Should be interesting to see what spin the papers put on KK's selection tomorrow. I was just listening to the press conference on 5 Live and KK was stating very clearly that Cole was not picked due to worries about the foot injury, and they felt it better that he should rest for the upcoming season. Of course certain reporters were trying very hard to find a more sinister angle, causing KK to get a bit prickly when one of them used the word 'dropped'.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2000

Answers

Only KK knows what he was trying to do with his team selection tonight. After all the debate as to whether Becks should play wide right or central, KK's played him at RWB - from where he proceeded to go missing for the entire 1st half. An even more mystifying selection was playing PN wide left, and unfortunately getting bags of possession.
The players - particularly Beckham and Gerrard - didn't seem to know where they were supposed to be playing during this shambolic period.
Fortunately, they seemed to sort things out at HT and played much better 2nd half, particularly when Barmby came on - his passing and movement was terrific, and typified everything that had been missing before that. McManamanamanaman ran and ran and ran but wasn't really a success, and in general the linking between defence, midfield and attack was laboured, again until Barmby showed them how to do it in a cameo performance.
Why AS was played right until the end thereby ludicrously risking him getting injured, when he was clearly tired and a meaningless game was effectively won, and when a 30 minute run out for the Munchkin would have given him valuable experience - only KK knows!
I sometimes wonder just what goes through his mind.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2000

Not long back from Wembley, Thought the first half was pretty poor other than Fowlers goal, although its a shame that Als initial header didnt go in, he caught it brilliantly. They certainly got things together better for the second half although I still worry about Heskeythat one on one from Barmbys through ball should certainly ended up as another goal.he only had to lift it over the keeper as he spread out.

I thought Martyn looked good and wouldnt be surprised if he doesnt start the first match and when Gerrard sorted out in his mind where he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to be doing, he looked to have the class we could be looking for.

As Clarky says, Macmanananananaan ran around a hell of a lot, but he didnt really get anywherebut then thats hype for you. YKD looked good when he came on.

Clarky asked why Al played the whole game and KK did not bring on the Munchkinrumour in the tunnel after the game was that the Munchkin will play the whole game in Malta on Saturday and that this was Als last match before Portugal in a week or so. We shall have to see.

I spoke very briefly to YKD after the game and he said he was really disappointed that he wasnt going to Belgium but was philosophical about it, realises that he is young and has time in front of him, and now has to concentrate on continuing to play well for the Toon and getting into the squad for the World Cup qualifiers.

Ciara, the reporter that was going on about AC being 'dropped' and who rattled KK was Brian Woolnough, the man is an absolute @rse and couldn't write anything praisworthy about anyone if his life depended on it....you can bet your bottom dollar that his column tomorrow will say that AC was dropped and add something along the line of KK losing it witht he reporters for no reason......he is sh*t.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2000

Watched the press conference on Sky + thought that KK handled it brilliantly- first time ive really seen him look genuinely settled as England manager.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2000

I thought KK handled himself very well. Firm, honest, calm in spite of the attempts to rattle him. It's just nice to hear the actual proceedings for once, rather than trying to dig out the truth from various second hand newpaper reports which are often slanted to the writer's own angle.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2000

COLE HEADS EURO 2000 CASUALTIES

Manchester United striker Andy Cole was the highest-profile casualty of Kevin Keegan's squad reduction ahead of the European Championship finals - and did not even attend Wednesday night's game against Ukraine after hearing the news. (miserable git!)

But evidently Cole's fitness has also eased Keegan's selection headache, even though he was given the all-clear by a specialist last Friday and Keegan has insisted ever since then that he was "fine".

Cole, who was both bought and sold by Keegan when he was Newcastle manager, had not trained for three weeks before joining up with the England squad due to a damaged foot.

Keegan explained: "Andy's been suffering with a minor foot problem. We feel it can easily be resolved during the summer and it would have been a risk to take him to Euro 2000.

"He may be the biggest bone of contention - had he been fit I would have taken him.

