The Even Weaker Weakest England Squad Since 1992 Is Now Weaker Still

A double fractured jaw has ruled out GARY CAHILL. He's to be replaced by KELLY DALGLISH or somesuch Liverpool person.

Let's send a job load of cotton wool out to our Krakow training camp and wrap up the entire squad in it until Monday. Any more pull-outs and Viv Anderson will have to dust down his boots.


Goalkeepers - Joe Hart, Robert Green, John Ruddy, Jack Butland.

Defenders - Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Martin Kelly, Ashley Cole, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott, John Terry.

Midfielders - Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Ashley Young.

Strikers - Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck.

Euro Moments No.2: England 4-1 Holland, 1996

Yeah, it's back to '96 again. Blah, blah, blah. No apologies for that.

Quite simply, this is the best England performance I've seen in my lifetime (too young to have been around for '66).

Although the 5-1 in Germany runs it close, this was in a major tournament, this was under pressure, this was against a highly fancied Dutch team, and this was liquid football. The day when everything slipped into place, and we gave one of the most erudite footballing nations a real lesson.

And yes, I had a few beers while watching it. Wellllll...

Norway 0-1 England; England 1-0 Belgium; what the friendlies have taught us.

First up, a win is a win, is a win. Unless it's a win. Or it's two wins like we've just had in the last week

As ever, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING TEAMS TO WATCH, if these performances are anything to go by. More like old school Italy holding on to a 1-0, than a Spain or Germany taking teams to the cleaners.

WE CAN SCORE WITHOUT ROONEY. Welbeck's opened his account. Young's banged in a few recently, and I expect Gerrard, Terry and Defoe to make telling contributions, given the chance.

WE HAVE A TOP KEEPER. That wasn't the case in the last World Cup, when James and Green were vying for a top spot that probably should have gone to the man who has it now.

OUR DEFENCE IS STOLID. Ashley Cole never lets you down, Terry and Cahill should start in the middle, and Johnson on the right, giving an all-Chelsea (at some point in their career) look to the defence.

WE LACK FLAIR IN MIDFIELD. The major stumbling block. Not since Gascoigne have we had a player who can take others on. Not since Beckham have we had an awesome set-piece threat. Parker and Gerrard are stolid, but is either going to frighten a defence with the ball at their feet. I mean, really frighten?

WE WILL PROBABLY DO BETTER THAN I PREDICT. I'm being super-cynical about our chances. We're not a bad team, just an average team. But just look at what Greece achieved in 2004. If Roy can get them playing, make us hard to break down, sneak us some One-Nils, we could emulate that unexpected success of eight years ago. COULD.

Weakest England Squad Since 1992 Now Even Weaker

Yes, what looked a flimsy squad on paper, now looks as flimsy as paper after a trio of withdrawals. Below is the latest, updated list of players who will be charged with flying the flag for England in Poland and the Ukraine.

Goalkeepers - Joe Hart, Robert Green, John Ruddy, Jack Butland.

Defenders - Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott, John Terry.

Midfielders - Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Ashley Young.

Strikers - Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck.

Who Will Win Euro 2012?

This is the question on the lips of everyone who's asking it.

It's the 60,000 dollar question that's actually worth a lot more than that.

Who will win Euro 2012?

At the start of World Cup 2010, I predicted this would be the final line-up.

And before this tournament starts, this blog will name the two teams I think will reach the final, and which one I think will emerge triumphant.

The answer may not surprise, nor delight, nor be anywhere near accurate. But it will be an answer, backed up by the flimsiest of evidence, insight and talent.

Pay attention to it at your peril. Ignore it at your leisure.

Euro Moments No1 Gazza's Goal v Scotland, 1996

There's the occasional moan on here about being old, but it has its advantages. Because it means I was old enough to have witnessed Paul Gascoigne's goal v Scotland in Euro 96, live (on the telly of course) and with a few beers inside me (again, of course).

It remains to this day the loudest I've ever cheered and the longest I've ever celebrated a goal. The sad thing is there hasn't been an England player since with the skill, finesse and finishing power to repeat the feat.

Gascoigne. Legend.

Euro 2012 Quarter Final Predicted Line Up

My Group Stage predictions leave me with a Quarter Final line up looking something like (actually, looking very much like) this:

RUSSIA v HOLLAND
GERMANY v POLAND
CROATIA v FRANCE
UKRAINE v SPAIN

I don't know why I'm putting so much faith in the home nations, after South Africa and virtually the entire continent of Africa let me down last time around. But that's it, my quarter final line up. I'm not happy there's no England, Ireland, Italy or Brazil for that matter.