A comprehensive review of England's World Cup possibles and probables - Goalkeepers

Lo and behold, the greatest sporting event in the world is almost here. A world cup in Brazil fulfils all sorts of criteria and depressingly it will probably be the last truly enjoyable World Cup for a while. Without resorting to lazy national stereotypes, it is true that the majority of the tournament this summer will have a 'carnival' atmosphere, although the threat of protests, after some truly outstanding incompetence by the Brazilian authorities, will never be too far away. Regardless, I for one am immensely excited for it and so the next question is, how will England do?

Most people would say 'badly' as their answer, and they are perfectly entitled to do so after the draw gave us the very real scenario of not making it out the group. But still the debates rage on as to the 23 men representing us in South America, and Roy Hodgson will be praying no more key players succumb to injury like Theo Walcott did.

Given that the world and its wife has an opinion on who should be on the plane, I thought I would add my thoughts to the most talked about topics. Raheem Sterling or Andros Townsend? Ashley Cole or Luke Shaw? Wayne Rooney or Bobby Zamora? All these questions and more shall be answered, firstly with the keepers.

Goalkeepers

Joe Hart
Background: England's best keeper by a country mile, a supremely confident and agile shot stopper with a real presence between the posts. Communication and speed off the line are just two of the attributes where he ranks among the very best. Collects crosses badly, has average at best distribution and doesn't convince commanding his area at set pieces half of the time, but still our finest keeper since David Seaman.
England Form: It really doesn't matter. Honestly. Hart could chuck the ball in the Man City net 8 times per game for the rest of the season and still make it as first choice. And to be fair to him, he has recovered from his terrible 2012-2013 season to get back to near enough his peak.
Press Perception: One of the best keepers in the world. Occasionally a liability, either way, probably the member of the side who has the most confidence of making the team.
Average Fan Perception: The best we've got. Pretty good, considering.
Twitter Perception: HE DID AN ADVERT FOR HEAD AND SHOULDERS #LOL

Ben Foster
Background: A solid performer for West Brom, his self imposed exile from England duty seemingly ended as soon as his club boss was put in charge of the national team. His injury absence this season is seen as a key reason for the Baggies sub-par performances this season.
England Form: Non-existent. He's almost 31 and yet only has 6 caps to his name. Has only played once for the three lions since 2010- the second half in a friendly against Ireland. Suppose he doesn't have a Rob Green style moment at least.
Press Perception: The second choice, mainly because of Nepotism.
Average Fan Perception: Used to be at United, so half decent. Bit of a dick for 'Retiring'.
Twitter Perception: Doesn't nearly have enough #bantz.

Fraser Forster
Background: A 6ft 7in giant of the Celtic goal famous for some titanic performances in two consecutive seasons in the Champions League. Recently broke a clean sheets record. Remains unproven at the top level week in week out and is not the most agile of keepers. Roy doesn't get to see him that often.  His trump card over goalkeepers like Ruddy is that no one really checked his form week in week out.
England Form: Has only made one appearance so far in a 2-0 loss to Chile, too early to judge.
Press Perception: A great young keeper, proven at the highest level, why does he have so few caps?
Average Fan Perception: Plays in League Two for most of the year, then makes great saves from Messi and Iniesta, not quite sure what to think. Needs to play in The Greatest League In The World.
Twitter Perception: OMG look at this Vine of his great save from Neymar!!!!!!! #RESPECT


Jack Butland
Background: Precocious young keeper who leapt into the national consciousness as the third keeper for Euro 2012 after John Ruddy was forced to pull out of the original squad. Made his England debut before his Birmingham one, and his move to Stoke in January 2013 was seen as a good move. But Asmir Begovic surprisingly stayed, meaning Butland has had to be loaned out to get game time. Just turned 21.
England Form: Has played just the once for the Three Lions, the first half in a friendly win over Italy.
Press Perception: The long-term no.1.
Average Fan Perception: If he's that good, shouldn't he be doing better?
Twitter Perception: Why hasn't he signed for myyyy team?!?!

No one else has any chance of making the squad, so barely warrant a mention. Looking at you, John Ruddy.

After writing this, i'm starting to think this would be pretty boring to read. So for the other positions watch this space... or not.

