Darren Fletcher Hopes To Draw England In Qualifiers

Image Credit Flickr User AtilatheHun

Darren Fletcher has today insisted that he would love to lock horns with the English should the Three Lions be drawn in the same group as Scotland when the World Cup qualifying draw is picked this Saturday in Rio. England could face Craig Levein’s Scotland with Fabio’s men being drawn in pot one and the Scots in pot four where both sides could battle it out for a place in the 2014 finals in Brazil.

"I would love to play them," Fletcher told BBC Scotland

"It is not something I would be fearful of, rather it is time we were playing them again.

"It would mean some banter on the Manchester United training ground with guys like Rooney and Ferdinand - and maybe a couple of solid kicks aimed at team-mates.

"But I think it would be good for the Scottish players and fans. It would be a massive game for us.

"I remember the Euro play-off at Hampden and Wembley in 1999 and it was fantastic to beat them, although we lost on aggregate to two goals from Paul Scholes."

Fletcher is currently battling is way back to fitness after missing the Premier League run-in and Champions League final, but the Scot is full of confidence that Scotland can make the Euro 2012 finals next year.
Scotland face a double-header European Qualifiers against Czech Republic and Lithuania which Scotland’s assistant Peter Houston describes as must-win games if they are to qualify.

He added; "I believe we can get to the play-off.

"Every game is a must win game and sometimes it is good when you know where you stand.

"You dream as a kid of playing for your country in a finals, whether it is World Cup or Euro, and I would hate it if when it is all over I never featured in either.

"But there is no denying the (World Cup) draw could bring us a group of death.

"It is not good being in pot four, but circumstances, including bad results in friendlies, have brought it upon us. All these things add up.

"However, we are a good side. More and more of the lads are coming down to England and playing at the top level.

"When everyone is fit Scotland have a very good core of a team.

"Charlie Adam, for example, was outstanding last season. 

"He is a talisman. Everyone is talking about him. He took the Premiership by storm."

England U20 World Cup Team Accosted at Bogota Airport

It looked as if there may have been trouble at Bogota airport yesterday when security was massively increased for the arrival of the England under 20 World Cup Squad.

In fact the squad were given a very Columbian welcome by a host of female police officers who had gathered at the airport with the specific intention of making the team’s arrival as fun as possible.

As the girls ran towards the players it did look for a moment as if the entire team were just about to be arrested and detained but it was simply the keenness of the young ladies to engage the English lads in a swift salsa before they made their way to their hotel.

They certainly weren't expecting to be accosted by the Columbian police in this manner!

The boys took to the floor but to be honest, we think they need to brush up a little on their Latin dance skills. Let's just hope that the English Under 21s show even better movement on the pitch!

Phil Jones: We Were Not Good Enough

Phil Jones has today said that England deserved to go out of the Under 21 European Championships. The English team failed to beat the Czechs in tonight's game in which England needed a win to proceed into the next phase, the semi finals, of the tournament.

Jones, 19, was captain for the night but England suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic. "I'm gutted, we're so disappointed in there," he said.

"That's probably the best we've played all tournament but we can't really come out and say we were unlucky because we weren't good enough to stick the ball in the net on occasions when we should have.

"The lads are absolutely gutted in there but we've got to carry on from this and it will only make us strong and we can improve from it."

Danny Welbeck put England in front with 14 minutes remaining with a headed goal from a Daniel Sturridge cross, but a spectacular late collapse saw the Czechs get back into the game on the 89th minute, before producing a winner with the final kick of the game.

"It was just a matter of seeing it out and we couldn't do that," said Jones. "I'm speechless, I don't know what to say.

"Maybe we'll look back at it tomorrow when emotions have died down a bit but we're just so disappointed."
The Manchester United new signing added: "We were training well, we were well prepared for this tournament. I wouldn't say we didn't play well, but we didn't play as well as we could have done."

He also said: "It's a massive honour to captain your country at any level and tonight was brilliant for me, but it's been tarnished a bit by the result in the end."

Carlos Tevez Wants To Remain At City

Carlos Tevez' agent has suggested that he expects his client to be a Manchester City player next season. There has been a lot of speculation regarding the player’s future after Tevez revealed that he is eager to leave England and be closer to his family in his native Argentina.

His representative, Kia Joorabchian, has claimed the forward is now prepared to stay as he is ready to bring his family over to Manchester from South America.

"I don't think speculation about Carlos leaving is fair at the moment," Joorabchian said. "I don't think money is a consideration.

"Maybe it's a case of his family coming over to him. That's something he's trying to sort out. I'm sure in the next week he will sort the family issue out.

"Once he does, he will announce it and everyone will be in a better place."

Joorabchian claims that Tevez has not asked to leave the Eastlands club and remains committed to Manchester City. The Argentine helped City win the FA Cup last season and now wants to help the club win more silverware.

"Carlos has always had a goal. The goal was that City needed to get into the Champions League and win a trophy," added Joorabchian.

"And they won a trophy and achieved that goal. Now that has given him a tremendous feeling. He held that trophy with a lot of pride.

"If you look at the team they are going to get stronger and stronger and, if Carlos stays, they would be my favourite to win the title.

"I'm sure that will be a factor in his mind and, the fact that City fans have embraced him, will count for a lot along with his great relationship with the supporters.

"I think all these factors will be positives for him to stay. Carlos has not made any decision to move.
"We have not asked to leave the club."

Kenny Dalglish Slams The Premier League

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has criticised the Premier League for announcing that the first round of the Carling Cup will be played three days after international fixtures, the Anfield outfit kick-off the campaign against Sunderland on 13th August which is just days after England face Holland in a friendly.

