Hodgson's organisation has England singing from the same sheet

'We're not those people, we're winners' said goalkeeper Joe Hart in reference to the many millions, myself included, who questioned England's ability to escape a group which they eventually topped. And he said it with some conviction. Under Roy Hodgson's guidance this England side finally seem to have some belief and are looking in good form for their quarter-final with Italy this Sunday, and whatever lies beyond that point.

Hodgson hasn't revolutionised things in terms of personnel, but he has introduced some fresh blood in the form of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a brave choice but one who has looked assured in his one start and two substitute appearances so far. The spine of the Three Lions remains players from the so-called 'Golden Generation' with John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole (the latter two closing in on a century of caps) proving critical so far, as well as Wayne Rooney, whose return from suspension was marked with the winning goal against Ukraine on Tuesday. Remarkably, only seven players have scored more goals than Rooney in the history of the European Championship, with his header adding to the four he bagged as an 18-year-old in the group stage of Euro 2004. However, around this spine, players who were admittedly all involved to varying extents under Fabio Capello have finally established themselves. Hart himself has looked imperious in goal, Joleon Lescott's performances have meant his £22m transfer fee, once ridiculed, doesn't look so silly anymore and Scott Parker has justified his recent reputation as England's best midfield enforcer, making the fact he still has less than twenty caps aged 31 seem ludicrous.

Up front Danny Welbeck scorer of the fantastic winner against Sweden, is the only genuine youngster who is currently in the starting line-up, but there are clearly opportunities for many young players to force their way into this side. Andy Carroll has impressed, particularly with his powerful header against Sweden, and with substitutes of the calibre of Theo Walcott, Carroll and Jermain Defoe at his disposal, Hodgson certainly doesn't lack options to change things during a game. Yet what Hodgson has done so well in this tournament so far is not so much his selection of the squad or even selection of starting line-ups but the way he has imposed organisation upon a group of players who didn't look like they knew what they were doing in World Cup 2010 and the failed qualification for Euro 2008. Unlike in the past where notably Steven Gerrard, amongst others, has been played out of position, Hodgson is playing to his squad's strength. A 4-4-2 with a focus on Gerrard and Parker screening a reliable defence with the creative Ashley Young and hard-working James Milner on the flanks has done the business so far. There remain cries for Walcott to start in Milner's place but Hodgson will be thinking that if it's not broken, why fix it? Welbeck and Rooney's partnership has worked effectively for Manchester United this season and Hodgson is likely to stick with them, utilising Carroll and Defoe from the bench and having the further option of playing Young as a second striker (as he did against France) with Oxlade-Chamberlain on the left wing. Rooney may have jeopardised England's chances with his foolish suspension, but there is no denying his talent and will to win, something which will be crucial in the latter stages of the tournament.

The FA have also improved the perception of the England squad through their release of exclusive videos of players relaxing and socialising, as well as the decision to base themselves in the city of Krakow instead of in isolation, as was the case in Rustenberg, South Africa. This positivity coming from the England squad is working wonders to give England a new direction and the nation a new attitude towards the national football team. There is still a long way to go to make amends for the disappointments of the last few years but things are on the up. With Hodgson at the helm, and a new national football centre (St George's Park) set to be complete later this year, youngsters will be looking forward to getting involved with the England set-up more than in previous years. Concerns must remain over the central midfield, with the first choice four of Gerrard, Parker and the now-injured Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard all the wrong side of thirty. In Jack Wilshere, Tom Cleverley and Jack Rodwell there are three extremely talented players who could be part of the England set-up for the next decade and more, but all three have suffered badly from injuries and Hodgson will be desperate to see them returning to action in the near future. If they do, and with other youngsters such as Welbeck, Carroll, Oxlade-Chamberlain and (the as yet unused at the Euros) Phil Jones coming through, the road to Brazil 2014 will look like a pleasant one. Even if England do crash out to Italy on Sunday, this tournament would have been a success and an improvement. Some of Hodgson's decisions may remain dubious (the inclusion of Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson amongst others) but he has England organised and thinking positively. As Greece proved emphatically in 2004, organisation can get you a very long way.

Enjoy it while it lasts: Dramatic group stages' days are numbered.

Last night Cristiano Ronaldo took centre stage as Portugal swept aside a disappointing Dutch outfit to secure their place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 in what was a fantastic spectacle, typical of the tournament so far. In Group B, any of the four teams could still have qualified or been eliminated with just one game to play. At multiple stages it looked like three teams could have finished level on points, with a vicious circle of head-to-head results meaning it would have come down to goal difference or goals scored, both of which were extremely tight. As it happened Germany and Portugal , on nine and six points respectively, finished well clear of Denmark who had three points and the pointless Holland. This followed on from a fascinating night in Group A where Russia and Poland, both of whom had looked likely to qualify with the former heavily tipped as outsiders to win the tournament, were both eliminated by the Czech Republic and Greece, who had both looked poor in their opening two games.

This incredible drama looks set to continue into the next two match days with Spain, Croatia and Italy battling out for two places in Group C and England, France and Ukraine doing likewise in Group D. The drama for the tournament is pretty much as perfect a format for a European Championship as you could possibly want, with the quarter-finals looming in the near future. So what a terrible, terrible shame it is that UEFA’s executive committee has allowed the tournament to expand to 24 teams for Euro 2016. The addition of eight teams means there will now be six groups of four teams, as opposed to four. UEFA had two likely options for the format from this point and, though the decision will not be confirmed until later this year, it looks likely that they will be introducing an extra knockout round of 16, meaning the four best third-placed teams will escape the group along with the top two. The propensity for this formula to kill drama is extreme to say the least. Based on last night’s group, Denmark may still have qualified despite losing their second and third games. There would even be scenarios where teams could qualify with a solitary point. The other option would be going straight to the quarter-finals with the six winners and only two runners-up qualifying from the group but this is unlikely as UEFA appear keen to introduce an additional round.

