Robin Reliant?

Fatman and Robin might be a little mocking, but the Dynamic Duo can help propel Manchester United to silverware

As Robin van Persie sits on the edge of a bed in Bridgewater Hospital he will be thinking of two things. Firstly, that he passes his medical, obviously. And secondly, should he sign for Manchester United as expected, he will be thinking of the magnitude of the opportunity that lies at his feet. He will have joined United at an extremely desirable time, despite what has been made of the club's financial situation in recent weeks (I will not be going into the minutiae of the IPO here - go to a MUST blog for that!). He will know from history, how successful his new boss has been at recovering from setbacks - and there is no bigger setback than losing the championship title to your local rivals with the final kick of the entire season, subsequently being condemned to a trophyless season for the first time in seven years. With this in mind, he has signed for a club angry and hurting, and determined to snatch the title of 'England's best' back from City Van Persie has joined up with a squad now bursting with talent and his only ambition is to win the medals he felt he should have won with Arsenal.

Comparisons between van Persie and another Dutch striker immediately surface. But whereas Ruud van Nistelrooy was unfortunate to be at United during a (relatively-speaking) downturn in the club's on-field fortunes (think only one title won during his spell, and particularly the unspoken-of 2004/5 campaign), van Persie is, with all due respect, fortunate not to have the likes of Alan Smith, Liam Miller and Eric Djemba-Djemba as his first-team colleagues. Instead, he will relish linking up with the ever-formidable Wayne Rooney and one of the German league's standout players last season in Shinji Kagawa, as well as hoping to receive the consistent quality service from Nani, Antonio Valencia et al that was too often absent from his Arsenal team mates since the departure of Cesc Fabregas, save perhaps from Alex Song. If van Persie goes anywhere near to replicating van Nistelrooy's goalscoring record at United (150 goals in 219 appearances), then there should be no qualms about not about filling his and United's cabinets of honours.

Positively for United, recent history has shown that he may be near his best form as a professional footballer. After stuttering for form and fitness through most of his Arsenal career, He enjoyed the best season of his career last campaign, almost single-handedly hauling Arsenal above rivals Tottenham into third place and, while fans of the Gunners may have enjoyed that moment, they will now be left with feelings of disgust that yet another talismanic player has slithered out of reach. Van Persie's performance at the recent European Championships was uninspiring, yet while he missed a host of goalscoring chances, the deeper problems in Poland and Ukraine lay with the managerial approach to each game and the over-indulgence of the individual rather than the collective. Of course, it is not exactly hard to note that this will not be allowed to happen at Old Trafford. On domestic form, van Persie can gather evidence from past players who have peaked after turning 30. In the relevant striking department in particular, one Didier Drogba played his best football at Chelsea past said landmark. At 29, time is still on his side, and with a four-year-contract to his name, it is clear that Sir Alex Ferguson prays it is the case of the late bloomer rather than the one-season wonder. The latter could be applied to Ferguson's last highest-of-profile signings, that of Dimitar Berbatov. Berbatov's time at United hasn't quite worked out. He may have finished one season as the club's highest goalscorer, but the fan favourite's style of play has seemed out of tandem with Ferguson's swift counter-attacking approach, to the point where he became more accustomed to the uncomfortable reality of the bench than the fine surface of the pitch last season. At over £30m, Berbatov's transfer was laced with much more risk, but van Persie's falls way below that price bracket. Depending on who you read, £15m with appearance and trophy-related add-ons for a player with a year remaining on his contract in the form of his life is excellent business. Even the £24m figure widely quoted is decent for a player who can arguably be considered world-class, not to mention this is all considering the unofficial taboo on selling best players to great rivals.

Somewhat neglected is the fact that van Persie is a leftie. No, not his political stance, but his striking stance. With the exception of Patrice Evra and Ryan Giggs (and possibly Nani), United are desperately short of left-footed players, which can often lead to an imbalance. For instance, too often last season saw Ashley Young come inside from the left, thus requiring Evra to fill his wide position for attacks, leaving the Frenchman caught out when the opposition countered. This would have been less of a problem had Evra not been in poor form. Van Persie, while mainly required for his goals, can still deliver a peach or two - and he will doubtless use his left foot.

