A surefire way for Michael Owen to make the England squad, and why Celtic and Rangers will never be welcomed by the Premier League

There is one glaring vacancy in the England squad, outside of goalkeeper: Glenn Johnson's understudy. Luke Young has knocked it back and Gary Neville ... Read more+

Why Fergie won't sell Nani, potential Everton investor alert, and why Jonny Evans red card escape was result of karma

Jaap Stam, Roy Keane and Ruud Van Nistelrooy all bad-mouthed Fergie. David Beckham didn't open his mouth but publicly paraded his stitches after a boo... Read more+

Rafa Benitez is victim of a witch-hunt against foreign managers

Last autumn it was the turn of Juande Ramos to be burnt at the stake.Well, Avram Grant's corpse had been licked clean, so we needed a new heretic. By ... Read more+

Sami Hyypia, not Xabi Alonso, is Liverpool's biggest loss

The general consensus is that a club has never missed a player more badly than Liverpool miss Xabi Alonso. But although he's left a Grand Canyon-sized... Read more+

Patrice Evra must learn to put le sock in it

Every club has a player who likes to mouth off. Quite often he's wrong, and quite often he leaves his fans either cringing or bemused.One such player ... Read more+

Alan Curbishley's chequed out just in time for Hull job

So Alan Curbishley looks like getting £2 million from West Ham, after he walked away from Upton Park when they sold two players behind his back.It's a... Read more+

Losing Jack Rodwell could be last straw at Everton for David Moyes

The two Manchester clubs are reputedly set to compete for the signature of Everton whizzkid Jack Rodwell. But if I were in the Everton hierarchy I'd t... Read more+

John Barnes' taxing mission to Rwanda

On the surface it appears the most bizarre quote you'll ever hear from an agent about an English footballing superstar turned TV celeb: "He has one th... Read more+

Stephen Ireland's hospital pass

Stephen Ireland thought he was about to die after he took a funny turn and was rushed to hospital during the Carling Cup tie with Fulham.Thankfully he... Read more+

Beckham's Law is pain in Spain for Jermaine Pennant

Fabulous news from Spain where the government plans to change what has become known as Beckham's Law.From next year all foreign players who move there... Read more+

How Clive Tyldesley jinxed Liverpool's Champions League hopes

Memo to Clive Tyldesley. I know you're paid to get over-excited about the prospects of English clubs in Europe, and laying on the hype comes pretty na... Read more+

Tottenham's David Bentley should take a lesson in perseverance from Robbie Keane

The summer before last, two big-money stars blinked into the flashbulbs and declared their life-long love for a pair of birds. David Bentley for a coc... Read more+

Sorry Carling... booze has turned your tournament into the Snarling Cup

You've doubtless read this season of the stabbings at West Ham, the mass brawl in Carlisle, and the smashed-up buffet bar at Barnsley.But did you real... Read more+

Freddy Shepherd's bungling has already renamed Toon's home Sid James' Park

Freddy Shepherd has been laying in to his successor at Newcastle after Mike Ashley contemplated selling the naming rights to St James's Park.After pai... Read more+

Players like Diouf in a spit of bother over swine flu

The Health Protection Agency should do a bit more thinking before issuing swine flu warnings to footballers.First, this advice to stop spitting as tha... Read more+

Nothing divine about Liverpool's ponytails

Many wondered why Fabio Capello visited the Emirates on Wednesday when there were only four Englishmen playing. All of them kids with little chance of... Read more+

No surprise to see Royal Mail's Adam Crozier having another bout with strikers

I've always believed football to be a supreme teacher of life lessons.Take the postal dispute, with people asking 'where is the leader of the Royal Ma... Read more+

Rafa Benitez is Alex Ferguson - just 20 years later

One man inside Anfield tomorrow will know, better than any other, the pressure Rafa Benitez is under.Someone who understands just how isolated a manag... Read more+

Shove your sky high wages, I'd rather have been a poor pro in the 70s

I've asked many footballers from the 60s, 70s and 80s if they resent the unbelievable sums of money "earned" by today's players, many of whom are not ... Read more+

David Moyes' refusal to blame defeat on injuries shows he is a class act

The next time you hear a manager blame a defeat on injuries (you've only got until tea-time to wait) think of David Moyes. And laugh.His Everton side ... Read more+

Why Arsene Wenger was spot on to turn down Real Madrid

One manager who was always on his way the second Florentino Perez regained ownership of Real Madrid was Manuel Pellegrini.Now that his Real Madrid sid... Read more+

England will need bullet-proof vests in South Africa - if they go out at the quarter-finals again

The German Football Federation has swiftly denied reports that they will force their players to wear bullet-proof vests whenever they leave their hote... Read more+