The New England?

A new kit. A new temporary (or not) manager. A few new players.

It was a new look England tonight.



England played in their new white and red kit for the first time.

Credit: here


And for 45 minutes at the very least what we saw was good. England more than matched the Netherlands without producing any efforts on goal before half time, but there was enough to suggest a solid performance, despite the likes of Wayne Rooney missing out.

I don't think anyone can begrudge the quality of Arjen Robben's run and goal for the first; it would be harsh to do so, but, 57 minutes in, the signs of 'Same Old England' were visible for all to see.




Robben scored two goals, including the winner, at Wembley tonight.


Credit; here



It wasn't just that they went behind but the manner of it, from James Milner scuffing a chance on the edge of the Netherland's box, to a mix up between Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling. Mistakes. The same old mistakes.

And barely a minute later, when Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, with six goals in his last four games, headed home, the student vicinity surrounding myself resembled that of a graveyard. Silence apart from the odd person's mutterings.

England has lost its passion, purely because the national team isn't good enough.

Regardless, it was refreshing to see Stuart Pearce giving some of the youngsters, in form youngsters too, a chance at Wembley.

From Chris Smalling to Danny Welbeck, Pearce did what no England manager has yet succeeded, breeding the youngsters through from Under 21 level to the first team, against a very good Holland side.




Welbeck and Smalling played under Pearce for England's U21s, and both started tonight.

Credit; here




Perhaps England has grown too accustomed to the likes of Frank Lampard, John Terry and Rio Ferdinanc dominating the spine of the national side. It hasn't worked, and I'm can only hope that Pearce will continue to try and develop the players for two or three years time.

If they play together often enough, they will gel. It can work.

One thing which might not work is Scott Parker as captain. I know he's many people's choice for the side, given his performances for Spurs this season and the credit is understandable, but tonight, and before tonight, I'm not sure he is a leader.

If I was England manager I'd be looking towards bringing Michael Dawson into the international set up, perhaps alongside Ledley King. It's certainly done the job at Tottenham when called upon, so why would it not work for England?





Michael Dawson has yet to be given a true chance by England. Who knows if that will come.






Credit; here




I'm not here tonight to rant about who I'd have in the England side, but to see people's views on the England we saw tonight. For me, it was promising enough to suggest i'd like to see more of this side, maybe with a bit more belief in their play.

Newcastle v Sunderland

Sunday 4 March, Sports Direct Arena, 12pm.

The Tyne-Wear derby hits our television screens this weekend and ahead of Sunday's mouth-watering clash, Edward Bretherton looks ahead to the game, and at how the sides have fared in recent spats in the North East.

It's barely 16 months since Kevin Nolan's hat-trick gave Toon an emphatic win at the formerly named St James' Park, something Sunderland fans will still be stricken from, despite their recent surge under Martin O'Neill.




Kevin Nolan became the first player to score a hat-trick in the fixture since Peter Beardsley in 1985.


Credit: here


It's safe to say that Sunderland are a different proposition now. They've lost only four of 16 games since O'Neill took to the helm against Blackburn, including all three games when they haven't scored, but recent victories over Arsenal and Stoke showed that the Black Cats are very much on the up. And don't forget, that's very much without a recognised striker, with Nicklas Bendtner warming the bench continually, and Fraizer Campbell having only just returned from injury. It's not O'Neill's team yet, but it has his values; hard working, hard to beat, energetic, passionate.

Passion is something the North East derby never lacks.



Phil Bardsley was sent off earlier in the season as tempers flared. It was Joey Barton's last game for the club.



Credit: here


Two red cards in the last three games, no fewer than sixteen yellow cards. Expect it to be spicy. Tasty. Nasty.

The Newcastle team itself is somewhat different to last years, who recorded their biggest victory against Sunderland since 1956.

Out have gone Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and Jose Enrique, in have come Davide Santon, Yohann Cabaye, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse.



All smiles at Newcastle. Ba and Cisse have the potential to form a frightful partnership.


Credit: here



Some turn-around and all credit goes to Alan Pardew for turning Newcastle into a European-pushing side again, despite losing some huge players.

And it's not just Alan Pardew who has a lot to shout about this season.

Demba Ba has been magnificent. 16 goals, half at home, and a free transfer too. Now that is shrewd business.

You do wonder how the Senegal striker will take to the action on Sunday, presumably alongside Cisse, in what will probably be their first action of the Tyne Wear derby, with Ba only making the bench in their victory at the Stadium of Light in August.

I don't think Ba knows what a bench is any more, and he doesn't have to.

I've seen Newcastle in person three times this season, and whilst Ba didn't score in the Carling Cup game at Ewood Park, he certainly showed Rovers a thing or two about finishing at St James' (as it was then called) at the start of the season, when he netted his first goals for the club, a hat trick.