The last sixteen format, with the four best third-placed teams qualifying was used in the World Cup between 1986 and 1994, before the worldwide tournament was expanded to 32 teams. Back then, the likes of Bulgaria and Uruguay progressed from groups despite drawing two and losing one of their three group games, removing much of the early tournament drama. Furthermore, the increase to 24 will mean almost half of the 53 UEFA nations will participate in the tournament, not only weakening the quality of the teams in the finals, but making qualification much simpler for the higher ranked nations. Scenarios such as England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 will be nigh on impossible. Presumably the top two teams from each qualifying group would qualify, with third placed teams entering play-offs. If this format had been around for the current tournament, the likes of Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Estonia would have been making appearances and even Armenia, Israel and Scotland could have been in with a chance through the play-offs. Spain would have essentially qualified after only five matches played. This lack of competitiveness could hinder nations by the time big tournaments came around.

Having said this, it isn’t all doom and gloom. An expanded tournament could allow for more interest across the continent and the extra round and groups would mean 51 games instead of 31, meaning the Euros would provide a lot more football for goal-hungry fans in the summer period. Participation in finals tournaments for mid-ranking nations like Estonia and Armenia would help improve the standards of football and facilities in those nations and provide additional revenue. However, the drama of qualification (remember England still needed at least a draw in their final qualifier with Montenegro) and the group stages, such as this year’s group of death would almost certainly never be repeated. All the true excitement will likely wait until the knockout rounds of the tournament when the wheat would finally be separated from the chaff. So make sure to savour Euro 2012. You will probably never see a major tournament of its high quality again.

Shevchenko's chivalry, Dutch disappointment and rampant Russians: Six moot points from Euro 2012 so far.

1, Andriy Shevchenko is a genuine superstar

He may be 35 years old and have his reputation long-since tarnished by his ill-fated stint at Stamford Bridge but Andriy Shevchenko is a national icon in Ukraine. His brace of headers in the co-hosts' opening victory over Sweden were the 47th and 48th that he had netted for his country, putting him 33 goals clear of the nearest challenger for Ukraine's top scorer - his former strike partner at Dynamo Kiev, Serhiy Rebrov. While Rebrov retired in 2009 and is now assistant manager of the national team, Sheva is still doing the business on the pitch and was delighted to be the match-winner in the stadium where he used to be a ball-boy before making it as a young striker at Dynamo. Ukraine are still up against it to qualify from the group at the expense of either France or England but if anybody can inspire his team-mates it is the living legend in the number 7 shirt.

2, Cristiano Ronaldo needs to find his Real Madrid form for Portugal.

The international and club careers of Cristiano Ronaldo appear to be moving in opposite directions. Unless the Portuguese winger-cum-striker can make something happen for A Selecção against Denmark and Holland then it could be the earliest end to a tournament yet for the 2008 World Player of the Year and his team-mates. While the 27-year-old has gone from strength to strength with Real Madrid, netting an outrageous 60 goals in all competitions last season, he seems to be playing an increasingly minor role in each passing international tournament. Back in Euro 2004 when Ronaldo was still a fringe player at Manchester United, he was named in the team of the tournament after scoring twice and impressing as his team reached the final. In World Cup 2006, despite the infamous wink, Ronaldo starred as the Portuguese reached the semi-finals. However in both Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010, despite a burgeoning reputation from his achievements at club level, Ronaldo could only net once and his team exited timidly in the first knockout match they played. The man from Madeira has other capable team-mates such as Fabio Coentrao, Pepe, Nani and Raul Meireles but he will need to find his shooting boots if the Portuguese are to make an impact on this tournament.

3, The Dutch may have reached their peak in 2010


Most people were surprised to see Holland lose their opening game 1-0 to Denmark thanks to a goal from Brondby's Michael Krohn-Dehli but a closer analysis reveals a team that may already have peaked. Wesley Sneijder, by all accounts, hasn't recreated his form of Inter's treble season and his 2010 World Cup performances in the past two seasons and Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben have both been wasteful at international level, as was exemplified with some sloppy finishing on Saturday. Looking beyond the front trio of superstars, there are some fairly average international players such as Everton's John Heitinga and AZ's Ron Vlaar as well as the unproven 18-year-old Jetro Willems and Mark Van Bommel, who while a great leader on the pitch, is certainly well past his best. It is obviously still early days and if Van Persie, Robben, Sneijder and Ibrahim Affelay turn up against Germany, the Dutch may still have enough to make an impact on this tournament. If they lose, it will be a long way back from here. Bert van Marwijk certainly has his work cut out, and may look at introducing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from the start next time.



4, England are more organised under Hodgson than they were under Capello


In the 1-1 draw with France which opened Group D, the Three Lions showed a level of discipline and organisation which had often been lacking in recent years despite the disciplinarian regime of Fabio Capello. Roy Hodgson's system of two banks of four with one deeper-lying striker successfully stifled France and earned a vital point. Whereas in the past there has been difficulty shoe-horning the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, David Beckham and Paul Scholes into an effective midfield, this time Gerrard and Scott Parker provided a largely effective shield for the back four. James Milner also proved diligent defensively from the right wing and the surprise starter Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain didn't look completely out of place in a major tournament. France's possession play was penetrative at times, particularly through goalscorer Samir Nasri, but they left much to be desired in the finishing department and ultimately a draw was a fair result. Hodgson will, however, need to install more creativity for the remaining group games as it is hard to remember either Danny Welbeck or Ashley Young having a sniff of goal and England only had five shots to Les Bleus' 21. A good foundation to build from, but Hodgson's men cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

5, Russia genuinely could be dark horses for this tournament


One of the most eye-catching performances of the opening round of fixtures was the Russians' stunning 4-1 victory over a poor Czech Republic side. In Alan Dzagoev they seem to have a class act in the making and his two goals and all-round performance only whetted the appetite for more. The number 17 turns 22 this Sunday and if he keeps performing in this tournament then CSKA Moscow will do well to keep hold of him beyond this summer. Elsewhere in the team Andriy Arshavin shone in a way which would have infuriated Arsenal fans who saw the worst of him last season before he returned to Zenit St.Petersburg on loan. Roman Shirokov, Aleksandr Kerzhakov and goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev also help form the core of a talented side, and Dutch coach Dick Advocaat has got them playing a brand of fast-paced attacking football which will have the purists purring. On this form, nobody will be relishing the possibility of facing Advocaat's boys in the knockout stages.