Speaking on Liverpool’s official website, the Scot said; "I would ask why the season is starting on a Saturday when there are international friendlies the midweek before.

"Clubs are doing their best to bring in good players and that usually means they are international players.
"There is a free week after the first weekend so I don't understand why we can't start the season on a Sunday to prevent players having to travel back on a Wednesday night in time for a Saturday start.

"If you are going to have international games then have them. But surely it makes sense to put the league games back a day if it's possible. To me it's common sense."

John Terry reveals injury woe

Terry struggling with nerve pain

Chelsea captain John Terry has revealed the he has been struggling with a nerve pain in his leg which kept him out of Chelsea's 3-0 defeat to Sunderland at the weekend, the defender has also been withdrawn from the England squad when they face France in a friendly match tomorrow night and is expected to miss Chelsea's game against Birmingham at the weekend.

The 29 year old is due to see a couple of specialists in hope of finding a cue to his long-standing injury, insisting that the injury has worsened in recent weeks and that the time has come to have a rest.

"It started towards the end of last season, but with Chelsea being in the mix until the day of the FA Cup final, I didn't have the chance to rest or pull out of games. Then I went straight to the World Cup with England.

"I had three weeks' rest after that and thought I would come back without it, but since then it has got worse and worse.

"It has been manageable up until the last two weeks, but when we played Fulham I stretched to win the ball against Clint Dempsey and it got a lot worse.

"It is at a point where I can't carry on with it. I used to be able to make it through games because the adrenaline gets going and you blank the pain out, but now there really is no decision to make.

"After games I am in agony and not sleeping at all. I used to play with pain at seven out of 10. Now it's 10 out of 10. I need to take a few weeks rest, see a couple of specialists and solve the problem."

Terry received epidural treatment last week, but the injury failed to improve and the defender is not sure when he will return to action, he added, "The epidural could have helped with the pain for between six weeks and two years. They said it works on 75 per cent of cases, but unfortunately I am in the other 25 per cent.

"Basically, I am trying whatever is suggested. I'm at my wits' end.

"I know I won't play on Saturday against Birmingham City, but beyond that there are no clues. It could be weeks, it could be months."

Kevin Davies shock England call-up

Bolton forward Kevin Davies in the shock inclusion for Fabio Capello's England squad for the European qualifiers against Montenegro coming up next week, the robust striker has long been linked with an international chance after impressing for the Trotters in recent years and now got his call-up to international football.

West Ham's Robert Green and Liverpool's Joe Cole have also been recalled to the Squad. Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has also been included despite revelations about his private life still hitting the headlines. John Terry returns to the England setup after missing out last time due to injury. With Emile Heskey snubbing a return to England, Davies has now been given the chance to prove himself at this level.

England currently sit top of Group G and have made a 100 per cent start to their qualifying campaign after wins against Bulgaria and Switzerland.


England squad in full:

Ben Foster (Birmingham City), Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City); Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa); Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Joe Cole (Liverpool), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa); Darren Bent (Sunderland), Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Kevin Davies (Bolton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Sol Campbell keen on England return

Sol Campbell has refused to accept his England playing days are over and is keen to fight his way back in to the Three Lions. Newcastle new-boy is currently getting back to full fitness and has expressed his desire to get back playing for England. Campbell was overlooked for the World Cup finals in South Africa and has been over looked for the upcoming Euro Qualifiers.

"I think it all comes down to who is at the helm and the people behind the associations," Campbell said.

"They are going to make all the decisions and it is also the mentality of the nation. You go to Italy and defenders and goalkeepers can go on and on and on really.

"You can roll the names off of the guys who have played well into their late 30s at international level so I think it sometimes goes down to mentality.

"It doesn't matter where you are at with your age, if you are fit and you are strong and you are physically there and you want it, then you have got the experience so I think there should be no problem really."

Alastair Cook scores a century

Under fire batsman Alastair Cook has scored a century for England against Pakistan in the third test match, Cook has come under fire recently follow his lack of runs while at the crease and it is thought that he could lose his place in the England team should his lack of runs continue. But the Essex batsman has responded in good fashion hitting a century while still at the crease as England are leading by 69 runs as they continue their fight back.

CRICKET: Strauss warns England

England captain Andrew Strauss has warned his team not to underestimate Pakistan in the 1st test at Trent Bridge on Thursday, Strauss has vowed for his team to keep their eyes on the ball. Pakistan are coming off a great victory over Australia in a recent test match at Headingley and Salman Butt's men will be hoping for the same against England.

"It's a big challenge," Strauss told Sky Sports News.

"We saw against Australia that the Pakistan side is dangerous one full of talent. They are used to conditions so was don't have that to surprise them.

"We are going to have to be at our best to win it and that's a good thing for us, not only ahead of the Ashes, but generally because we want to play at our best and hopefully beat the best.

"In some ways it's a precursor because there's a lot of attention towards the Ashes and we can understand that.

"It's wrong to look at any series and look beyond it. All we can do is play well in the series, win the series and go from this series to Australia with a lot of confidence.

"To start looking at Australia at this stage is not helpful."

FOOTBALL: New England Soccer Team Sponsorship Announced - EXCLUSIVE

This morning the England Manager Fabio Capello unveiled the new sponsors who will fund the England team over the next few years by the discrete placement of their logos on the England football shirt.  Postman Pat Capello announced, in an astonishing and audacious advertising move that the team will be sponsored by no less than three companies.  The first is petroleum firm Total, the second the clothing brand fcuk and lastly the parcel service UPS.  That means that TOTAL, FCUK, UPS will now be ensured as the organisation willing to dig in their pockets for the future advertising revenue of the English National Team.

Hurrah for England!