Published: 17 November, 2011

ARSENAL
YOU’D have to pay me a lot of money to miss my son’s wedding for the awfulness that is an England friendly.

Not that I knowingly have a son, but if I did – watching him and laughing as he signed his life away to a sexless world of silly nagging, Sunday morning chores and a television set that only shows soap operas – would be far more important than a fake kickabout with Spain.

What were you thinking Mr Capello? The clue is obviously in the top line: he does get paid a lot of money.

His son said he understood why his pop missed his big day, but aren’t England friendlies just the pits?

The worst kind of big match.

I pressed the info button on the remote control and a box popped up on the screen and said the game against Spain was “much-anticipated”.

No, it really wasn’t.

We just want our club football back.

And that’s why Wembley Stadium had so many empty seats when it was Sweden’s turn to play on Tuesday night.

What doubles the irritation with this break in our proper football season is the amount of rubbish that is read into these synthetic matches.

It’s as if Frank Lampard has now done something world class by heading a ball into an open goal from two-yards or as if we now have a generation of young talent which is not just good but world-beaters.

It wouldn’t need the excuse of a wedding invite for me to miss one.
RICHARD OSLEY

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
THEY say that history is a teacher.

If that’s anything to go by, Harry Redknapp will no longer be considered for the England job.

As a Spurs fan I’d rather he stayed at White Hart Lane, having started something I believe deep down he’d like to finish.

Harry is the people’s champion, the pin-up England manager.

A man that has groomed himself for the job throughout his whole career; even the way he talks is England fan friendly.

He’ll get the vote from the populus because he’s considered one of us and therein lies the problem.

The establishment that is the FA will not, and cannot, take lightly the type of payment and tax indiscretions that Harry is being accused of.  

At a time when the odour of corruption has seen tents erected outside St Paul’s Cathedral and politicians jailed because of fraudulent expense claims, the whole world is now crying out for equality and transparency: therefore this kind of controversy will not be endured.

I do feel sorry for him, though, because with less than a year left on Fabio Capello’s expensive contract, Harry had to be the favourite to take over.

Maybe if he’s not found guilty of anything untoward the powers that be will wait for it all to blow over and slip him quietly into the hot seat.

My guess, however, is that he’ll be likened to Brian Clough – as the greatest manager England never had.
TONY DALLAS