The issue of the central midfielder rages on both despite and because of van Persie's arrival. On the face of it, his signing appears more an indication of United's buying power with the eyes of City and Chelsea observing, rather than a truly needed player. Yet injuries are never far from any squad and it is more than likely that throughout the course of a season, the rapidly improving Danny Welbeck will be depended on even if van Persie is fit. Javier Hernandez, too, can contribute his share of goals, not forgetting that four strikers are always better than three (see 1999). I personally believe Ferguson will not make another major signing this summer, and the combination of Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley (if consistently fit) will be first choice in that hotly debated central area. England last night against Italy were the most impressive they have been since Roy Hodgson took over - and Carrick and Cleverley were at the centre of England's possession game. Cleverley also looked sharp at the Olympics for Team GB. This, coupled with the extremely promising sight of Darren Fletcher getting a run-out for United at Aberdeen on Tuesday after a lengthy break from the game due to illness, and all of a sudden the lack of a new central midfielder does not seem so devastating. Should none of the hopes for a functioning midfield work out, it may end up being a case of simply outscoring the opponent this season for United. With Robin van Persie helping to lead the line, that responsibility will not seem so daunting, and he may just earn himself some of those medals he has missed out on.

London's Lasting Legacy Should Be More Famous Faces

Well done, but who are you?

The universal appeal of the Olympics is undeniable. Competitors from around two hundred countries gather in one location for a couple of weeks every four years and the crowds gather to cheer them on. Thousands have flocked to London to witness the greatest show on Earth and have, for the most part, been thoroughly entertained. For the home crowd, Britain's athletes have been phenomenal, surpassing the half century in total medals won. The greatest haul since 1908 gives us many reasons to celebrate. Jess Ennis, Mo Farah and Bradley Wiggins and Chris Hoy have taken all of us to cloud nine in recent days. But there are others who have, too. Therefore, the pressing issue is this: before they stood upon the podium, arms aloft, with what resembles a giant chocolate coin around their necks, how many of these medal winners had we actually heard of?

For example, Britain's sole taekwondo gold medallist Jade Jones was a total unknown last week - I myself had no knowledge of the Welsh 19-year-old until her superb semi-final win against the world number one in her weight category. If that wasn't spectacular enough, she won her gold medal match with poise and aggression, with her coach full of praise for the work she had put in prior to coming to London. The shooter Peter Wilson also raised nobody's eyebrows until his dominant display in the final. And the Brownlee brothers to most must have sounded like an accountancy firm rather than gold and bronze medal-winning triathletes.

On a side note, it is perhaps a tad ironic that in the pool, a venue where more names than most are uttered within the average British household, the medal return was the most disappointing. After Rebecca Adlington's two golds in Beijing many were expecting British swimming to build upon the Nottingham swimmer's success. In reality, however, three medals is the outcome four years down the line. Adlington's two commendable bronzes in successive tough finals coupled with Michael Jamieson's superb silver appear to be the peak performances at the London Olympics. What then of others such as Hannah Miley, Fran Halsall, James Goddard or Jemma Lowe? These names often appear in major swimming events and are not new to the sport, yet while some made finals (an unquestionable achievement in itself), there lacked the final strokes that are so desperately needed for a medal place. One hopes that this is merely a blip in the calendar of competitive swimming in Britain and that by next year's FINA World Championships the collective faults will have been ironed out.

Returning to the opening discussion, the main problem afflicting these British 'unknowns' is the relative lack of interest in their respective sports. It is hard to believe that a lack of excitement is the problem. These sports are fascinating in their own ways and I have enjoyed them immensely. The word 'exposure' is the key. The Olympics is likely to be the only competition in which these sports are exposed to a large audience, and once every four years is not often enough to garner regular interest. The same could be applied to swimming to a lesser extent, but the idea is the same. It is a domino effect: the lack of interest will inevitably lead to a lack of participation, which results in funding cuts and a downward spiral of performances in major international competitions. Yet this does not have to be the case. Those athletes who have shone in their sports are the paradigms for the somewhat off-putting 'Inspire a Generation' motto. Of course, the motto is not what is important here. What is are the consequences of these games 20 years down the line. People such as Wilson, Ed McKeever (today's K1 200m champion) and one-two canoe pairings of Tim Baillie and Etienne Stott, and David Florence and Richard Hounslow are now the ideal ambassadors for their events.