It's not just his finishing that has to be admired. His movement is superb. He has that uncanny ability to make late runs, find space, and produce that clinical effort at the end of it. In that way, he reminds me of Michael Owen, in his prime, when he was scoring goals for fun at Liverpool in arguably a better team.

Not only that, his hold up play, ability to bring others into the game, and footballing brain has to be admired. It didn't happen for Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, but he did score on his return, against Aston Villa.

Alan Pardew seemed to suggest after the draw with Wolves that Demba Ba is vital in nurturing Cisse into the club, but you hope that the former Charlton boss has put his attentions into the right man.

Demba Ba is that good, and Newcastle found a steal, despite medical problems when they tried to sign him.

It's not just him that will cause Sunderland problems on Sunday, with Cisse having scored in both of his Newcastle home appearances so far. Some start to a career as a number nine in those illustrious parts.

Indeed, it's been 22 years, and 25 attempts since the Black Cats kept their neighbours out. Surely there will, again, be goals guaranteed on Sunday. You expect one of the Toon strikers might take their chance, if it comes.

Sunderland have only one win in this fixture in their last fourteen efforts, compared to Newcastle's eight but, take away last weekend's capitulation at West Brom, they haven't been conceding many goals neither.

I just feel that Martin O'Neill hasn't quite settled on their midfield yet, and arguably whether there is a place in the team for former captain Lee Cattermole. It seems a straight choice between him and former Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan at the moment, while Craig Garder's another one on the merry-go-round of playing or sitting on the bench.

One player who isn't is James McClean. I don't think anyone would have singled McClean as one to grace the Premier League at the start of the season, but his pace and direct approach has caused all sorts of problems since he made his full debut against Blackburn at the stadium of Light.



James McClean has made a real impact since being given a chance in the Sunderland first team.



Credit; here

He's certainly won over the fans with his four goals in only fifteen appearances, while Stephane Sessegnon continues to shine in what is a free role given to him by Martin O'Neill.

It seems the Africans are thriving in the Premier League. Who knows, maybe Asamoah Gyan might be welcome back now after a change in management at the side he left on loan. Perhaps he could teach Ba and Cisse a few dances...

Let's hope for an entertaining game, but I'm heading to the SDA thinking Newcastle will grind out a 2-1 win, a nerve wracking win, but one where they'll have the chance to prove themselves after throwing away a two goal lead last weekend. It won't be easy, and Sunderland might sneak a draw. But that's the drama of football.

What Has Happened to Jussi Jaaskelainen?

Credit here


Bolton Wanderers.

Second bottom of the Barclays Premier League.

Conceded the second most goals in the division.

Some transformation from last season... a 14th placed league finish... an FA Cup semi final defeat. Times were cosy under Owen Coyle.

Four points from their last five games signals relegation form, yet the quality is there in Coyle's squad for him to turn it around. The fans cling to the Holden hope, when will their USA international midfielder return?

But one player has been taken out of the limelight of late, a key player for seasons on end... Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Jussi has netted twice with clean sheets this season, in eighteen games, and with his contract up at the end of this season, you wonder whether now is the end of the line for the 36 year old Finn.

The goalkeeper signed for Wanderers in November 1997 from VPS Vaasa for a nominal fee of £100,000 and has been a true servant to the club where he has made 529 appearances.

Jaaskelainen has drifted out of the media headlines, with Adam Bogdan taking his place between the sticks after a thigh strain ruled him out for the Christmas period.

Bogdan conceded the most extra-ordinary goal at Goodison Park despite Wanderers picking up all three points.

Credit: here

Wanderers fans might be pleased with their number two goalkeeper Bogdan being given a chance but at the end of the season, errors; including the goal conceded at Goodison Park against Tim Howard, might well be crucial in sending Wanderers down.

It really is that close. Small margins.

As we were reminded at the Emirates at the weekend, class is permanent, and surely it's for the good of Bolton Wanderers that Jussi Jaaskelainen is restored to the line-up as soon as possible.

Unless there's a problem.

One theory, purely my own, is that the big Finn might well have an automatic clause in his contract if he plays so many games. Sitting on 18 games for the season, surely it's not ironic that he's sitting on the bench when Bolton are losing, when one more appearance would have seen him played half of the league season.

The other possibility is that the clause is automatically hit at 20 games, and that Coyle is waiting until the last game of the season to give Jaaskelainen a send off in their final game, away at Stoke, ironically where Wigan stayed up on the final day of the 2010/11 season.

I couldn't see that happening with the situation at the bottom of the Premier League tighter than a pair of kids trousers on a competitor for World's strongest man.