Thanks for reading.

3rd test day two

SCOREBOARD: Australia 527-7 dec. (Clarke 189, Smith 89, Rogers 84, Haddin 65* Starc 66* Swann 5-159) England 52-2 (Cook 36*, Trott 2*, Siddle 2-7)

And so, on the second day of the third Test in Manchester, Australia once again proved that there could still be life in this Ashes series. The Aussies very much won the day, eventually declaring in the evening session at a mammoth 527-7. Even better for them, by the close England were already two wickets down after a brilliant spell from Peter Siddle right at the death.

The day, however, belonged to the skipper, the tenacious and wonderfully skilled Michael Clarke.
Last year he made one triple century and two doubles, but after an uncertain start to his tour it was a big relief for the Aussie supporters to finally see their best player give his side a platform on which to build. After the loss of Steve Smith, who only added 19 to his overnight score, Clarke stepped up a gear and gave Swann in particular a real hiding in the afternoon session.

Clarke's wagon wheel showing his 187 runs.

Swann, though did take advantage of a real turner of a pitch by getting Smith out in his first over of the day; albeit helped significantly by a stupid shot from the Aussie no.5, attempting to hit Swann down the ground when just 11 short of a maiden test hundred. Jonny Bairstow took a simple catch at mid-wicket to break the fourth wicket stand worth a staggering 214.

The recalled David Warner took the wicket to a chorus of boos and it wasn't really a surprise to see him depart soon after arriving for a scratchy 5. He clearly edged to Trott at slip, giving Swann his fourth wicket, but then asked for a review. It was clear he had hit it and the bad boy of the side (and, it appears, the new pantomime villain) had to walk. Before that, though, Clarke reached 150 with a boundary off Tim Bresnan through backward point, incredibly the 9th time in his Test career he has done so. The Aussie leader went to lunch at 168 not out, joined by Brad Haddin, with his side sitting pretty at 392-5.

Clarke was eventually undone chopping on a short ball to give Stuart Broad his 200th Test wicket, while Swann completed his 17th Test five-wicket haul when he bowled Siddle for 1. The captain ended on 187 runs, scored off 314 balls, with 23 4's. The rest of the session was bad for England bowlers as Haddin and Mitchell Starc completed rapid half-centuries, leaving the tourists 507-7 at tea. 20 quick runs were added before Clarke waved his side off, leaving Australia in a commanding position.  For that they owed almost everything to the captain who remains their one world-class player. Michael Clarke was within 13 runs of the fourth double of his Test career which, together with a triple, marks him out as one of the very best batsmen of his generation.

Swann apart, who the conditions suited, it was a day to forget for the England bowlers. Far from England being reliant on Anderson, it seemed at times Cook didn't really want to throw him the ball. Playing on his home ground he went for 116 runs off 33 overs. Indeed, all of the main bowlers went for a 'century' of runs, and in hindsight it might've been worth picking the extra spinner in Panesar- certainly this pitch is only going to take more spin from now on.

England then faced Australia for a nerve racking 30 overs. The openers seemed to have seen off the swing of Harris and Starc and looked set. But Nathan Lyon was introduced for his first bowl of the tour and things changed. At first he bowled in tandem with Shane Watson, who incredibly bowled 5 straight maidens. This gave Lyon opportunity to attack and the right armed offie twice was close to finding Joe Root's edge.

His flight, dip and turn left England's batsmen uncertain and he built pressure: 51 of his 60 deliveries were dot balls. Certainly he gave the selectors reason to regret leaving him out at Trent Bridge and Lord's. There, they had gambled on Ashton Agar, a 19-year-old still learning his craft. Agar failed to take a wicket at Lord's; Lyon almost certainly would've.

Eventually the pressure told as Clarke introduced Siddle for a fast 5 over spell at the death. His pace and bounce caused problems and Root nicked behind off a good length for 8 off 57 balls, an uncertain knock that he will not be pleased with. Nightwatchman Bresnan followed to the same combination, given out off the bottom edge after attempting a pull shot. Bresnan looked unhappy, especially when replays showed distance between bat and ball, but Cook, who hadn't made a mistake yet in his own, patient innings, decided to save the review for more important batsman.