In another remarkable story to emerge from London, horse-dancing expert (AKA team and individual dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin) belied the privileged traditions of her sport, having been brought up without the secure financial backing to fund the high costs of the rigours of equestrian training - going to show that truly anyone can fulfil their ambitions with the right character traits and support. According to officials, 90% of the country is watching the Olympics in some form, and these athletes must be hopeful that this monumental advantage of having the Olympics on their doorstep will render them household names for the foreseeable future just so it prompts even the laziest of Brits to head down to the gym for a light workout. As these Games have shown, everyone has to start somewhere, and in time, the negative substance of the domino effect may just become positive. Cue heightened interest, regular participating, increased funding and more medals in coming years.

While this may have only touched upon the issues in British sport that require resolving, the Olympics has done much to ignite the talk. The peaking interest is the first step. Let us hope that, like the countless Mexican waves attempted at London 2012's football matches, it doesn't fizzle out and become less than a footnote in the history of this country's sporting prowess.

Four days in: Disappointment, Doping, and Defying the Odds

Even by the end of the first week of the London Olympics, it is highly likely the majority of the population will still be talking about the truly fabulous opening ceremony on Friday. Today, the intricacies of Daniel Craig's royal confrontation were being carefully deciphered amongst those I was working with, as day four of the Games rolled on. One might be forgiven for forgetting there are actual sporting events occurring! Yet they are, and we have witnessed some fantastic drama befitting of the grandeur of the occasion and the skill of those on show.

While the medals started to clear off the shelves and around the necks of those most deserving, others were left with more than a sense of extreme disappointment at having missed out, despite the immensity of the efforts involved. Britain's men were unable to ferry Mark Cavendish to the sprint finish he so desperately craved. It seems the road racing team were the victims of their own incredible success over the past month, as the rest of the peloton appeared to expect the Brits to single-handedly pedal it back into touch with the early breakaway. Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome, the winner and runner up of the Tour de France, were selfless in this respect, with the former possibly putting his own time trial chances in doubt for the benefit of his colleague. The women's race on day two was a resounding success, as Lizzie Armitstead did manage to ride herself into contention at the climax and subsequently delivered the country's first medal of the games, quelling the fears of a stuttering start to GB's medal haul.

In the aquatics centre, the first noticeable controversy began to swirl in the waters of the swimming pool on day two. China's Ye Shiwen, aged just 16, swam a relentless final length in the women's 400m individual medley - faster than Ryan Lochte's equivalent 50m - to claim gold and a new world record. Almost immediately, the eyebrows were raised on Twitter and the tube (even the BBC's Claire Balding prodded at the possibility of the d-word). The reaction was unsurprising given China's undesirable doping past. However, the lack of any solid evidence for such foul play and a staunch defence headed by several high-ranking Olympic officials suggest Ye's performance was nothing more than an extraordinary piece of athleticism. We surely must instead feel privileged to have witnessed such a feat, though the debate will no doubt rage for weeks to come. Moreover, of course, questions will continually be asked about the ethical processes by which China produces its talent for various Olympic sports, but with 23 medals so far - 13 of them gold - and atop the medal table, something seems to be working. On the outside lane of that very same pool, Rebecca Adlington, Britain's defending champion in the 400m freestyle defied her difficult position to claim an excellent bronze medal. In many ways that result was as impressive as her winning swim in Beijing four years ago.