Jaaskelainen's form could be singled out as one of the reasons why Bolton have avoided relegation battles in previous seasons.

Credit: here

It's a big call to give a younger goalkeeper the number one spot half way through the season, like Coyle appears to have done, and while Bolton fans might single his form out as a positive, it seems his presence in the penalty area isn't quite that of Jussi. It's quite simply a big loss. A 6'3'' loss.

And the goalkeeping problem hasn't just shown at Bolton this season, it's shown at Stoke too, where consistency has been thrown out of the window at the Britannia. It might not be directly down to Tony Pulis' inability to pick a number one keeper between Begovic and Sorensen, but chopping and changing the goalkeeper doesn't help even the most talented of defenses in front of him.

I'm sure I won't stand alone in hoping that the English Premier League gets to see Jussi Jaaskelainen at least one last time, he's certainly denied my team victory on numerous occasions, and I am one for giving youngsters a chance, but in desperate times, maybe experience and Premier League quality should shine through. It might just save Bolton Wanderers, and Owen Coyle.

Otherwise it's a bit climb back from the Championship.

Robin rocking the Premier League again

Just how important is Robin Van Persie to Arsenal?



35 league goals in one calendar year, 17 coming at the start of this season. Every one had that air of predictability about it. It had to be the captain who scored.

Had van the man managed to break the long lasting premier league record for goals in a calendar year, set by Alan Shearer, 36, the dutchman would have been well and truly in the history books.

So how important is Van Persie to Arsene Wenger? to Arsenal?

The answer: unquestionably vital.

It must have taken a long hard thought from Wenger to let both Fabregas and Nasri leave last summer, but most Arsenal fans would agree that they have kept the vital element, the vital element that holds Arsenal together and keeps them ticking. The element symbolised RVP.




Nasri and Fabregas both left for different reasons, but RVP's future has never been questioned.




The truth is, as results have shown, the Gunners aren’t the same team without the Dutchman striking fear into the eyes of those opposing him.

27 October 2011 epitomised that. With the North London side at home to Stoke, Wenger left his super star striker on the bench and 67 minutes in, a point looks on the cards for a toothless Gunners.

Cue a substitution. Two goals in nine minutes from van Persie. Put a price on that, Barcelona.

In the first five minutes of coming on, the six foot striker had scored more off the bench than any Blackburn or Bolton sub has this season to date: one. Clinical.




Van Persie has got used to scoring goals for Arsenal.




And despite his Champions League red card last season against Barcelona, Arsenal’s main striker did something that neither Sergio Aguero or Wayne Rooney could; guide his side through to the Champions League knock out stages. Van Persie scored twice in the final group game at home to Borussia Dortmund to guarantee their safe passage through as group winners.

One thing which has to worry the striker and the rest of his team mates is the lack of recent trophies in Arsenal’s trophy room. A lot is made of Arsenal’s failure to hold out under pressure, something they proved in the Carling Cup final last season against Birmingham City, but Wenger’s bred the youngsters and surely another final can only be around the corner.




Van Persie looking dejected after their Carling Cup final defeat last season




It's been the excuse for some time, Arsene Wenger is breeding youngsters, and the youngsters haven't quite stepped up.

But picture this... an Arsenal side without Robin Van Persie.

They may be lingering in or around the top half, but the Champions League, Europe, both out of question.

Out of sight, out of mind.

So what has prompted Wenger to change his style, and buy players more experienced; Per Mertresacker, Mikel Arteta, Gervinho? Surely it's because he has realised nothing can replace experience. Finally.

Regardless of who signs this transfer window (rumours of signing Salomon Kalou have circulated), it is clearly imperative that any system or change in system is based around the Arsenal talisman, their number eleven.




Van Persie has been on fire for Holland too, scoring four times as they beat San Marino 11-0 in a Euro 2012 qualifier.



That includes Thierry Henry, who made a goalscoring return against Leeds United in his Arsenal debut the second time around.

If the system changes, Arsenal lose Van Persie as the player he has become.

And while title hopes have gone again for this season, you have to feel as though Arsene Wenger might finally have got his act together in making a squad able to challenge properly for domestic honours. It won't be this season, but it might be next.




Arsene Wenger has had to find a new backbone in his squad, but it's been frustrating so far for the Frenchman.




It would be refreshing to see Arsenal back at their best, they aren't there at the moment, because they are the best footballing team in the Premier League and they should be winning the trophies that their football often deserves.

Maybe when the next final comes, they can keep their composure.

Back with a bang. Happy new Year

Let me first apologise for the lack of posts over the last six months. I was hoping to have my website ready to publish new stories on, however this has not happened. The blog will now be started again, hope you enjoy it!