HAGL eyes multibillion-dollar revenue from Myanmar

Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group (HAGL) is expecting to earn billions of dollars over the next five years from its $ 300 million initial investment in Myanmar this year.

The real estate developer will prioritize the development of its complex $ 300 million in Yangon in 2013 following the innovative project after the Lunar New Year, President Doan Nguyen Duc said HAGL.

HAGL and Ministry of Hotels and Tourism on December 18 Myanmar struck a BOT (build-operate-transfer) contract and an agreement to lease land to build the complex, the Hoang Anh Gia Myanmar Lai Center, which consists of a hotel five star hotels, a shopping mall, office building and apartments for rent.

HAGL said he had granted permission to lease a plot of 8 hectares in downtown Yangon, adding that all legal proceedings on the side of Myanmar are completed.

"If we hurry that [the project], we pocketing US $ billions when the housing market in Myanmar is heated during the next five years," Duc said.

"Over the past three years, the real estate markets in Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi have been at freezing point, 0 degrees Celsius, but the Southeast Asian market recently opened is 18-20 degrees Celsius."

"It's going to be around 80 degrees Celsius by 2018, an ideal choice for real estate developers temperature," he added.

Initially, the first phase of the project to be completed in 2013-2015 was planned. However, Duc has changed its tactics for HAGL can complete the first phase in 2013 and put into operation in 2014.

Currently, HAGL is gradually exporting building materials Vietnam to Myanmar. It is expected that the project will consume 30,000 tons of steel and 200,000 tons of cement and other building materials such as wood, stone, glass, aluminum and bricks from Vietnamese companies.

Duc, the second richest in the stock market of Vietnam man said that it is cheaper to transport construction materials needed from the headquarters of HAGL to work to Ho Chi Minh City, and the average salary of Myanmar unskilled workers is half of what they are in Vietnam.

However, the resource is not in the shipping cost of building materials, but the high prices of real estate there, that are 4.3 times higher than the Vietnam due to tight supply, according to a survey of two years at home.

Specifically, rents offices Grade A and Grade B in Yangon were $ 100 and $ 80 per m2 per month, 3.3 times and 4 times higher than in Ho Chi Minh City.

Renting an apartment 60 m2 bedroom is $ 5,000 per month, about 2.5 times higher than in Vietnam. The rate for 2-3 bedrooms to rent is up to $ 8,000 a month.

A stay in an old 4-star hotel cost $ 300-400 per night, and are always fully booked due to a shortage of supply.

At these rates, HAGL can earn $ 300 million annually to lease 1,000 apartments in the complex. You can rake in $ 100 million a block of office buildings a year after the first draft was completed.

A block of office buildings can be exploited for 7-10 years, so the revenue this is only about 700 million to $ 1 billion in total, he added.

Is Van Persie Slipping Sadly Into The Night?

Turning 32 in August and with his performances on the wane, have we lost the Robin van Persie we once knew? Remember the majesty of 2012/13, not the decline...

Jordan Henderson's form during Liverpool's resurgence has been notable, but so too has his inability to make his mark on the international stage. The time is now...

Joe Hart is England's best goalkeeper for some time, and yet he's treated with widespread disdain. Daniel Storey is scratching his head at this state of affairs...