Clarke said afterwards to the BBC: "We worked exceptionally hard in the lead-up to this Test match and it was nice to get a result. But the wicket is pretty flat, there's not much movement and we'll have to work even harder over the next three days to win this Test match. But our bowlers have got the discipline. I was also really pleased with the way Nathan Lyon bowled - he got a little bit of spin but, more importantly, there was also some bounce there, so I think he's going to play a big part."

The hosts still need 276 runs to avoid the follow on at the end of a thrilling day. With Cook and Trott at the crease England will hope to bat all day tomorrow, which would practically ensure the Ashes remaining here until the winter.  But this was Australia's day, and for once their batting has stood up and given their overworked bowling attack a foothold in the game. Scoreboard pressure is a cruel mistress and with Siddle and Lyon bowling well, the tourists will look forward to tomorrow immensely.

Thanks for reading, Adam.

England V Brazil

England 2-1 Brazil (Rooney 27, Lampard 60) (Fred 48)
England clinched a famous win over the most decorated national team in the world thanks to goals from Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard at Wembley. This result doesn't mean that England will win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but it does confirm improvement under Roy Hodgson and that England are capable of beating anyone on their day. The match did confirm though, the emergence of Jack Wilshere as a player of wonderful talent. His ability was not exactly oblivious to me before, but since his long lay off only the F.A cup replay against Swansea has showcased just how young Jack can boss the midfield. As I predicted in my preview to the match, Roy picked Cleverley in the middle three, but I was surprised and somewhat pleased that Danny Welbeck got his chance, admittedly from the left wing. This gave England an attacking look, and at last England broke free of the rigid 4-4-2 to embrace a fluid trio, with the ever brilliant Steven Gerrard as the deep lying, controlling passer. I don't think it is an exaggeration to say that I haven't quite seen as good a performance by the national team against esteemed opposition since, well, Argentina 2005? Or maybe the friendly with Germany in Berlin in 2008? I was fortunate enough to see England-Spain in November last year, which also resulted in a win, but the display by England was defensive and pragmatic, whereas the England performance on Wednesday was impressively offensive and possession was kept well. England started quite nervously as Neymar twice got behind the back line  showing his pace. But on Ashley's Cole's 100th cap, he was tested by his club mate Oscar in the first period. Welbeck blazed over from inside the box after great link up play between Wilshere and Rooney. Thankfully Wayne Rooney put England in front after Wilshere slid a pass through to club mate Theo Walcott, who's shot was parried straight to Rooney. This was after Ronaldinho's first game in England since a Champions League game in 2010 was ruined by an awful penalty that Joe Hart got a glove to. The second half featured more possession for Brazil but also a superb finish from Frank Lampard, but not before Wilshere and Rooney linked up again for a chance for captain Gerrard. Also before Lampard's intervention, came a great shot from Fred, after Cahill ran into trouble, and later the striker hit the bar after a catalogue of errors at the back. Cahill then promtly almost scored with a great header from a corner, and then came the winning goal. Little happened afterwards so we are left to reflect on a great win.
Player Ratings
Joe Hart England's undisputed number 1 saved a penalty and looked solid all match. Given his form for Manchester City this campaign, it remains a worry at just how far in front of all the rivals for the jersey he is-after all, Roy only named two goalkeepers in this squad. Nevertheless, Hart remains switched on for his country despite his lack of competition. Rating 7/10
Glen Johnson Neymar didn't exactly test him as some thought the Santos wonderkid might. The Liverpool man rarely looked troubled and displayed typical enthusiasm to get forward and link up with Theo Walcott. This season he has been standing out for Liverpool, and there has to be no argument anymore- he is England's best right back and an extremely reliable one. Rating 7/10
Chris Smalling Not a great display from Smalling, who was struggling for most of the second half. Wasn't as assured in possession as he is for United, but why select a player at centre back when aforementioned player has rarely played there for his club side? Rating 5/10
Gary Cahill Dropped a bollock for Fred's goal, dribbling into trouble, but overall a trademark Cahill performance of calmness on the ball, occasional dribble forward, an ariel presence at both ends of the pitch, and a bit of slack marking. Rating 6/10
Ashley Cole (Baines 46) 100th cap, fairly average performance. Rating 6/10
Theo Walcott (Lennon 75) Constantly caused Adriano problems with his pace and ball control. Walcott's ambitions to play up front are ridiculous when he can be so threatening out wide. Where has he scored all his goals this season? From the wing...Rating 7/10
Steven Gerrard Fantastic perfomance from the skipper as England dominated possession. Disciplined in his duties behind Jack Wilshere and Tom Cleverley and he was again a threat with his set-pieces. Looks to show no signs of slowing down yet. Rating 7/10
Jack Wilshere That was fantastic. Wilshere offered England a convincing threat through his dribbling from deep. His defence-splitting pass to Walcott in the build-up to the opening goal was exceptional and he struck up an excellent understanding with Rooney in the final third. With Wilshere in the team, England's midfield looks a much more cohesive unit. Rating 8/10 (my man of the match)
Tom Cleverley (Lampard 46) Roy Hodgson is a big fan of the Manchester United midfielder, but despite keeping the ball well he still has a lot to learn. Still, he has improved greatly this season.  Rating 6/10
Danny Welbeck (Milner 61)  Worked hard on the left flank but didn't offer great threat in attack. Also missed tow excellent chances. Rating 6/10
Wayne Rooney Rooney seems to rarely turn it on in friendlys, which is why it was such a pleasant suprise to see the striker chasing balls down, linking well with the midfield, and generally playing like he does for his club. There is no doubt that England will need this Wayne Rooney for the match against Montenegro in March. Rating 8/10
Subs
Frank Lampard Came on, passed well, scored a great goal. Pretty standard. Rating 7/10
James Milner As per usual, worked tirelessley but not great on the ball. Rating 6/10
Leighton Baines Been brilliant for Everton this season, but still second choice. A good one though. Rating 6/10
Aaron Lennon Capello gave up on the Tottenham flier after his woeful displays in the 2010 World Cup. He has matured since then and seems keen to take the chance offered by Hodgson. Has been an almost ever present for Spurs under AVB. Rating 6/10
Subs not used: Butland, Walker, Jagielka, Lescott, Osman, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Overall, we must be careful not to read too much into this result, but it was a pretty strong Brazil side that was beaten. It is a great result with key games coming up. Team Rating 8/10