6, UEFA probably did get it terribly wrong in choosing Poland and Ukraine


I'm all for taking major football tournaments to new parts of the world, but with the hooliganism problems which are well known in Poland and Ukraine it certainly does seem to be a poor decision to stage Euro 2012 there. The empty seats at many stadiums as well as the multiple instances of alleged racial abuse which have already occurred are surely enough evidence but as the tournament goes on it is likely that it will only get worse. There were reportedly less than 800 France fans in the 52,000 capacity Donbass Arena in Donetsk and less England fans are believed to have travelled than to many previous tournaments - largely because many have been put off by the fear of Ukrainian ultras. With incidents of alleged racial abuse towards Theodor Gebre Selassie of the Czech Republic and Italy's Mario Balotelli already under investigation, as well as the widely reported incidents during an open Holland training session, it begs the question how such countries deserve to host such a fantastic tournament. We can only fear that Russia 2018 will be more of the same...

Why Rio Ferdinand is right to ask 'What reasons?????!!!'

The omission of Rio Ferdinand and Micah Richards from Roy Hodgson's original England squad for Euro 2012 raised plenty of eyebrows. But the furore which has erupted since both were again overlooked in favour of Liverpool's reserve right-back Martin Kelly has seen many fans in complete disbelief and faith in Hodgson starting to waver before a single competitive game has been played. And rightfully so.

By citing 'football reasons' for the omission of Ferdinand, Hodgson was always playing a dangerous game. Anybody who has been following the Premier League closely this season could see that Ferdinand had enjoyed a magnificent campaign for Manchester United, particularly since the turn of the year. Having not missed a game through injury since January, fitness no longer seemed to be an issue. In fact Ferdinand had made more league appearances this season than in any season since 2007/08. His excellent timing, positional sense, disciplinary record and passing ability ensure that he remains one of the best, if not the very best, defenders that England have to offer. If there genuinely are football reasons keeping the 33-year-old out of the squad then it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what they are. As Ferdinand tweeted, 'What reasons?????!!!'.

The general consensus seems to be that Ferdinand has been omitted because it is impossible to include both him and Chelsea captain John Terry in the same squad, due to the latter's impending court case for alleged racial abuse against Ferdinand's younger brother Anton. Yet with Terry's form tailing off shockingly at the end of the season, with two poor performances against Liverpool striker Andy Carroll and that foolish red card at the Nou Camp ruling him out of the Champions League final where his club coped fantastically in defence without him, it seems bizarre that 'football reasons' have kept him in the squad at Ferdinand's expense. Don't mistake me, Terry is certainly one of the best defenders in the country, and in an ideal world both him and the Manchester United man would be named in the squad, but if one is to be ditched to accommodate the other then surely the Chelsea man should be the one to meet the axe. Not only was his end of season form poor, but earlier performances such as the 5-3 home defeat to Arsenal where he slipped to allow Theo Walcott to score stand out. In fact, this season he oversaw a Chelsea defence which let in more goals than they had in any season since 1996/97 with his lack of pace being exposed on several occasions. Furthermore, Terry has proven a disruptive influence to the England squad in the past, with his infamous press conference at South Africa 2010 where he seemed to rebel against Fabio Capello's management (despite already having been stripped of the captaincy for the first time) and the reaction to the initial incident with Anton Ferdinand, when he was given the cold shoulder by many of his England team-mates during the international break in November. One of those team-mates was believed to be the Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott who is now in pole position to partner Terry during the Euros. This is hardly ideal for team morale.

In contrast, Ferdinand has proven a popular character within the England dressing room and has never caused any controversy in the same manner as Terry. Ferdinand is further galled by the fact he had declared he was happy to be included in the squad with Terry and form a working relationship, despite the impending court case. If Terry is found to be guilty in the court case which is scheduled for July, just days after the end of the tournament, then the FA and Hodgson's decision to include him will come under even more scrutiny. Having been stripped of the captaincy for the second time earlier this year purely because of his involvement in the case itself, it does seem almost hypocritical for the player to be included at all. If Hodgson genuinely is including Terry for 'football reasons' then it really does beg the question of how much he understands about football itself. His lack of knowledge was horrendously exposed in his first England press conference when he cited Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance against Andrea Pirlo in the Champions League as a reason to include the youngster. Pirlo had left AC Milan the previous summer for Juventus so was therefore clearly not involved in the Arsenal vs Milan last 16 tie.

Richards' omission also comes across as unsavoury and irrational. There are rumours of a rift with the F.A but few people would consider Glen Johnson to be a better right-back than the Manchester City man, both in terms of defensive diligence or attacking prowess. City's number 2 is coming off the back of a fantastic season where he has won the Premier League title and made his debut for England as far back as 2006. His credentials for squad inclusion were clear, particularly with the withdrawals of both Chris Smalling and Kyle Walker through injury. The fact Hodgson didn't even have the decency to phone Richards himself to let him know of his omission stinks of bad manners and it is no surprise that Richards then said 'no thanks' to being placed on the standby list. It is clear that both Richards and Ferdinand should be included in the starting line-up for 'football reasons', let alone being called up to the squad.

With other dubious decisions including the call-ups for Kelly, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Johnson, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson and the omissions of Daniel Sturridge, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon, Adam Johnson and Peter Crouch it is hard to gauge exactly what Hodgson is thinking. Looking at the statistics for all of the above-mentioned players it is clear that the ones being left out are coming off the back of better seasons in terms of appearances, goals etc than those being included. What is for sure is that there is only one way for Hodgson to justify his decisions - and that is taking Euro 2012 by storm. He'll need every bit of luck that he can get.

