A New Era Beckons

I am writing this about 7 hours before England Kick off against Switzerland in what could have been a meaningless friendly but has now turned into the beginning of a new era.
I don’t believe half the stuff that’s printed in the papers, most of the time its broad speculation but the things that are coming out regarding Fabio Capello and his hard line stance can only be commended.
There was no way David Beckham could have been picked for his 100th cap, when was the last time he actually played a full 90minutes in a competitive match, there is no room for sentimentally in international football.
The banning of mobile phones and the discipline involving everyone eating at the same time can only be the correct way to go, some of England’s pampered stars definitely need a kick up the backside and Capello is the man to do it.
I genuinely believe England have a winner in charge now and we will see a serious improvement on the pitch whoever lines up.
We have a goalkeeper problem that needs resolving and we are possibly a goalscorer in the mould of shearer or lineker short but we look solid in other departments and have some genuinely talented players.
It’s going to be hard to swallow come June time when the European championships are on but 2010 will be here before you know it and we will be ready.

Keegan confirms Dennis Wise as his Number 2

Couldn't resist, sorry.

KEVIN KEEGAN WASTES NO TIME AT NEWCASTLE AND MAKES HIS FIRST SIGNING IN SHAUN WRIGHT PHILLIPS

Well, I thought it was funny.

Coals To Newcastle

Who in their right mind is going to accept the Newcastle hot seat now that Big Sam has been found out.

Harry Redknapp is probably one of the most streetwise managers in the game and it looks like he has turned it down, Mark Hughes is currently been touted as favourite at the time of writing but how long would he be given to turn a mediocre squad into a successful trophy winning side.

Newcastle are almost certainly the most unsuccessful "biggest" club in the world, they have absolutely no history or pedigree and yet their fans demand success.

Success for the Geordie's is at best a top six finish, they were spoilt a little bit when Keegan was in charge and they came so so close to a Premiership title but their star has waned and their squad is currently full of has-beens and unsuccessful foreign imports.

Newcastle need a clear out and a change of direction, they need a revolution and who would be the men for the job, it has to be the dream team pairing of Keegan and Shearer, no-one else could light the blue touch paper better than these two and any other appointment would just be regarded as second best.

Fantasy Football Update: Black Christmas

Everything was going so well in the fantasy football in early December, highest position ever (1499), way out in front of everyone else in the work league and most of my players doing the business.

The Christmas period was nothing short of calamitous, my obsession with having a Chelsea defender in my team resulted in first Ben-Haim not getting picked and contributing -3 points overall before I replaced him with that most cultured of defenders Ricardo Carvalho who contrived to play in a 4-4 draw before getting himself sent off for the type of lunge Bruce Lee would have been proud of, a fantastic -11 points in one game.

Not withstanding all that, Nicklas Bendtner got himself sent off for Arsenal earning me more minus points.

So I enter the new year down in the low 3000s and a few points behind the current leader.A long way to go yet, the old cliche comes to the fore, its a marathon, not a sprint.