The host nation's most feel-good success was undoubtedly in the men's team event in gymnastics. It was a very well-written script: the last time Britain's men won a medal in the event was in 1912. The Titanic had just sank in icy waters back a century ago, but 2012's competition was fiercely heated. After all the apparatus, the scoreboard had Britain in second before a Japanese appeal pushed them to third. Make no mistake: any colour of medal in this event defied all expectations, rightly deserved a storming moshpit of celebration and got something like it (as well as a chorus of boos when asked to recognise the judges' contribution). The five fresh-faced gymnasts - the youngest being 23 -  were equally elated despite the demotion to second and have simultaneously captured the nation's enduring pride.

The opening days to the Olympics has also had a royal tint of silver. Zara Phillips, the Queen's granddaugher was a part of the three-day eventing equestrian team who finished second overall. She can now at least boast being the most successful Olympian in her family (her mother, Princess Anne was unsuccessful on her horse in 1976). On the other hand, her single success does not budge the 4kg of medals hanging on another Olympian's scales. Michael Phelps tonight became the most decorated Olympian of all time. The swimmer added a silver in the 200m butterfly and another gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay to take his tally to 19. More are to come in the coming days which could potentially take him to 22, and while some may not hail him as the greatest Olympian in history, there is no doubt his legacy is secured regardless of how his critics have viewed his arguably less-dominant performances in London than seen in Beijing and Athens. It has been quite a few opening days, and while this has been but a taste of what has transpired, expect more of the same.

A Games to be Proud of, in Spirit and in Substance.

There is no denying that the next 17 days will be 17 of the most unique that we as Brits have ever witnessed. The Olympic Games. Sport will take centre stage as - for a couple of weeks at least - all the economic misery and subsequent social unease are put to one side, and we can instead all look forward to a bloody good show from London and the rest of Great Britain. The work to get to tonight has been observed and reported sporadically by news outlets over the past seven years since that magical day on July 6th 2005 when it was officially announced that London would host the Games, yet for the people involved the work has been constant, and the fruits of their labours will be revealed in a matter of hours. The excitement has only reached noticeable levels as 2012, the year of the Games began. Now that the moment until the Games officially begin has gotten ever closer, there has scarcely been a pinch of coverage that has not mentioned the Olympics every few seconds.

This is not something to be groaned at. Rather, it should be embraced as a genuine once-in-a-lifetime event. A real 'where were you?' moment. Perhaps the greatest 'where were you?' sporting event since 1966, and one of the greatest national events since the end of the Second World War. For the entire world has sat up and taken notice that (despite reports of many turbulent events in the build-up) London may actually be ready to amaze the planet. Thousands of foreigners have descended upon this not-so-sunny island with hopes of retuning with the glow of having been lit up by the skill and determination of the 10000 athletes who will compete. Boris Johnson offered his 'we are ready' speech to the delight of thousands at Hyde Park yesterday, and we as a nation of proud cynics may also join those in being delighted; firstly by Danny Boyle's £27 million opening ceremony, and secondly by the wide array of sporting events that are to follow. The Paralympics too are not to be missed, and will showcase the incredible display of those who have not let their disabilities hinder their desires.

The world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, has not had the ideal preparation to defend his 100m and 200m titles, but it is not foolish to expect him to do something special. His countryman Yohan Blake may also write his name into the record books. The man they once called the human dolphin is returning to the swimming pool to try and win another stockful of gold medals. Countless others who may not possess the same level of superstardom but certainly possess just as much of the talent will be aiming to take as many medals back to their respective countries and to see their hard work and dreams fulfilled in some form. Whether it be for the satisfaction of personal achievement, the desire for recognition and respect, or just for the pure national pride, they will all be pushing themselves to the limits of human potential.

Looking closer to home, and there are dozens of athletes who have endeared themselves to the public, especially since Beijing's Games in 2008. A few names stand out and keen eyes will be fixed upon these men and women more than most. Rebecca Adlington, A virtual unknown four years ago,  is now the country's inspiration in the water. Hopes are high that she cuts through the waters rather than treading them. In another water sport, poster-boy Tom Daley has overcome personal tragedy to once again take on the might of Chinese 'robot' Qiu Bo off the edge of the 10m platform. Having lost his father to cancer last year, he arguably has extra motivation to top the leaderboard. Newly crowned Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins turns his attention to the vélodrome, while his Team Sky compatriot Mark Cavendish, the fastest man in the world on two wheels, will set out to cement that undeniable fact. On the running track, Jessica Ennis has overcome injury woes in order to prove herself as the most well-rounded athlete the country - and the world - can boast.