Absence is supposed to make the heart grow fonder, but one would forgive Robin van Persie for doubting that maxim. The Manchester United striker has targeted the derby against Manchester City on April 12 as his return date from an ankle injury. Cue shifty looks between supporters who stare at the ground awkwardly. There is an elephant in the room: United are better off without Van Persie.
The striker's ankle injury has coincided with United's finest performances of the season, Marouane Fellaini excelling behind Wayne Rooney with Juan Mata and Ashley Young providing the width. With Van Persie in the side United have taken 1.83 points per game this season, without him 2.4. The latter figure is based on an admittedly small sample, but there has been a fluidity and verve to United's play in Van Persie's absence. That will be deeply concerning for a striker approaching his 32nd birthday.
In the age when everything must be judged as hot or not, top or flop, hit or s**t, there is no doubt that United have got their value from Van Persie. Bought in the summer of 2012 as an expensive set of earplugs, the Dutchman promptly silenced the noisy neighbours. This was a statement of intent from Alex Ferguson, who broke the mould to pay £24m for a 29-year-old. Pipe down, Roberto Mancini.
Given the momentous events towards the end of that season, it's easy to overlook just how wonderful Van Persie was as United won the league. The club's only league ever-present, his goalscoring surged Fergie's side towards the title, an astonishing extended period of . Van Persie retained the Premier League Golden Boot, was named United's Player of the Season and merited inclusion on UEFA's ten-man shortlist for the Best Player in Europe award.
"He has had as big an impact as anyone I can imagine," said Ferguson after the title was secured. Eric Cantona was an incredible impact player and I have been very, very lucky in that I have had some fantastic strikers right through, probably ten great strikers at the club. I remember Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger saying to me 'he's better than you think' when we concluded the deal. He was right."
It was always likely that there would be a lull in Van Persie's form in the aftermath of Ferguson's retirement and David Moyes' subsequent tenure. "My decision to come to Manchester was partly because of the presence of Ferguson, or excuse me, Sir Alex," the Dutchman said in November. "He told me he'd stay for another three years." He sounds like a forlorn son, wrapped tightly in a duffle coat outside his school as the evening draws in, waiting on the promise of an absent father who will never turn up.
The stench of disappointment that enveloped Old Trafford last season affected Van Persie as much as anyone, but 2014/15 brought cause for meaningful optimism. The combination of Louis van Gaal and his international captain was labelled as a meeting of minds. "We have a very strong bond," said Van Persie. "It has been good since day one."
If anything, that undersold the connection between United's new manager and his striker. After initially dropping Van Persie following his appointment after Euro 2012, Van Gaal then reinstated him as Netherlands captain and first-choice striker ahead of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The pair attended Eredivisie matches together to study tactical systems. Upon his arrival at Old Trafford, Van Persie was mooted as a likely replacement for Patrice Evra as captain. It has not gone well since.
Van Persie's form hasn't been catastrophic, of course. The season started with injury, but by December the striker seemed to have regained his old swing. "Over the past couple of weeks I've been feeling very well physically," Van Persie said after scoring twice against Southampton. "I feel like I can make more runs and keep things going up until the last bit of the game. I feel good and I don't think it's a coincidence that the goals are flowing in much better now." That night remains the high point of his season.
The contrast between Van Persie's 2012/13 and 2014/15 seasons make for predictably unflattering reading. Under Ferguson, Van Persie averaged 47 touches, 3.4 shots and 1.9 shots on target per 90 minutes played. For this season those statistics are reduced to 35 touches, 2.6 shots and 1.4 shots on target, a drop of 26%, 24% and 26% respectively. Van Persie has become a quarter less involved in play in two years.
The nagging thought is that Van Persie is not just out of form, but starting an irrevocable wane. 'Once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed' may be a sugary inspirational quote, but is nonsensical in footballing terms. At 31, Van Persie is United's second oldest appearance maker this season.
Van Persie's issue is exacerbated by his environment. While he ages, the Premier League increasingly becomes a younger man's game. Of the 21 players with eight or more goals this season, the Dutchman is the oldest by two years at least. Of the top 18 PL scorers this season, 12 are at least half a decade younger than Van Persie. To adapt the proverb, inside every old footballer is a young player wondering what happened. When did he become a veteran?
There is something incredibly melancholy about watching any footballer on the wane, desperate to match past achievements but with an irretrievably weaker hand. To watch as the leaves fall during the autumn of a career is to see something symbolic and sad, but uncontrollable. Time and tide wait for no man.
A declining striker raises more sympathy than most. Even a 5% loss of attributes and influence can convert the world-class to also-ran. Like an old singer still belting out the classics in an off-key croak, it is deeply uncomfortable to witness.
"When you hit 30, and you're having a bad spell, everyone says it's because you're 30 or 31 and things might be over for you," said Van Persie in December. "I don't think it's an age thing. I live a quiet life for my football and I'm almost convinced now that I will play for many years to come at the highest level." If age is indeed an issue of mind over matter, he has nothing to fear. But it isn't.
I'd love him to be right. But to watch Van Persie during United's 2012/13 title-winning season was to witness something wonderful, the perfect blend of power, technique and desire to finally win the league. That now seems consigned to yesterday.
Elements of his splendour still exist. All the ingredients may briefly collide from time to time, an occasional flash of brilliance to make you stand up and applaud. But increasingly they become a reminder of what went before, rather than what might be again.
Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dimitar Berbatov and Louis Saha were all sold by United at a younger age than Van Persie is now. While James Wilson offers an exciting glimpse of the future, Van Persie faces a battle to ensure that he does not become part of the past.

