener flaying the ball to all parts. This is dim. Not only will it cost him some of his match fee but it got Ganguly going, if he wasn't already. What Broad needed to take into account was that Ganguly has scored over 10,000 (count them) one day runs and is an exceptional batsman. So, after their exchange, Ganguly slapped a few more fours just to show Broad what he can do. Again, tight game, very expensive error if you ask me. So, Chris, when you're a bit miffed, make sure you pick on the guy on debut, not one of the more experienced of world ODI players.

I'm loving this series. Lords for the decider on Saturday and surely a must watch match. Never mind the football at 5pm. A bad time to change channels, what with the climax of the cricket at around that time. And anyway, we already know what happens in the first half at Wembley. Bright start by England, frustration sets in after 20 mins. 0-0 after 45 mins. Ray Wilkins on as second half substitute to pas the ball square. There you go.

I've got a couple of pieces of advice for the main culprits. First, Dinesh Karthik. One of the key elements of a man able to chirp and sledge is to be any good at all. I note your scores in this series so far have been, 44no, 1, 0 and 4. Pretty poor really. Yet you felt able to level a volley of abuse at Ian Bell. His scores, by comparison have been, 125no, 64, 79 and 24. Pretty bloody impressive. And at Pietersen too. He'll be one of the world's best one day batsmen and although he's had a quiet series, he has still amassed more runs than you. So. Get a decent run of scores, get a bit humble and respectful of players who are way better than you at the moment and avoid looking like a total pratt with zero credibility as a result.

Second, Zaheer Khan. You need to pick and choose when to do your long follow through and insulting comments. Doing it every ball makes you look like a petulant eight year old doing a poor parody. It becomes like punctuation and is dull and easy to ignore. Watch a quality bowler do it. Glen McGrath for instance. He mostly let the ball do the talking and when he came down the pitch to deal out a few well chosen words, that was the time to get really scared. And you're a good bowler too. No need for all the other crap all the time. And get a shave too. Scruff. Freddie, Gooch and Warny can carry it off, your chin ain't the right shape.

I also note generally that once things started to go a little astray, it went terribly quiet out there during the England innnings. The song beginning 'Sing when you're winning...' does tend to spring to mind. We all love to see aggression. But you're mistaking aggression for abuse and I'm afraid when you lose, like tonight, you just look stupid.

As regular reader will know, I don't go in for triumphalism on this blog. Very dangerous. But England are looking good at 3-1 up in the seven match series. That's right Zaheer and Dinesh. 3-1. To England. Chirp about that, why don't you? The game we lost was tight too. We've unearthed a sound opening bowling partnership and have batting right down to number nine. I just hope the development goes on and we manage to stick to a steady line-up.

That's better.

Let's not get too excited. This is a renaissance for Henman but it is not a lasting resurgence. He will retire and he is unlikely to get past the third round where he will most likely meet Rafael Nadal. That will be a match to savour nonetheless.

If there's one regret it is that watching Henman's demolition of Tursanov last night reminded me of how brilliant he can be but how he has too rarely strung that sort of form together in a Grand Slam. Play like he did last night for seven matches and you win the title. I don't think anyone believes he can do that but it shows us just what we will miss when he is gone.