The concept of a 'home' Games has allowed for a reigniting of our country's national sport once again in Olympic competition. For the first time in the lives of all of two generations, football has come home (at least for the Olympics). In the men's competition Ryan Giggs finally took his bow on the international stage last night for Team GB, ironically at the stadium where he has won most of his club medals. Beforehand, he made it clear what the competition meant to him as a Welshman who never had his chance at a European Championship or a World Cup. 'An Olympic gold would be up there with my European medals', he remarked. It is still amazingly refreshing to see the 38-year-old with the same drive he had twenty years ago. With a host of young talent alongside him, he and the rest of Team GB can hope to build on their somewhat unfortunate draw with Senegal.


The preparation has had it's dazzling highs and earth-shattering lows, but the impact of the next two and a half weeks of competition will shape Great Britain's legacy for the next century, and though nowadays we cannot claim the greatness we once had, confidence should be had in Great Britain's readiness to create a legacy worthy of its name (and win a hell of a lot of medals!). Let the Games begin.

There were 11 sky-blue bottlers on the wall... (plus Vieira)

Garry Cook once said of AC Milan, 'If you want my personal opinion they bottled it'. This now infamous line was said in relation to Manchester City's audacious proposal to bring Kaka to the City of Manchester Stadium for a word-record £100 million back in 2009. I am going to borrow the first part of former chief executive Cook's statement about the Italian giants for my own purposes. If you want my personal opinion, to 'bottle' something is to crumble in the face of mounting pressure. Three years ago, AC Milan merely did not wish to sell their player to City (Kaka instead went to Real Madrid that summer) and it is unlikely that this constitutes a meltdown - keeping hold of your best player is hardly a dreadful thing. Three years later and substantially more than £100 million spent and it appears City are contriving to do some bottling of their own. Unlike the sour anti-climactic dealings with Milan, this bottling is being done on the football pitch. After Mikel Arteta's wonderful late strike at the Emirates condemned them to a fifth defeat in their last nine away games, City must hardly believe that they find themselves an astonishing eight points behind Manchester United and two goals behind them on goal difference (when at one point it was 17 in their favour). This is a period of crumbling if ever I saw one.

The demise seen at the Etihad in the last few weeks was not beyond prediction. There exist a range of reasons, some small and some striking, for the complete change in attitude from City's players. Apart from the glaring tactical problems (a chronic lack of width together with a lack of adequate cover at the back) most players just haven't performed for their manager and the badge they wear on their shirts. Mancini seemed to be largely behind the scenes when Kaka was sought after once upon a time, and now it appears his lack of man-management skills has lent itself to a poor attitude on the pitch and subsequently poor performances, especially away from home. David Silva is completely out of form. Sergio Aguero has stopped scoring. He has given up on Joker-In-Chief Mario Balotelli (or should that be Joke-In-Chief?) after yet another red card against Arsenal, seventy minutes after he should have walked for a disgraceful lunge on Alex Song. The striker's petulant lack of professionalism has spread like a poison through the dressing room, and it appears Mancini has just about lost patience. 'I can do nothing', he replied post-match when questioned about Balotelli's attitude, which says more about the greying Italian's coach-to-player capabilities than it does about his immature countryman. A second player-related misjudgement has been to allow Carlos Tevez back into the squad. Despite his undoubted talent, it is unlikely that many managers would go back on their word not to play him again, after his antics on the bench in Munich and subsequent five-month departure to Argentina to play golf and sing in karaoke bars. Mancini has failed to see through the potential disruption it can cause, and though not as significant as the Balotelli problem, it raises some issues about the inner workings at the club.