Adkins diet makes Cortese ill

The sacking of Nigel Adkins by Southampton prompted widespread bemusement in the footballing fraternity at the dismissal of a man who, when he first took the job, faced a battle with relegation from League One. Back to back promotions followed by a steady start to Premier League life has meant the sacking has caused anger amongst Saints fans at the decision by owner Nicola Cortese. Just what exactly did Adkins have to do to secure employment for the future, if his teams' showings so far haven't convinced Cortese? Maybe the answer lies in the money, and Adkins somewhat erratic use of it. The excellent transfermarkt.co.uk shows the Saint's spent over £32 million in the summer, an astonishing amount for a promoted club. Plus £7 million on Jay Rodriguez is no one's idea of value. Moreover, the new Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino has made a decent start and his side were impressive at Old Trafford and also the 2-2 draw at Wigan. But he will need to steer Southampton clear of the drop this season and only then can he start planning for the future.

I am not the only England fan who is incredibly excited for the visit of Brazil to Wembley on Wednesday. For a start, Brazil will be sending their strongest possible side as this is one of the few games they have left against top opposition before the 2014 World Cup. It will be a big test for England and Roy Hodgson and the squad he named looked good. As per usual, there were early withdrawals, with Tottenham's striker Jermain Defoe and Manchester United's Michael Carrick the early casualties, with Daniel Sturridge expected to follow. I think that is a disappointment for England, as I'm sure Carrick has a big role to play in the tricky qualifiers up ahead. But overall, from the squad picked the XI I would pick would line up as follows in a 4-3-3: Hart; Johnson, Jagielka, Cahill, Cole; Gerrard, Lampard, Wilshere; Walcott, Rooney, Milner. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tom Cleverley play though as he is seems to be a particular favourite of Hodgson. It will be a big test for England, and it would also be great to see Ronaldinho back in a Brazil shirt again.