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Ripe Robin Still Has A Role To Play

There is some support for the aging Robin van Perise in a frankly threadbare Mailbox. Also, more debate over homegrown players, with a suggestion of an import tax...

Age Concern For Robin
While I'm sure some of the language may have been appropriated from loftier sources, I'd like to commend published today. I've been an avid reader of pretty much everything F365 has posted over the past 10 years, and I cannot remember a better written and (gasp) more moving article written on the subject of ageing players.

The list of players who objectively improved in their later years is relatively scant, particularly with today's microscopic study of any and all measureable variables in a player's game. Improvement in later years is often put down to a better understanding of the game, the fabled "football brain", which, particularly for attacking players, is by oft associated with increasing subtlety in a player, highlighted by greater efficiency in movement and use of the ball, both of which will reduce what seems to be key statistics in today's game; touches and distance covered.

As the game becomes more and more of an athletic contest, with supposed superhuman athletes like Ronaldo and Bale providing a template for the modern player, one hopes that there will always be room for a veteran in any team, someone that the fans can relate to, particularly those of us the wrong side of 30 with dodgy knees and sore backs.

Do not go quietly into that good night Robin...

...Reading your , I don't feel gives him the credit he deserves. Yes, it hasn't been a great season for him by any stretch. Just to kick the elephant out of the room, no I do not want him in the United starting XI for the City game.

Coming back from two injuries (I think....) is hard for any player, especially a player who is as broken as RVP. That one season for United (he was the top goal scorer) has been his only non-injury season and he performed at a top level. This season he has played 24 games and scored 10 coming back from injuries this is normally a promising record.

As heis a striker lets rate him on goals, he is the second top goal scorer for United, so why shouldn't he have his chance to play? Looking at the fantasy league he is joint third on points (with Mata.....when did that happen...?) for United

The article says they gained more points without RVP than with, however those games with RVP we were trying to force the 3-5-2 (not the 3-4-3 which spanked Madrid pre season...) and then the diamond 4-1-2-1-2 which was nice but at a very slow pace. You cant blame a striker for slow build up play, especially as I imagine he was the top scorer for United at the time.

He shouldn't start in the starting XI as United seem to have found their flow without him. Give him a chance to prove himself, stick him back into this 4-3-3 and I don't think United would suffer to badly.
Stoky-Boy


Cream. Sh-Boogie Bop
The topic du jour right now appears to be Greg Dyke and how we do what we can to make sure that talented English youngsters realise their potential and so give us a chance to do well in international competitions. Now this is a complex situation and when presented with complex situations my modus operandi is to analyse it and get to the very crux of the matter. I have found this approach has served me well. So in this situation I believe the overriding issue is this - does the cream rise to the top?