Heading away from the literally and metaphorically muddy dressing room up to the clean and neatly furnished offices and we come to one Patrick Vieira, the 'Football Development Executive' at the club. Apparently, all Vieira can find time to do is to begin the annual title race mind games with Sir Alex Ferguson (or whoever else is in with a shout). After stating that bringing Paul Scholes out of retirement was 'weakness', he proceeded to claim United get preferential treatment from referees. Now United are no angels when it comes to discipline and lucky decisions, but City should also take a look at themselves as well. No examples necessary. Regarding the Scholes situation, Vieira should choose his words more carefully. Scholes scored the second goal against QPR to seal three points and is enjoying a mini-renaissance at the heart of United's midfield, while Vieira himself spent most of his last year as a footballer on City's substitute bench. Perhaps he should get back to his day job, whatever that may entail.

There is no one reason for the swing in fortunes for the Manchester clubs, and though City have not yet lost the league there is more than a sense of inevitability around the fate of the Premier League trophy. At Old Trafford, it is a case of getting the job done with minimal distraction. Ferguson even took his players to St Andrews for a round of golf before the Blackburn match to escape from the hype of the title race. At the Etihad, Roberto Mancini has allowed a sense of self-importance to fester over several months (which may have ironically started with the 6-1 thrashing of their rivals) and is now showing in the dismal displays on the pitch, reports of scuffles between current players, and unnecessary comments from former players. Add that to the usual pressure that comes with being top of the league for so long and an implosion was always in the making. In Manchester City's case, the implosion is the sound of a lot of bottles falling off the summit and smashing into many tiny pieces.

Ten years for Moyes, but how much longer will he stay?

Moyes will hope for more moments like this on Tuesday in the Merseyside derby

On March 14^th 2002 at Goodison Park, a 38-year-old Scot named David Moyes was unveiled to the media as the new manager of Everton Football Club. Presumably, Moyes himself could not have forseen the impact of the words he uttered that day. ‘I am joining the people’s football club’, he declared. Who would have thought that almost ten years later, those words still ring true to the majority of the blue half of Merseyside? Even more remarkably, who would have thought that the man who said them would still be in the job? The people, it is clear to see, love Moyes. For anyone unfamiliar with Everton or the workings of modern football in general, lasting ten years at one club must mean the manager is doing pretty well.

Indeed, Moyes has performed wonderfully at Everton for a decade and there are no signs that his performance at the helm is on the wane. Saturday evening saw an excellent 1-0 home win against Tottenham, to add to the scalps of Manchester City and Chelsea already taken this season. Results like these are nothing new to Moyes’s Everton. They have helped him guide the club to consistent top-half league finishes for several years, with perhaps his greatest achievement coming in 2005 when Everton ended the season in fourth place, displacing their great city rivals Liverpool and disrupting the ‘top four’ that had previously been thought of as ‘unbreakable’. Since then the club have finished inside the top eight in all but one season. An FA Cup final in 2009 was another highlight, and they have enjoyed several well-earned European journeys under the stern ginger Glaswegian. In the decade he has walked the corridors at Goodison, Everton fans will most likely tell you that they are in a much better state than they once were.

Moyes’s success has come against a backdrop of severe financial limitations. Many fans feel that a lack of new investment and a lack of transparency over club economics from owner and chairman Bill Kenwright has hindered the club’s progress. Still, it is a testament to his managerial abilities that Moyes has been able to operate in a manner that belies the restraints that have clearly prevented Everton from again becoming one of English football’s dominant forces. He has been astute in his recruitment of players season after season, with perhaps current skipper Phil Neville his most underrated and influential acquisition. Overseeing Everton’s academy has yielded fruit, too. Moyes professes that a certain Mr. Rooney is the most talented player he has ever seen at the club. Several other signings such as Tim Cahill, record signing Marouane Fellaini and the recently departed Mikel Arteta have helped endear Moyes to the supporters. Apart from Fellaini and very few others, Everton have been forced to spend small under a burden of debt and rely on offloading and loan signings to reform and bolster a squad that has also been extremely unfortunate with injury. Yet still Moyes has soldiered on and in 2012 Everton’s current 7-game unbeaten run sees them in ninth, just two points off the men in red across Stanley Park.