A new dawn for Roman Abramovich

It is a rare situation when the European Champions are generally considered to be far from the best team in Europe. But that is exactly where Chelsea find themselves after their incredible triumph in the Allianz Arena, where they defeated Bayern Munich after a penalty shootout. As many have said, the ironic thing is that Chelsea have had far better sides over the past decade yet it was this year's crop of players that finally claimed owner Roman Abramovich's holy grail of the Champions League under caretaker coach Roberto Di Matteo.

Since the Russian oligarch's arrival in West London back in 2003, lots of money has been spent and success has been relatively constant. Three league titles, four FA cups and two league cups were already in the bag before the triumph in Munich but now it appears to be the time for the Blues to rebuild. It is likely that the Champions League victory will mark the beginning of a new era at Stamford Bridge. The departure of final hero Didier Drogba, after 8 years in a Chelsea shirt, spearheads the exodus of players which is expected to follow, with long-time fringe players (who both started the Champions League final) Salomon Kalou and Jose Bosingwa already being released.

The biggest factor affecting the rebuild could well be the introduction of a new manager. Surprisingly Di Matteo has not been offered the job on a permanent basis yet and he may be getting increasingly worried about whether he will get the chance to lead Chelsea out again in the new season. Many would have expected the man who finally delivered the Champions League, as well as an impressive FA Cup victory over Liverpool, to be a shoo-in for the position but the Chelsea board seem to think otherwise, delaying their move while they consider all options. Perhaps the indifferent league form, with only five wins, three draws and three defeats in the eleven games after Andre Villas-Boas' sacking, resulting in a sixth-place finish could cost Di Matteo. However, he clearly managed to balance a packed fixture list incredibly well by claiming two trophies and defeating the likes of Barcelona and Bayern in Europe and Tottenham and Liverpool in the last two rounds of the FA Cup. Unless Chelsea can finally gain some stability on a managerial front it may be difficult for them to obtain the kind of domestic domination which Barcelona have achieved over the past five years. Pep Guardiola, of course, is being strongly linked with the Chelsea role although he is intending to take a year out from the game. Abramovich's money may well convince him otherwise.

Looking to the season ahead there is much to be excited about for the Stamford Bridge faithful. Marko Marin, a skillful German attacking midfielder has already been signed by the club and as I write this they are reportedly closing in on the signing of the much-vaunted Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard from Lille. With the relatively young duo of Juan Mata and Ramires coming off the back of a very impressive season and defenders Gary Cahill and David Luiz still improving the future looks bright for the Blues. Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech look to have plenty left to offer, although Terry's form at the tail-end of the season was certainly of concern to the club. Branislav Ivanovic has been linked with a move to Real Madrid but he remains a key component of the squad with four years left on his contract so it is unlikely that the club will let him leave.

What the new Chelsea manager, be it Di Matteo, Guardiola or another, has to make sure of doing is not overseeing a repeat of summer 2010. With Carlo Ancelotti's side having won the domestic double, a mini clear-out was undertaken with Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti leaving. But with Carvalho and Belletti in particular not being adequately replaced, Chelsea struggled to retain their crown and finished nine points adrift of Manchester United, who also knocked them out in the Champions League quarter-finals. Villas-Boas's attempted rebuild also failed in the opening months of this season resulting in his sacking. This time, the Stamford Bridge club need to ensure that whoever leaves is adequately replaced and doesn't leave any gaping holes in certain areas of the squad.

Another major issue for the manager will be getting the best from Fernando Torres. With Drogba gone, Torres is finally the main man up front but Daniel Sturridge and the under-used Romelu Lukaku will both be looking to oust the Spaniard from the starting XI or at least play alongside him. While Torres found some form towards the end of the season, with his late goal at the Nou Camp and hat-trick against QPR being notable highlights, he vented his frustration at not being in the starting line-up for the Champions League final. His tally of 11 goals in 49 season appearances still makes for abysmal reading for a forward of his quality and he will be hoping David Villa's absence from Spain's squad at Euro 2012 will allow him to have a stellar tournament and hit the next season in top form. It is of course possible that Chelsea may look to bring a new striker in as well but it is unlikely that they will revert from their tried and tested formula of playing only one centre forward.

With the holy grail achieved, some may think Abramovich would be satisfied with his investment, but the need to keep pace with the two Manchester clubs on the domestic front, and the target of consistent success will keep Chelsea battling over the coming years. Whoever is given the task of managing them next season will surely find that the pressure is as high as ever, and failure to compete will most likely be greeted by the Russian's over-used axe.

My Premier League Team of the Season 2011/12

Last Sunday saw the most exciting climax to the Premier League season imaginable with two injury time goals from Manchester City ensuring they won their first league title since 1968 at the expense of city rivals Manchester United. That was the final act in a season which has thrown up some of the most ridiculous results and amazing goals for years. Here is my squad of choice based purely on this season's performances:

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart

England's undisputed number one 'keeper further cemented his reputation as one of the world's finest with a series of incredible performances. Saves from Darren Bent at Villa Park and Andy Carroll at Anfield particularly stand out but Hart was one of the key components throughout Manchester City's title winning campaign. The Sky Blues only conceded 29 goals in 38 matches and Hart played in every game. Athleticism, leadership skills and raw shot-stopping ability mean that the 25-year-old will not be fearing for his place at the Etihad Stadium any time soon, even with the club's incredible financial resources. 

Right back: Kyle Walker

The PFA Young Player of the Year built on last season's impressive loan spell at Aston Villa by becoming Spurs' undisputed first choice right back. Fantastic going forward and astute defensively, the 21-year-old has caught the eye this year - not least through a couple of fantastic goals. A 25-yard screamer to win the North London derby at White Hart Lane and an incredible swerving free-kick against Blackburn may have been his only two goals of the campaign but they won't be forgotten quickly. There is much more to come from the former Sheffield United man who will be devastated to be ruled out of the Euro 2012 squad through injury.