The issue of foreigners in England has been around for quite a while now but I have always felt that if a player was good enough then they are very likely to find their way somehow into a position where they will be recognised as such. Yes, some clubs give opportunities to youngsters more than others but if a player is good enough he will be wanted elsewhere and given a chance to show what he can do. So, am I right to think this? In terms of England squads we really only need 40-50 making regular appearances in the Premier League to choose from as in theory these should be the best available to us no matter what. Who cares if foreigners are taking every other space available as they're only blocking players we probably don't need because there are 40-50 better than them?

Until (who else) Harry Kane and to a lesser extent Ryan Mason came along I was pretty convinced I was right. These players were not getting the opportunity to show what they could do, their cream hadn't risen, so to speak. Perhaps they would have genuinely benefitted from quotas that maybe would have artificially got them onto the pitch but once there their performances speak for themselves. I'm struggling to come to a definitive conclusion here because probably there isn't one. Where there is no doubt though is looking at a different solution to the problems of the England team. A year ago Greg Dyke made some comments that completely missed the mark. I wrote a mail to you that wasn't printed (a fate likely to be shared with this one) that he should be concentrating on grass roots coaching where skillful, technical players were prioritised over those who happened to be bigger or faster than the rest. If we can improve this situation then it matters less whether or not their route to the top is impeded by a foreigner or two because we will have more cream to begin with.
Jim, Stansted
Thinking about Greg Dyke's war to rid English football of johnny foreigner's campaign of forcing the English national team to bottle every major international tournament they compete in since the birth of the PL era, perhaps a compromise could be found.

Of course the influence of foreign players should have evolved young English players technique and raised the bar and added quality to the top league. However there does appear to be a lot of rubbish being imported at the same time. That is unavoidable in some cases. The reason is probably due to English players premium price tags.

How about a registration tax on imports? Not sure on the rates. 50% would seem high but discounts could be applied for international caps etc. Maybe the clubs will only go for the best foreign talent or be forced to consider taking a chance on young English players instead of risking higher costs on exotic but sometimes fruitless investments.
Dickie




...In response to Mike, Edinburgh, I want to cite the example that you used. Coquelin is another success story, but he is not English. Kane is phenomenal, while Mason has been good but great. More impressive than Mason (and a player that Sherwood can actually take credit for) is Nabil Bentaleb. He has been crucial for the Spurs midfield, but again, he is not English.

Young players are certainly being given a chance, but seems like the English ones just aren't making the cut. Take a look at Chambers, a youngster given a run in the Arsenal first team before being overshadowed by the very impressive and very French Bellerin.

Like it has been mentioned time and time again, it's a coaching problem, not a foreigners-taking-our-jobs problem. Take a look at recent young English players who have/are getting first team football and what they bring to their teams. Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Andros Townsend, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott - all very fast.

Walcott was often criticised for poor finishing and crossing, Rose and Walker have been called in this very mailbox the worst full back fairing in the league, Townsend is horrible, we all know what happened with Andy Carroll, etc. But at least they've got a bit of pace right? And don't forget about midfield stars Livermore and Rodwell. At the same time, players like Mata and Berbatov are lambasted for their lack of pace despite oozing skill with the ball.

Removing foreigners doesn't make Kyle Walker a good full-back or Smalling as good as Varane. It's only going to force Chelsea to sign Matt Jarvis instead of Cuadrado as a backup winger. And honestly, Kane was a total fluke. He didn't impress in any of his loan spells and no one could have seen his form coming. He must've made a deal with the devil or something.
Carlos, Peru




Ta Ra, Theo
If Theo is right, and there is no rift regarding his contract, then the only reason he is not starting is that he isn't rated as highly as the players that are. With Sanchez, Cazorla and Ozil, that's fair enough, but Danny Welbeck and the Ox (when fit) were being picked ahead of him. He is now at the same level in the pecking order as 34-year-old Rosicky.

If we get a decent offer this summer, I can see Theo on his way out. I'm not sure how I feel about this because I think he does offer something the others don't with his excellent running off the ball, but I guess maybe Wenger has finally had enough and no longer thinks we need him.
Adonis (is the proper football back yet?) Stevenson, AFC




Hart Problem
The reason (English) people view Joe Hart with "widespread disdain" - an exaggeration, I think, but anyway - is the same reason English football fans eventually view the majority of their players with widespread disdain.