The question ‘what next?’ has been sounded many a time with regards to David Moyes. He has the unwavering support of Kenwright and the board – something that is refreshing to see in today’s game and one of the reasons he has been able to celebrate ten years in charge. However, with concerns over the club’s long-term ambitions and whispers of managerial movements elsewhere, it is not imprudent to suggest that Moyes may not be at Everton much longer. Many believe Moyes would fare expertly at a club who can provide the funds he likely craves. Moyes himself is a highly determined character and may see the lure of riches and potential trophies at other clubs too tempting to refuse. He has been touted as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Old Trafford, as well as being linked with the post at Chelsea and at Tottenham. But for now, what is clear is that Moyes loves the club, and the club and its people love him. What is also clear is that whatever happens in the near future, it will be a long time before the words ‘David Moyes’ and ‘Everton’ don’t fit snugly together in a sentence.

Give Pearce a Part-time Chance, We've Got Nothing to Lose

Last Wednesday’s friendly against Holland provided some interesting revelations about this current England team. For one, Fabio Capello’s work over the last few years has yielded little fruit, save for the necessary (and welcome) introduction of a new generation of players to take the mantle from the forever disappointing ‘old guard’ when it comes to the international scene. It was the under-21 coach Stuart Pearce who took charge in the 3-2 defeat last week and for the most part he was correct in fielding a youthful team to aid several players in their transition to the senior side. He was explicit in stating his motives: ‘It is disappointing but the object of the exercise was to learn.’ He would have learned that it is not a question of a lack of ability, but a lack of experience that is a problem, and will be for any side featuring players such as Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Phil Jones, Fraizer Campbell or Chris Smalling. Even the older heads are not exactly used to the national setup – captain Scott Parker, at the age of 31, was earning just his 11th cap, and Gary Cahill his eighth. Until Arjen Robben’s last minute winner England had done well to fight back from two goals down, belying the relative inexperience of the squad in terms of collective caps.

Subsequently, the question was raised to Pearce about a summer job. He replied that he is available should the Football Association be unable to install a new manager before the upcoming European Championships. Since then, general secretary Alex Horne has revealed that the new man will not be appointed until near the end of this season. This would give a month, perhaps five weeks, for the new man to imprint his ideas upon those who will wear the white shirt in Ukraine against France on June 11^th. It is a meagre amount of time for any incoming boss to really get inside the heads of his players, for that is what is required if England are to succeed in any way. Pearce, however, knows his players extremely well, especially those whom he took to the 2009 under-21 Championship final. There is some pedigree there, despite what may be said about his managerial ability. Five years with the under-21s in an age where managers come and go as quickly as Lionel Messi is a sign of excellent loyalty to his country and it would be harsh not to allow him his shot at the big time.

Nobody is trying to convince anyone otherwise, but the side currently and bizarrely ranked fifth in the world by FIFA are not exactly favourites for this competition. The rejuvenated French, the youthful and efficient Germans and the love-in at the Spanish camp headed by Xavi and Iniesta are all well ahead of England in most ways. Were Don Fabio still in charge, that familiar national expectation that builds up the Three Lions to a footing akin to winning a World War would inevitably be astronomical. Were anyone new in charge (for example, a certain Mr. Redknapp of White Hart Lane, N17) that expectation increases several-fold, understandably but wrongly. With Pearce in charge, that expectation would certainly be diminished. This is not a bad thing. England might just be able to get on with the job of getting past France, Sweden and Ukraine without a public outpouring of anger, exasperation and eternal condemnation for their country’s footballers. Who knows where a good run in the group stage might lead?

Seeing as England are in all probability not going to win the Euros, let us spare the country the ‘build ‘em up high to knock ‘em down low’ mentality and give Pearce a chance to do what he can with a team that will need more than just the period between May and June to be moulded into a competitive force on the world stage. Another shake-up in terms of squad selection and possibly captaincy so close to a major tournament is going to do more harm than good. Psycho, as he became affectionately known, has missed penalties when it matters and therefore has something in common with several players. He might just impart some wisdom and that personal touch. He’s been there before as a player. He’s already there now as a manager.