Centre back (captain): Vincent Kompany

The Belgian's stock has risen year-on-year during his spell at the Etihad Stadium and under Roberto Mancini has developed into a true leader of men. Awarded the captaincy this season, the former defensive midfielder didn't disappoint. Forming a formidable partnership with Joleon Lescott, his aerial ability, confidence on the ball and competitive nature have made him the Premier League striker's worst nightmare. Kompany's importance to his club was emphasized by a loss of defensive stability when he missed a few games through suspension during the winter. He only scored three goals all year but crucially, the last was the match winner against United in the crunch late-season derby at the Etihad. The big centre back will be disappointed that he won't have the opportunity to show his skills off at Euro 2012 this summer, as Belgium failed to qualify.

Centre back: Jonny Evans


The Northern Irish defender was awarded the number 6 shirt by Sir Alex Ferguson at the start of the season, but even then most people wouldn't have expected him to play as many games as he has. Following on from a couple of disappointing seasons, Evans was made the scapegoat for his red card in United's humiliating 6-1 defeat to Manchester City in October. However, Nemanja Vidic's injury alllowed him to form a partnership with Rio Ferdinand for the second half of the campaign which saw United remain in the title race right until the final day. Evans has fantastic passing ability for a defender and over the course of the season has grown in stature and confidence to become one of the best centre-backs in the league. At 24, the Belfast-born Red Devil will be hoping that on Vidic's return, it will be Ferdinand and not him who is ousted from the team.

Left back: Leighton Baines


The Everton left-back's reputation within the game has been growing over the past few years and this season was one of his best yet. Playing in an Everton team who struggled before the January additions of Nikica Jelavic, Darron Gibson and Steven Pienaar saw them rocket up the table, the former Wigan man was one of the rare constants. A pearler of a free-kick against Swansea in March was only a glimpse of Baines' talent as he is now recognised as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League. Rumours have indicated that both Bayern Munich and Manchester United are interested in signing Everton's number 3 in the summer, and the Toffees would do well to hold onto him.

Right midfield: Antonio Valencia

Easily Manchester United's most dynamic player during the title run-in, the Ecuadorean winger has bounced back after last season's broken ankle and has become one of the most feared wide men in England. A pin-point cross, something which deserts many of his contemporaries, a powerful shot and most potently his blistering pace makes Valencia one of the most effective players in Sir Alex Ferguson's armoury. The 26-year-old lacks the tricks of Nani and can't hit free-kicks like Ashley Young but his consistency is what has made him United's first choice winger in the eyes of most fans. Surprisingly Ferguson omitted him from the starting line up in the late-season showdown at the Etihad, but few expect him to make that mistake again.

Centre midfield: Yohan Cabaye


The French midfielder was signed by Newcastle last summer to little fanfare yet connoisseurs of the European game were already aware of his blossoming talent.  A crucial element in Lille's first title-winning campaign for 57 years last season, the £4.4m transfer fee paid for the 26-year-old has turned out to be an incredible bargain. Demba Ba and later Papiss Cisse have been raking in the plaudits for their goalscoring efforts but it is the number 4 who has been pulling the strings at St James' Park. A wonderful free-kick against Manchester United in January will last long in the memories of the Geordie faithful and he may yet figure as a key player for the France national team at Euro 2012.

Centre midfield: Ramires


Chelsea have had a bizarre season to say the least, with two different managers, a captain facing an impending court case and league form which has not been up to the standards of the past decade at Stamford Bridge. Yet one player who has come on leaps and bounds this year has been the Brazilian midfielder Ramires. Employed in a central midfield shuttling role under Andre Villas-Boas and now on the right side of Roberto Di Matteo's 4-2-3-1, the former Benfica man has got better and better. Netting 12 goals in all competitions as opposed to just two last season, the Blues' number 7 is going to be a huge loss in tomorrow night's Champions League final which he will miss through suspension.

Left midfield: David Silva


Labelled the 'Spanish Messi' by some, Manchester City's playmaker-winger extraordinaire may not get as many goals as Barcelona's Argentine but he has the same rare finesse only seen in the world's most technically gifted players. The stand-out player in City's infamous 6-1 victory at Old Trafford, the Canary-Islander displayed the kind of genius not seen in the Premier League since the days of Gianfranco Zola and Dennis Bergkamp. Silva's form tailed off when City struggled during March and early April but he came to the fore again in time to be a central figure when Roberto Mancini's men claimed the title on the final day of the season. A true joy to watch and unfortunate to miss out on the PFA Player of the Year award.

Centre forward: Sergio Aguero


A rare big money signing who has lived up to his transfer fee without any questions asked. The son-in-law of Diego Maradona has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, netting 30 goals in all competitions in his debut season in England. Crucially Aguero stood up when his manager and team-mates most needed him and scored what is sure to become a legendary goal deep into injury time against QPR on the final day. Aguero's form throughout the whole season meant the self-inflicted absence of Carlos Tevez hardly affected Roberto Mancini's men and the calibre, as well as quantity, of the former Atletico Madrid man's strikes has made him feared across the country. Still only 23, the scary thing is that he can surely only get better.

Centre forward: Robin Van Persie


The deserved victor of the PFA Player's Player of the Year, it would have been unthinkable to omit the fiery Dutchman after his greatest season to date. 37 goals in all competitions for the Arsenal captain only begins to tell of the ability that the former Feyenoord striker possesses. Incisive passing, accurate crosses, fantastic close control and a thunderous shot are just some of the weapon's at Van Persie's disposal. For Arsenal fans, it doesn't bear thinking about where the club would have finished without their talisman this season and Arsene Wenger will be doing everything within his power to keep the Dutchman at the Emirates Stadium next season. But as we saw with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last summer, the veteran manager can't always have it his own way.

Substitutes

Tim Krul: The Dutch goalkeeper has been ever present for Newcastle United this season and has been a major factor behind their outstanding 5th place finish.