A few years ago, commentators, pundits and those fans who had apparently never seen any other goalkeepers play were regularly referring to Hart Dog as the best goalkeeper in the world. This was ludicrous. It then turned out he wasn't that good, so the fans swung the exaggeration dial back the other way and decided he was rubbish and also a bit of a nob. This is forever and ever the pattern of English football fans with newly emerging players. Say they're the best something in the world, realise they're not, get angry about it.

From reading your mailbox the last week or so, it seems it's already started to happen with poor little Raheem Sterling and the guy's barely 20. At least Hart Dog got past his mid-twenties before everyone dismissed him.
Stephen O'S, MUFC

Retro Action
The red card that was originally shown to Gareth McAuley has been transferred to his team-mate Craig Dawson. Referee Neil Swarbrick admitted that he made a mistake in incorrectly identifying McAuley as the guilty party. How did Neil come to this realisation? Did he have a post match epiphany whereby the heavens were opened and his mistake was revealed to him? Was he told unanimously by all of his friends and family, by well-wishers and passersby that he had made a mistake, causing him to bow to overwhelming pressure and changing his decision? Or is it just possible, however far-fetched and ridiculous this may sound, that he watched a replay of the incident? Watching a replay would have given him empirical evidence that the decision he made on the field was incorrect. Without a replay it's all just a matter of opinion. Without a replay there is no opportunity for him to identify his mistake.

Martin Skrtel has been charged by the FA for a stamp on David De Gea at the end of the match on Sunday. Did referee Martin Atkinson not see the incident? Of course he saw it, the ball was rolling toward the keeper and Skrtel was racing after it to try and get there first. Where else would the referee have been looking if not at a crucial incident that if timed slightly differently could have cost Manchester United two points? So if the referee saw the incident and decided not to make any call, how is that that Skrtel is serving a three match ban? Clearly while the referee saw the incident as a whole he missed a vital aspect of it, the stamp by Skrtel on De Gea's leg. The FA has reviewed video of the incident and decided to suspend the Liverpool defender for three games.

In both cases the subsequent calls were the correct ones. The case of mistaken identity in the West Brom game is obvious, and so it's a no brainer to transfer the ban. The violent conduct charge may be a little more open to interpretation, but that too seems pretty clear and I don't think Skrtel has much cause for complaint.

How are these incidents any different than others that we see in matches every week? "I saw player X foul the attacker denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, so I sent him off" seems very similar to "I saw player X commit a foul in the penalty area, and so I called a penalty". In the first case where the offender was actually player Y retroactive action can be taken, in the second case if the attacker has dived in the area when no contact was made it cannot.

Other sports have implemented reviews in critical situations to ensure they get decisions correct. Rugby has it, so does cricket, tennis, NFL football, NHL hockey and now Major League baseball. I'm not honestly that convinced that instant replay should be added into football, but if the officials in other sports can admit that they are not 100% sure of their decision in the heat of battle, why can't the FA consider the possibility that their referees may not always make the right decisions?

The FA has indicated that it wants to clamp down on diving, and it seems to me the best way is to punish offenders if they are found guilty after the fact. Just because they are able to fool the referee on the field, shouldn't mean that they can get away with it.

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New injury blow for Sturridge

Daniel Sturridge could be out of action for a month after Roy Hodgson revealed the Liverpool striker had suffered a ‘slight muscle tear’.

Daniel Sturridge: New injury setback for Liverpool striker

Sturridge, who pulled out of the England squad ahead of Friday’s Euro qualifier against Lithuania, suffered the injury against Manchester United last Sunday.

If the injury is confirmed by his club, Sturridge, who has already missed a large part of the season because of injury, is likely to sit out much of April.