As for the football on the weekend, two great performances at the Emirates and the Etihad by Liverpool resulted in two draws. The Scousers just don't seem to be able to grind out results, and have yet to win a game against a fellow top 10 side this season. Steven Gerrard has been immense this season, as has Luis Suarez, but they are now 9 points behind Spurs. Another big club who might struggle to get into the top four this season is Arsenal, who were slightly sluggish in a victory over Stoke. the form of Walcott has been a big plus this season, but the frankly ridiculous defending against Liverpool showcased the fear of all Gooners that any top side can still rip them apart. New signing Nacho Monreal is progress, but is cup tied for the Champions League, leaving Arsenal with Andre Santos against Arjen Robben..

As for the rest of the football thoughts:
*Gareth Bale saves Spurs again with yet another screamer-  but what the heck was Popov thinking? Cost his team the game with an act of petulance.
*I attended the Fulham- Man Utd game on Saturday and was once again treated to a Michael Carrick masterclass. As for the rest of the team, it wasn't spectacular, but it can't always be a coincidence that Utd always seem to win without playing that well?
*What has gone on at Chelsea recently? How can a side so full of talent implode when in comfortable positions? And why is Frank Lampard not getting a contract?
*Harry Redknapp will surely regret his comments that he made in December after an incident involving Bosingwa.  "I don't want to spend the owners' money really. I've got to be honest with you. I don't want to see the owners have their pants taken down like they have in the past." Hmmm.. Harry needs to pull off some magic or QPR will go down and go the way of... every single club Redknapp has managed, into financial meltdown
*It was sad to see Mario Balotelli leave the premier league, but it is probably good for him in the long run. He certainly has made an excellent start to his AC Milan career.

Thanks for reading, Adam.

Chelsea, Benitez, Clattenburg, and a great England win

And so the Chelsea manager carousel starts again. Roberto Di Matteo, in his few months in charge of Chelsea, managed to deliver the FA cup and, the Holy Grail for Chelsea and Abramovich- the Champions League. But that wasn't quite good enough for the Russian in charge, and after less than a day Rafael Benitez was installed as his interim replacement. Firstly, the speed of the appointment raises questions as to how much contact Benitez had with Chelsea before the sacking of Di Matteo. How long was Abramovich planning to get rid of the Italian? It appears ever since Chelsea beat Tottenham in a fantastic display back in October, their form hasn't quite been the same; with only 2 wins in the last 7, and one of those in the League Cup. To be honest, if, as it looks like, Chelsea crash out the Champions League, Di Matteo can't have any complaints regarding his dismissal. His lack of response to the Juventus substitutions and resulting comeback in Match-day 1 was predictable and also the depressing defeat to Shaktar Donetsk, when Di Matteo rushed back an unfit John Terry and paid the price.  And as good a side Juventus are, to be beat 3-0 without offering any threat meant that Gabriel Clarke on ITV was already asking the awkward questions post match. You would have thought a man who delivered the holy grail to Chelsea would be given more time, but such is the nature of being the Chelsea boss. Abramovich never really wanted the former West Brom manager anyway, but was forced to give him a contract for the heroics in Munich. Di Matteo did spend over 80 million in the summer, but then again...  can Rafael Benitez realistically expect to do any better?  We shouldn't- as is the tendency in England- think light of Benitez as a coach though. The Spaniard led Valencia to two league titles, an unthinkable achievement now. He also won the Champions League and the FA Cup at Liverpool (albeit both on penalties), and if Gerrard and Torres had been fit all year, would probably had delivered the title in 2008/2009. It appears that Benitez has been brought in to get the best out of 50 million man Fernando Torres, and boy, he needs to start firing soon with the big shadow of Falcao hanging over him.
Chelsea 0-0 Man City

Well, one think we've learnt from this dour, dreadful and dire game of football is that Benitez is hilariously unpopular so far. There was a clearly audible chorus of boos when Benitez was introduced by the stadium announcer, and Stamford Bridge was awash with banners and signs wishing for Di Matteo- as shown by the applause in the 16th minute, Di Matteo's number as a player. The new man claimed he didn't hear the hostile reception, saying "I'm just focused on the game" and also argued once results started to fall into place supporters would get behind him. On the pitch, Benitez oversaw a first clean sheet in 11 matches to deny City the win that would take them top. But Torres was again awful, and Benitez will have to work miracles to get the striker back to his 2009 vintage.