Rio Ferdinand: The veteran defender put his injury woes behind him, not missing a game since January, and will count himself extremely unfortunate not to be in the England squad for Euro 2012 as he is still the country's most talented defender.

Fabricio Coloccini: Another huge player for the Toon Army this season, the Argentine centre-back has been rock solid all season, a true leader on the pitch who's technical ability shouldn't be underestimated.

Gareth Bale: Tottenham's form may have tailed off during the latter part of the season but the Welsh winger played a huge part in his club's top-four finish. Amazingly still only 22 years old.

Yaya Toure: The Ivorian powerhouse may have missed part of the season due to the African Nations Cup but he really came to the fore as City became Premier League Champions for the first time. The complete midfield player.

Juan Mata: An impressive debut season in England for the former Valencia man, who has scored plenty of goals, set up many more and quickly won over the fans at Stamford Bridge.

Papiss Cisse:  For a player only signed during the January transfer window, 13 goals is an incredibly impressive tally yet it is the quality of the Senegalese frontman's finishes which has really caught the eye. Especially THAT goal at Stamford Bridge.

Rest of Squad

Michel Vorm, Joleon Lescott, Grant Holt, Paul Scholes, Mikel Arteta,  Leon Britton, Wayne Rooney. 

England provide an unenviable task for Hodgson

Last week, the FA made the long overdue appointment of Fabio Capello's successor as England manager. To the surpise of many, it was West Brom's Roy Hodgson who got the nod, against the popular demand of Harry Redknapp. Arguably the key factor in Hodgson's favour is the vast amount of international experience he already has having previously managed Switzerland, Finland and the United Arab Emirates to varying degrees of success. Those three international jobs have been spread across a vast career at club level which has seen success in Sweden and Denmark as well as two stints at Internazionale and most recently impressive spells at Fulham and West Brom, either side of the debacle at Liverpool. What happened at Anfield shouldn't be forgotten but it is a minor blip on a largely successful career and the many factors which played a part in Hodgson's failure there must be taken into consideration. It certainly wasn't all his fault that it didn't work out.

Despite the incredible levels of experience which Hodgson has, the task of leading the Three Lions is certain to be the most difficult he has faced. The pressure from fans, media and even the incredible amount of big-name players is incomparable to most other jobs in football and Hodgson will be keen to get off to a winning start on the field with the forthcoming Norway and Belgium friendlies, and of course the Euro 2012 group stage. However, before then he has the incredibly difficult task of naming a squad for a tournament despite having previously worked with very few of the players available. The biggest issue to settle does seem to be the possibility of including Rio Ferdinand and John Terry in the squad together. Both have apparently stated they are happy to play together but with the much-discussed racism court case hanging over the Chelsea captain, his mental state may be subject to questioning. Having already been stripped of the England captaincy twice, is Terry really of any further use to England? Certainly he is a great defender, but England are not lacking in the department with Ferdinand, Joleon Lescott, Gary Cahill, Micah Richards, Phil Jagielka and Phil Jones all available. In the past few weeks Terry has not been on sparkling form, with his unbelievably idiotic red card in the Nou Camp followed by a genuinely disastrous performance at Anfield this week. When Hodgson thinks about whether his inclusion is really worth it, he is likely to conclude that it isn't.

Even with that settled, there is much more to be decided upon. Not least the captaincy, which Stuart Pearce temporarily handed to Scott Parker in February's friendly defeat to Holland. A major stumbling block here is who is actually guaranteed to start every match? Previous captains Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard both have injury issues. Wayne Rooney has his two-match ban at the start of the group stage and his international disciplinary record is hardly one which makes him captaincy material. As good as Parker has been this season, it is not even certain that he will start every game. Ashley Cole has the most caps out of everyone in the squad and is certain to start but his off-field track record is comparable to Terry's and on the field he isn't exactly leadership material. Joe Hart is young, at 24, but arguably the right man for the job. Playing in goal hasn't been an issue for Iker Casillas captaining Spain to success and Hart is focused, exemplary, level-headed and comes with no baggage. As well as Cole and (after suspension) Rooney, he is also guaranteed to play every game. Also, unlike most of the outfield players, he has no history of niggling injuries. With Hodgson having managed Ben Foster this season, he may manage to convince the on-loan Birmingham 'keeper to change his mind about not playing for his country and provide back-up in a position where England are dangerously thin on the ground.

There are problem positions all over the pitch for England with Richards, Glen Johnson, Kyle Walker and Jones all options at right-back (Chris Smalling's injury could be a blessing in disguise as it narrows Hodgson's options). The central midfielders in the frame seem to be Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Parker and Michael Carrick - all of whom are on the wrong side of 30. With Jack Wilshere missing the entire season through injury and Jack Rodwell and Tom Cleverley suffering from their own injuries it would appear the next generation will have to wait for the next tournament. Parker, Barry, Lampard and Carrick have all performed admirably this season, the latter two particularly in the second half of the campaign but the Liverpool captain is still viewed as a world class performer by many and it would be hard not to select him. Carrick would have almost certainly missed out under Capello but with a new man at the helm, he could find himself back in favour.

On the wings, Ashley Young seems a dead cert following his form for England in recent matches and his growing role at Manchester United. Theo Walcott is currently recovering from injury, Aaron Lennon has missed larged spells this season and Adam Johnson has failed to force himself into Roberto Mancini's first choice team at the Etihad Stadium. James Milner will fancy his chances of a starting role but again Hodgson has a decision to make over how many players he can take. The much-vaunted Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a shock call-up but it would be hard for Hodgson to justify after so little game time for Arsenal. Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck have both had impressive, if not quite world-beating seasons in the Premier League, and both can play on the flanks as well as at centre-forward. Rooney's suspension would appear to put Welbeck in pole position to lead the line but the much-maligned Peter Crouch, also-maligned Andy Carroll, similarly-maligned Bobby Zamora and uncapped yet still-maligned Norwich City striker Grant Holt (the second highest English scorer in the Premier League this season) will all be looking for a call up if Hodgson wants a target man. Evidently, none of these options will please all of the fans. Darren Bent's injury looks certain to rule him out of the tournament but Jermain Defoe will still be hopeful of a place in the squad, if not the starting line-up.