That would see him miss Liverpool's trip to the Emirates on April 4 to face Arsenal, their FA Cup quarter final replay against Blackburn and a potential semi-final against Aston Villa at Wembley.

Hodgson said: "I’m disappointed for Daniel because he didn't really feel that it was any problem.

"When he did the scan he was devastated as he didn't want to leave. He has a slight tear and you can't play through that."

Meanwhile, Sky Sports football expert Tony Gayle believes Sturridge must make sure that he returns to action when he is 100 per cent fit.

"It's a shame for the boy actually because he's chasing it," he told The Morning View. "You get one injury, you come back and you get compensatory injuries of that injury you had in the first place and you kind of chase it and chase the form you were in as well.

"Sharpness in a striker is such an important thing - that half a second thinking time - or that ability to press the button and accelerate away.

"Since he's come back from the injury, he's lost just that little bit of sharpness - still a very good player and he'll be back again - but take your time, make sure you're right and come back when you're spot on I think."

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Hodgson urges 'keepers to shine

England manager Roy Hodgson has told goalkeepers across the country now is their chance to put themselves in the frame for the national No 1 jersey.

England manager Roy Hodgson during a training session

With Southampton's Fraser Forster ruled out for up to nine months because of injury, adding to the similar long-term loss of West Bromwich Albion's Ben Foster, Hodgson needs back-up for Joe Hart. 

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday ahead of Friday's European Qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley, Hodgson was staying tight-lipped about any of his starting XI, but he highlighted the position of goalkeeper as one where preparations had not gone as he had hoped.

He said: "The competition for places is really hotting up except in the area of goalkeeping, of course.

"We thought we had three top-class goalkeepers that we were convinced were the right ones but now we only have one."

He said he was devastated for Forster and had been in touch with him since his injury, with a similar story for Foster.

Hodgson added: "I suppose, like all of these situations, it's now an opportunity for every other goalkeeper in the country to really start showing me and my coaching staff you don't need to worry because we're here.

"In the past, we've missed people and thought, hard to replace, and then other people have come along and shown they're capable of doing the job.

"We're very sad for Fraser and Ben, we do believe in them, we do trust that they'll be back, but in the meantime we're going to have to solve our problem elsewhere."

Hodgson said he was pleased, on the other hand, to see other players coming back into the squad from injuries and was happy overall.

He said: "At the start of the week, we suffered a few setbacks but luckily the squad's large enough to cope with that."

England are top of Group E with four wins from as many matches and will be expected to extend their 100 per cent record against Lithuania.

Refering jokingly to the furore this week about journalists having seen a scrap of paper in his hand with his players' names on it, the England manager took out a sheet of paper on which he said he had written the Lithuanian players' names.

He said he and his players had studied their opponents, adding: "We think we know enough about them. I guess it's pretty obvious people know more about Premier League players than we do about them.

"I hope we know enough and most importantly our players are prepared to do what we want to do and play the game we want to play and hope that will cause Lithuania the problems that we intend to cause them."

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Terry signs new Chelsea deal

Chelsea defender John Terry has signed a new one-year contract to stay at the club until summer 2016.

John Terry: Has signed a new one-year Chelsea deal

The 34-year-old's existing deal was set to expire at the end of this season and the new deal is in line with Chelsea's policy of offering those over the age of 30 only one-year deals.

After coming through the academy ranks, the Blues club captain has made 661 appearances since his debut in 1998, scoring a club record 63 goals for a defender. 

Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham at the beginning of the month brought Terry his 13th major honour.

He has won a Champions League, Europa League, three Premier League titles, five FA Cups and three League Cups in a distinguished career.

Terry played 78 times for England, scoring six goals, in a nine-year international career and he said: "I'm delighted to have signed an extension to my contract with Chelsea.

"After adding another major trophy to my collection this month I hope myself, the players and manager can continue to bring success to our club.

"Playing for this great club makes me so proud. And as always I would like to thank the fans who have continually supported me."