The Clattenburg debacle: Why are Chelsea not being punished?
In the aftermath of Chelsea's 3-2 defeat at home to Manchester United, a racial storm erupted- and John Obi Mikel was convinced he had been racially abused by the referee. It has been found out that Chelsea were horribly wrong, as no credible evidence was put to the FA. Mikel's involvement had been that he was told by Ramires(who struggles to speak English) that Clattenburg had insulted him, and Mikel understandably felt aggrieved. The fact that no other Chelsea employee heard the insult should have given Chelsea a clue on how to act. Chelsea implicated a referee in a potentially career damaging case based on the flimsiest of evidence. Clattenburg couldn't referee for weeks with the scandal hanging over him, and Chelsea have still not given an apology. It wouldn't suprise me for the referees' union to sue Chelsea later on.

Top two's defensive problems continue
You can't keep a good man down. And currently in the premier league it seems impossible to take the lead against Manchester United or City and hope to win, because Edin Dzeko and Javier Hernandez just can't stop scoring from the bench. I wrote a couple of weeks ago now about the frailties shown by both clubs at the back his season, and although they are by no means solved, they seem to have improved, with clean sheets against Swansea and West Ham pointing to he truly miserly defence of last year. Having said that, City's quite disastrous Champions League form including conceding 10 goals in 5 European ties is threatening to shorten Roberto Mancini's time in the hot seat. The slick interplay of Ajax and messing around with a back three did for them in Amsterdam, but what was more worrying was the 2-2 draw at the Etihad last Tuesday, with both Siem De Jong goals coming from poor defending at set-pieces. However United haven't improved either - conceding 2 against Chelsea and Stoke, being 2 down to Braga and Aston Villa, plus conceding first in Portugal on Wednesday. United then lost 1-0 to both Norwich and Galatasaray, as well as conceding first again, this time against QPR.  Sir Alex Ferguson seems to be actively forfeiting the chance of a clean sheet by playing a very offensive line up, but when you have such fire power as Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, super sub Hernandez, and the marginalised for now Danny Welbeck, perhaps you can afford to take some risks.

Superb win in India for Captain Cook
England's cricket team clinched a historic and hugely impressive win on Indian soil in the second test as brilliant innings from Kevin Pietersen and Alistair Cook led England to a total of 413. It was then a joy to watch Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann majestically beat India at their own game, namely, using spin to outfox the top order. With a personal best 11 wickets in the match, it is puzzling how Monty wasn't in the side to begin with, particularly taking into account the much improved performances in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan when he returned to the side. The selectors face an interesting dilemma as to whether or not Ian Bell returns to the XI straight away after his absence from Mumbai. There is also the issue of vice captain's Stuart Broad's patchy form with both bat and ball. Personally, I would like to see Onions be given a chance again. But anyway, roll on Calcutta, as England, led by the imperious Cook look to win in India for the first time since 1985.

England v Moldova & Ukraine

I find that a lot of people complain about the international break but I have never felt anything against it. It must be frustrating for club managers that their players get injured playing for their country, but when else can internationals be held? If they were all at the end of the season the managers would then complain that their players needs a rest, so i think people who oppose the international breaks have no real solution anyway. And in any case, it is currently fascinating and intriguing watching England evolve under Roy Hodgson. In our qualifying group, we start as favourites, but we shouldn't just assume we will qualify, Euro 2008 has taught us never again to think like that i would have thought. Poland, Ukraine and Montenegro are all capable teams with class players like Robert Lewandowski and Stevan Jovetic. San Marino and Moldova on the other hand, are absolute sh  really should cause us no problems.