So, it can be seen, that Roy Hodgson has a mountain to climb. But he has succeeded in the past with major challenges - turning West Brom from relegation fodder to a stable mid-table outfit should not be underestimated, and leading Fulham to the Europa League Final was a modern-day football miracle. It has been said that Hodgson has only truly excelled in 'making average teams look a bit better', but judging on the past few years of England performances, that is exactly what the man needs to do to this current outfit. He'll do well to get out of the group stage. If he reaches the semi-finals, a feat which England haven't done since 1996, he will become a demi-god.

Same old story?

On Saturday May 19th the UEFA Champions League Final will get underway at Munich's Allianz Arena and the eyes of the football world will be focused upon it. Yet few would have predicted that Chelsea and Bayern Munich would have been the two teams walking out to contest football's greatest club match, particularly when the quarter and semi-final draw was made back in March. The path seemed to be laid out for Barcelona and Real Madrid to meet in what would have been the first ever El Clasico European Cup Final. The Blaugranas had crushed Bayer Leverkusen 10-2 on aggregate in the last sixteen and los Merengues had cruised past CSKA Moscow winning 4-1 in the second leg at the Bernabeu. Lionel Messi had netted five against Bayer, the first man to do so in the Champions League era (Soren Lerby last did it in the old European Cup for Ajax back in 1979) and in Cristiano Ronaldo, Madrid are in possession of the one player on earth who can keep even remotely close to the Argentine's goal-scoring exploits. Both teams were managed by men who have two Champions League winner's medals already.  Domestically, both teams were also miles ahead of the likes of Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid and Valencia who have all been making waves in the Europa League this season. Who could possibly stop the two Spanish giants from reaching the final? The quarter-finals came and went and things looked even more strongly in the favour of Guardiola and Mourinho's men. The former swept aside a toothless AC Milan outfit while the latter put eight past Cypriot surprise package APOEL. With both clubs playing the semi-final second leg at home, what could possibly go wrong?

The simple answer is that you can never, ever predict football with absolute certainty. Yes Barcelona and Real Madrid are, on paper, the two best squads in Europe. But, football doesn't work like that. In Chelsea and Bayern Munich, the Spaniards came up against two teams who are by no means the most impressive in the world, but hit form and performed at the crucial moments. Whereas Barcelona hit the woodwork four times over the two legs, Didier Drogba, Ramires and Fernando Torres all kept cool heads to put their rare chances away. Whereas £136m-worth of former World Players of the Year in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka couldn't find the back of the net from 12 yards, David Alaba, Mario Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger all buried their spot-kicks. Guardiola was crushed and has since announced his departure from the Nou Camp. Mourinho can take consolation from an impending La Liga crown, but whether his tumultuous relationship with the Real hierarchy continues beyond the summer remains to be seen. The inevitable, it is clear, was never truly inevitable.

This is nothing new. People have spoken about the Champions League as a closed shop, but that is not true at all. Since it was rebranded in 1992 there have been 20 tournaments, yet no team has claimed the trophy more than three times. Not a single team has defended it successfully and this is no coincidence. The pressure and skill levels at this very highest level should not be underestimated. Look at how the two Manchester clubs, who have dominated the Premier League all season, both fell at the first hurdle. To claim victory, you require more than a skilful squad of players, a savvy manager and some good luck. You need to be able to cope with the high pressure situations which are unlike those found anywhere else in the club game. Mourinho and Guardiola have both proven themselves at this level already, but the fact it is Roberto Di Matteo and Jupp Heynckes leading their teams to the Final shows that you can never rest on your laurels at this level.

Where does this leave the La Liga duo? Are they the greatest two squads in the world? Quite probably. But there is much work to be done. Barca face a possible rebuilding job with Guardiola on his way out, although the new boss Tito Vilanova will be looking to stabilise things having been part of the coaching staff throughout the club's recent years of success. Madrid will probably go out and spend big again this summer, as they do every year. Never satisfied until his club are European champions President Florentino Perez will have his eyes on the likes of Robin Van Persie to bolster his already galactical squad. The Champions League has become an obsession, as Cristiano Ronaldo puts it, at Madrid 'everyone talks about the Champions League, in the dressing room and outside. Nothing else.' It is also an obsession of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness, the big cheeses of the clubs who will actually be at this year's closing event. If the Blues win, it will be the club's first ever European Cup, for Die Roten, it will end an eleven-year wait. Both have recently lost finals. Will whoever wins genuinely be the best team in Europe? As neither will be national champions of their respective leagues, probably not. But that's what keeps it interesting. Whoever labels football boring and predictable is a fool and the Champions League is the greatest example of this. For Madrid and Barca, there's always next year...

Follow James on Twitter @jfaphillips

Sexism, like racism, is a scourge that must be banished.

This week, a BBC One documentary entitled Sexism in Football? brought to the public attention the on-going struggle for equality of women who are involved with the beautiful game. It initially focused on the event which first brought sexism in football to the public eye, the departure from Sky Sports of Andy Gray and Richard Keys in January 2011. However, the documentary soon made clear that that was only the tip of the iceberg. Females involved in football, from journalists to administrative staff, have faced some serious obstacles - from being barred from certain areas and events at stadiums (including press briefings and the tunnel) to out-and-out sexual harassment.

As highlighted by the BBC's Mark Chapman on the documentary, a differentiation has to be made between 'women involved in football' and 'women's football'. The latter is gradually evolving and becoming more high profile, with the Women's Super League launching in England last year and the continuation of the UEFA Women's Champions League (which Lyon won at Craven Cottage last year) and other tournaments which are becoming more prominent. While it is still a long long way behind the men's game in terms of finance and heritage, it will undoubtedly continue to improve and it is possible that one day in the future a generation of women's players will be as talented as their male counterparts. However, the focus of the documentary was on the struggles of the women who are involved alongside the men's game.