Jose Mourinho said: "This new contract is not to say “thank you very much”; it is because John continues to perform.

"He is a top defender. I am happy that he completely deserves this new contract after a season where he has already played 40 matches."

Chelsea entered the international break with a six-point advantage over nearest rivals Manchester City, with a game in-hand, in the race for the 2014/15 Premier League title.

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Graham Taylor: An Unfairly Tainted Reputation

In a game of Graham Taylor word association, the word 'turnip' will come up pretty quickly. That unfairly dismisses a lovely man, and brilliant manager...

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Here's a piece of free advice; don't become England manager. Granted, that little piece of sage wisdom will not apply to most of you, but it's worth keeping in mind in case something improbable happens, or if you are a professional football manager. You might think you can do a decent job, but it will almost certainly not be decent enough.
For the England gig makes monkeys of the best men. Or, shall we say, it makes perceived monkeys of the best men. Bobby Robson was so sick of the way he was treated in the press that he binned it off before Italia 90, a successful tournament that, if Bobby wasn't such a lovely bloke, you would think was just one colossal 'f**k you' to the men from the papers. Steve McClaren became defined by an entirely sensible item of weather protection, Sven Goran Eriksson by Little Sven and Glenn Hoddle by some reprehensible views about karma and so forth. Even Fabio Capello, iron man of European football, couldn't be arsed by the whole thing in the end. It is, as the old documentary said, an impossible job.
The subject of said documentary is probably the worst example of the whole thing. Graham Taylor was, as you'll remember, reduced to a root vegetable on the front of the Sun after some admittedly abysmal showings in the World Cup qualifiers, his reaction to which was unfortunately captured on film for future generations to laugh at..
And, in fairness, watching a man who resembled a minor local councillor sidle up to a linesman to say "Tell your pal he's just cost me my job" was, on some levels, quite funny. The problem is that this sort of thing has a habit of taking over the common image of person, to throw their previous achievements onto a bonfire like it's some sort of schadenfreudean rewriting of history and become the predominant perception of them.
Because Taylor was, before being gobbled up by the dignity mincer that was and still is the England job, a seriously brilliant manager. His gig before being called to Lancaster Gate (ask your parents) was with Aston Villa, who he took from the Second Division to damn near winning the league in three seasons. But it is his time at Watford that should really define the man.
Taylor took over at Vicarage Road in 1977 when the Hornets were in the Fourth Division, having turned down top flight West Brom basically because they were rude in the manner they approached him. He told Elton John, who had recently become chairman of his boyhood club, that if he could get them to the First Division within ten years, that would represent success. He managed it in five.
And, once there, they implausibly finished second in their first season, only behind Bob Paisley's Liverpool, irritating all and sundry along the way with their rather direct style of play. The following years saw them reach the third round of the UEFA Cup, make the FA Cup final in 1984 and the semi-final a couple of years later.
Taylor found a club in a mess, who had been bottom of the entire Football League in the season before he arrived, had no training ground and had to share billing with a greyhound track that encircled the pitch, which he promptly got rid of. "It's either the dogs or me," he told John. In a decade he took them to Wembley, Europe and close to the league title, finally leaving them ninth in the top flight, some 66 places higher than when he arrived. You'll not find many people in Watford whose primary memory of Taylor is "Do I not like that."
As well as all this though, Taylor just seems like a lovely bloke. In Lionel Birnie's wonderful book 'Enjoy The Game', about Watford in the 1980s, there are countless stories that paint a picture of a kind, generous and generally just a sensationally pleasant human being.
One that stands out is the time the club's clapped-out Fiat Panda, used by the scouts to travel the country, finally gave in because someone forgot to put oil in the engine. Taylor called a staff meeting, at which the four scouts assumed they would be given a bill for the repair of the car, so they pre-emptively decided to split the £1,000 cost. They were handed four envelopes, but instead of invoices they contained plane tickets and reservations for a swanky hotel in Portugal. "This is just a thank you from the club for all your work," said Taylor. "Take a break, take your wives, and enjoy yourselves." Taylor even offered to look after their children for the week while they went away.
And there are so many more. After one rather chastening defeat, Taylor trained his players hard with double sessions for three days, before arriving to the training ground on the Thursday. "I was talking to Rita (his wife) last night," he told his team, "and she thought perhaps I was being a bit hard on you and I agreed. So, get yourselves changed into your tracksuits and meet me at the hotel for a Champagne breakfast on me." He threw in some jugs of lager to lighten the mood, too.
On another occasion, instead of a pre-season training session he took his players for a walk with their dogs before a pub lunch. When Watford sold Luther Blissett to AC Milan (a deal which involved a bloke who owned a local Italian restaurant as a go-between) for a then-hefty £1million in 1983, Taylor hugged the forward who'd been with him from the start and tears were shed. Paul Atkinson, a midfielder signed from Oldham, chose Watford over Nottingham Forest partly because Taylor knew all about his game and spent a long time explaining how he'd fit into his side, whereas Brian Clough gave him a drink and said Forest were "going to the Reeperbahn on our pre-season trip. You're not a poof lad, are you?"
We could go on, with any number of stories about his managerial skills and simple good eggery. But for now, before England play and we watch the latest poor whelp flail in the pitiless seas of the national job, just enjoy these, and remember that Taylor wasn't a punchline, and he certainly wasn't a turnip.