"I chatted with him this afternoon. Please don't underestimate this guy. He desperately wanted to come and be part of it but it's my job to say what he knew.

"Andy wasn't sure he felt quite right with his left foot - I'm sure it's the right decision and so is Andy - you'll have the chance to see that.

"He accepted it was the right decision but it's no good me telling you what he thinks. I've had the best part of an hour with him this morning.

"I know him better than most people because I've managed him twice at club level and here (with England)."

Keegan was keen to stress Cole had not been dropped, adding: "If he was fit I would have taken him. He's not fit to go - he's injured, not dropped.

"There's dropped and there's rested - he's not dropped. He knew he couldn't say hand on heart 'I'm right'."

England's squad for Euro 2000:

Seaman (Arsenal), Martyn (Leeds), Wright (Ipswich);

G Neville (Man Utd), P Neville (Man Utd), Adams (Arsenal), Keown (Arsenal), Campbell (Tottenham), Southgate (A Villa), Barry (A Villa);

Beckham (Man Utd), Wise (Chelsea), Ince (Middlesbrough), Scholes (Man Utd), Gerrard (Liverpool), McManaman (Real Madrid), Barmby (Everton);

Shearer (Newcastle), Owen*** (Liverpool), Heskey*** (Liverpool), Fowler*** (Liverpool), Phillips (Sunderland).

*** Omenous - couldn't manage a goal between them in Liverpool's last 5 Premier League games, games in which Liverpool were chasing a Champion's League place!

Sporting Life (v. slightly amended!)

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Can't add much to how the match went but it does worry me a bit that most of our chances were really from set pieces. The only real chance from open play was the one Heskey screwed up. On the other hand, does it really matter - we won ?

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

So Phillip scores 5 against Malta and gets hailed as a national hero? I thought Big Al was brilliant.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Dougal, I listened on 5 Live and Alan 'Superwanker' Green started his first stint by saying that Shearer had done nothing to impress against Brazil and he had seen nothing to change that view so far last night. He then spent the erst of the evening saying things like, "Wonderful ball from Shearer, he held that up so well." "Cracking drive from the skipper, that took a great save to keep it out." "If only MacManananananananan has passed it to Shearer - they say he's lost pace but he was through in a flash there."

Unsurprisingly he then summed up the match by claiming that Shearer had been anonymous - he doesn't even listen to himself! Can't think why I do...

That fat tosser Mellor decided to open with saying how well he thought Shearer played [I should expand on that - 'Had one of his better games in an England shirt' - the closest thing to praise he'll get from the windbag] But strangely enough, chose to answer all the usual calls from utterly incoherent 12 year olds knocking Shearer. One of these knobheads was complaining that the country was obsessed with Shearer; evidently the irony of having waited in a telephone queue for the best part of an hour to go on national radio to complain about people being "obsessed" with Wor Al passed him by. I didn't bother e-mailing fatso as he's never read one of mine out yet and he's had a sackfull of them. Mutter grumble.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

Bastards. Shearer had a fine game. The thing is, if there are so many players who are so much better than him and could score more goals, then I think one of us should go and give him a sly thump, just bad enough so that he can't play in Euro 2000 but is fit and rested for the Toon, where there aren't many people who can score more and where we appreciate him properly. Would keep everyone happy.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000

The answer, Dougal, is to institute a football equivalent of the Barabarians in Rugby. A shadowy body who organize squads by invitation and are sworn to playing only the most exciting version of the game. Basically, all the best players in Britain not to get into a national squad would be organized into a side who would be duty bound to play with 2 wingers and to hoy the kitchen sink at the national sides they played. 50 times more entertaining than a dull international friendly and Shearer could come on for the Barbarians and tonk 20 down the throats of his old Ingerlund colleagues instead of playing for the good of the team. Games would always finish 15-9 or somesuch, but you'd feel you got value for money and youngsters like Dyer could cut their teeth in these games without worrying about stupid International statistics and could try some things out. The nearest thing to it at the moment plays under the banner of the Brazillian National Squad.

-- Anonymous, June 01, 2000