For obvious physical reasons, men and women can't compete professionally at football in the same matches and tournaments. This is understandable, and probably does mean that there will always be more men involved in the running of men's football than women. However, that does not mean there is not room for more women to be involved in football. 25% of crowds at football matches are now female, and in my three years spent at university I have personally met females who know and care more about football than many of the males who call themselves football fans. There are plenty of non-playing roles out there, from journalists and match officials to medical staff and even board members of both clubs and the organisational bodies.

I do not believe that any woman should be appointed just for the sake of appointing a woman, but I do believe that everybody should be treated equally. If women apply for a position working within the game, they should be given as fair a chance as any men they are running against. Just as importantly, if they are appointed, they should not be subjected to abuse or discrimination from their colleagues or people around the football club. Many people have used the parallel of racism, which has gone from the dark days of the '70s and '80s where it was rife, to the outrage now caused by the (relatively) isolated cases which have arisen in recent months. Clearly both racism and sexism are problems in society, but the intelligent majority of human beings know that both are fundamentally and morally wrong. Women such as Gabby Logan, the presenter of the BBC One documentary, and assistant referee Sian Massey (of Keys-and-Gray-gate fame) have shown that they can do a perfectly good job working within football. The door should be held wide open for many others to join them. Football fans should eventually reach a stage where they do not bat an eyelid at the gender of a match official, commentator or club owner. Perhaps society can't lead the way towards an end to discrimination. But maybe football, as the most popular sport in the world, has the power to lead society towards a discrimination-free world.

Follow James on Twitter @jfaphillips

From four points to...how many?

Three years ago Liverpool finished the 2008/09 season in second position, a mere four points behind champions Manchester United who with that triumph equalled the Anfield club's record of 18 league titles. It was a bitter defeat for the club then managed by Rafael Benitez, as they had scored more goals and lost fewer games than United, as well as emphatically beating them 4-1 in their own backyard. Yet things still looked up for the Reds, with players like Pepe Reina, Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres forming a formidable spine to the team and hopes were high of eclipsing their Mancunian rivals in the near future. Since then Liverpool have finished 7th and 6th in the league, not appeared in the Champions League since a meek group stage exit in winter of 2009, sacked both Benitez and his successor Roy Hodgson and currently languish in 8th, 34 points behind their rivals from up the M62.

In the interim, United have lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez to transfers and Gary Neville and Edwin Van der Sar to retirement. Liverpool have sold Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and Torres among some other less integral players. Yet the Red Devils have captured another Premier League crown and are looking good for a 20th, while the Reds, now under Kenny Dalglish, aren't even close to competing for a Champions League spot and are enduring their worst run of league form since 1953/54 - six defeats from seven matches.

How could the plight of the two clubs have varied so much over the past three years? Under Dalglish, Liverpool have spent lavishly on the likes of Andy Carroll (£35m), Luis Suarez (£23m), Jordan Henderson (£20m), Stewart Downing (£20m) and Charlie Adam (£9m). Yet of these only Suarez has truly performed, despite the controversy caused by incurring an eight-match ban for racially abusing United skipper Patrice Evra and the damage this has done to the club's reputation. The question is, why did the club believe it was worth spending so much money on those players in the first place? It didn't take a genius to work out that £35m was far too much for Carroll, and while he has flopped more spectacularly than the biggest of pessimists would have predicted, it was never going to be the wisest of investments. Similarly, Downing and Henderson were hardly being talked about as world beaters in the football community. The truth is, Liverpool paid over the odds for some bona fide average Premier League players.

Undoubtedly, the managerial upheaval hasn't helped the club's fortunes either. It was clear that Benitez had to leave after taking the club from 2nd down to 7th in just one season. However, where exactly he went wrong is hard to pin-point. Upsetting and selling Xabi Alonso is often mooted as a key factor which led towards his departure, yet the Spanish midfielder's departure could not have been solely responsible for the rapid decline in form of the 2009/10 season. His man management skills appeared to have left a lot to be desired, and this could have been a major failure. Roy Hodgson can also be partially blamed for making some spectacularly dud signings such as Milan Jovanovic, Paul Konchesky and Joe Cole. But at least they weren't at the astronomical prices which Dalglish has seen the club pay.

To give him his due, the club legend has brought silverware to Merseyside for the first time since 2006 with February's Carling Cup victory, and may well win the FA Cup too, although Everton and one of Chelsea or Tottenham (both of whom are well ahead of Liverpool in the league table) will have something to say about that. Yet the club's league form is indefensibly bad and perhaps reflects the decline in managerial skills of a man who hadn't occupied a hotseat for eleven years before his return to Anfield last January. His spiky handling of the media may have worked back in the late '80s and early '90s when Liverpool were still top dogs in England, but with his current below-par outfit, Dalglish is becoming somewhat of a laughing stock for the 'angry little man' attitude he displays almost every time he is interviewed.

In contrast at Old Trafford, Dalglish's old foe Sir Alex Ferguson has shown the benefits of managerial consistency and a keen eye for good value transfers. Aside from the strange and inexplicable case of Bebe, Ferguson has shown incredible know-how in the transfer market since Liverpool came so close to pipping him to the title in 2009. The outlays on Antonio Valencia (£16m), Javier Hernandez (£7m), Chris Smalling (£10m) and Phil Jones (£16m) have been indisputably justified. After some questionable performances Ashley Young (£15m) and David de Gea (£17m) also seem to be on their way to justifying their price tags. The squad which Ferguson has assembled has shown incredible strength in depth over the past three seasons; something which Liverpool's squad has failed to do despite clearly being home to exceptional talents like Reina, Suarez and Gerrard. Dalglish has an unbelievably difficult challenge ahead of him if he is to take his club back to within that 4-point distance of United once again. If he is to go further and join them back on his old perch, he will have to improve his squad tenfold. If he fails, he may be gone before his old Glaswegian nemesis, a decade his senior, decides to finally retire.