London 2012 and England-Italy review

London 2012
The once in a lifetime event truly delivered. Even though i didn't get any Olympic tickets, it was still an amazing experience to have the Olympics in your home city. I was able to attend two events- the men's road race and marathon- and both were brilliant to watch. For all the criticism thrown their way, in my opinion, LOCOG and Sebastian Coe did a fantastic job. The home Olympics has ignited a passion among the British public for minor sports that hopefully can be maintained. This will be the key feature in deciding in the future whether the huge expenditure on the games was worth it. It would be horrible if the venues turn out to be white elephants- indeed, the Basketball arena is one which will be dismantled. The benefits of sport participation among the population are well known and it will be interesting to see if David Cameron follows up on his promise to keep up his investment in sport.
On to the actual sporting achievements, the medal haul of 65 was sensational.UK sport did set optimistic targets, but the team hit them. And the scary thing is it could have been even better- Dai Greene, Phillips Idowu and Mark Cavendish were just some of the big names who failed to win a medal. A total of 29 Golds was a fantastic return, and 3rd in the medal table was also a great achievement. It was also fantastic to watch superb performances from foreign athletes. Mainly, Usain Bolt, who again won three gold medals. it was also another Olympics, more gold medals for Michael Phelps, making himself the greatest Olympian of all time. I thoroughly enjoyed the athletics in particular, and will look forward to the 2013 world championships in Moscow.

England 2-1 Italy (Jagielka 27, Defoe 80) (De Rossi 15)
However, despite the great sporting event it was, I am hugely excited for the new premier league season and this was only ignited by the midweek friendly between England and Italy. Club managers must hate having a 'meaningless' international friendly only a few days before the season starts, but i for one think that its a valuable opportunity to have a look at new players and Roy Hodgson proved that by handing debuts to Tom Cleverley, Ryan Bertrand, Jake Livermore and the two keepers, Ruddy and Jack Butland. Inspired by the return of the excellent Michael Carrick, England kept the ball far better than I've seen for quite a while.

Euro 2012 preview

Many agree that the European championships are of a better quality than the World Cup, which is why the whole of Europe is once again looking upon these championships as yet another slap in the face for FIFA's showpiece event. The last world cup was full of dreadful defensive football, horrible refereeing and crap teams like Honduras. Thankfully, the Euro's are seldom like that- probably the weakest team in the competition are Poland, and as co hosts, will expect to go through. I'm looking forward to great football from some of the best players in the world, from Xavi to Pirlo, Ronaldo to Ribery, and many more- especially my favourite player, Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands.

England's chances look slim at best. Certainly, the loss of experienced pair Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard has been a big blow. Over 140 caps worth of international know-how gone, and now the midfield will rely heavily on the now injury prone Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker, who seems to spend most of the game on the floor. The fact that there is no obvious back up is a major concern for Roy Hodgson- James Milner would presumably be his first choice back up, but hes much more comfortable out wide. I would also prefer defender Phil Jones in the middle before the only other natural central midfielder, Jordan Henderson, would get game time. The midfield worries lead me to limit England's hopes to Quarter Finals. it will be tough just to get out of the group, and without the country's most gifted footballer, the wonderful Wayne Rooney, for the first two games, getting goals is a worry. Particularly because as I write, the main story on many sport websites is that a born goalscorer in Jermain Defoe is flying back to England after the tragic death of his father. Of course, there is no way you would expect Defoe to be fit and firing after such a tragedy. This only mounts up Hodgson's problems. Add to this the John Terry situation, and you get a very bleak outlook for the tournament. In my opinion, England only have two world class players- Ashley Cole and Rooney, and with one of them suspended... let's just say I would be delighted with qualifying from the group.

As for the rest, I don't rate Poland, who have an awful defence, and rely heavily on Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski for goal threat. For all their home support, i see them struggling. They are 62nd in the latest Fifa rankings which is the lowest ranked side at Euro 2012. Similarly, unless Ninis or Fetfatzidis get a start, they will not create much- i mean, any team with Samaras as their taker of chances needs help. I'm going for the Czechs and Russians to go through in Group A, especially if Tomas Rosicky brings his club form with him.

Group B, obviously, is the big one. The Germans are many people's favourites and possess formidable young talents like the resourceful Gotze and the wonderful Toni Kroos, so effective against Real Madrid in both legs of the Champions League Semi final. Plus, the goals of Klose, Podolski and Gomez make them very hard to look past. However, there are concerns over the huge Bayern Munich contingent reacting to their loss on three fronts this season, and also over the lack of pace in defence, especially if Mertesacker starts. Players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, and Robben wont need a second invitation to take on a flat footed back four. However the huge range of talent in their squad, such as Neuer, Lahm, Ozil, and Muller make them one of the favourites.

However, the team I'm backing is the Oranje, Holland.