No-no-no-no-no . . . Yesvember

[Sweder]

I'm not unhappy that we're out, for similar yet also for different reasons.

I believe we need a root and branch review of football in England - but not just the England national set-up.
Martin Samuel wrote an insightful piece in the Times yesterday all about how we take ten year olds and stick them on full-size pitches. He calculated the equivalent for adults; it would be like playing on a pitch the size of your average Supermarket (including the service areas at the back) with a medium sized bungalow for a goal at either end. This disparity for our youth results in the big lads who can hoof it getting put at the back and the nippy lads who can chase it being shoved up front.

It seems clear that learning to love the ball is vital.
The first thing to do is reduce 10 years plus football to nine-a-side and reduce the pitch and goal size. This will in turn reduce the demoralising thrashings seen week in week out in park life.

OK, I can sense a will to love ebbing away . . . but if you can get hold of the piece do so; as someone who coached youngsters - badly and on a purely amateur basis I confess - I have to say he's spot on.

McLaren didn't resign because he wanted his remaining contract paid-off. It's symptomatic of this modern age when the mighty pound - or more accurately millions of them - rule absolutely. Second Choice Steve has gone - and El Tel with him I'm just hearing. In my view Barwick and his entire farmyard of trough-snuffling toadies need to follow.