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Why Coquelin IS Long-Term Solution

After a series of short-term fixes, the statistics suggest that Arsenal have found a long-term solution to their defensive midfield problem in Francis Coquelin...

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"It is quite comforting knowing that one of the midfielders is behind you in position, thinking more defensively," said Aaron Ramsey on his club's official website. Conceding that there's now more security at Arsenal may seem like an obvious statement, but it's a telling one nonetheless.

Given the Gunners' reluctance to splash the cash in the defensive midfield department, the development of Francis Coquelin seems like a real luxury. The decision to recall the Frenchman from a loan spell at Charlton was only enforced due to a Ramsey injury at the tail end of last year and he looked likely to join a long line of quick fixes in the middle of the park.

Mikel Arteta has been tasked with the defensive role at the Emirates more than any other in recent seasons, converted from his playmaking days with Rangers and Everton, while the likes of Mathieu Flamini and Kim Kallstrom have been signed as short-term solutions to a long-term problem. Suggesting that Coquelin may be more than that would have earned you pelters only months ago, but the form of the 23-year old has coincided with a purple patch for Arsenal that hasn't been entirely coincidental.

At , we have gone through the stats that suggest Arsene Wenger may have inadvertently stumbled upon the remedy to an issue that has held back his side for years.

The Arsenal boss would be lying if he claimed to have foreseen just how well Coquelin would play since returning to the club in December. Sent out on loan to Freiburg last season, the midfielder's time in the Bundesliga was something of a mixed bag, sent off on his debut before injuries and positional changes had an effect on his form. Having been loaned to Charlton in November last year it seemed that this season - one that he will end aged 24 - may well be his last at Arsenal.

However, it didn't take too long for Coquelin to convince Wenger of the role he has to play in this squad, awarded with a new long-term contract last month on the back of a fantastic start to the year. Most felt that the Frenchman's form would dip sooner or later but, as of yet, it has not.

In fact, Coquelin's statistical rating from WhoScored.com is now enough to rank eighth in the Premier League, with a score of 7.53 jumping him ahead of Chelsea's Nemanja Matic following this weekend's matches. To compare the two players may seem a little rash but the effect that the Arsenal man has had on the side in the second half of this season is not dissimilar to that of the returning Serbian to Stamford Bridge last year.

Coquelin set upon staking his claim at Arsenal with the right attitude, knowing that he would have to put in the hard yards to persuade Wenger of his ability to shore up a side so vulnerable to counter-attacks. His early all-action displays were typical of a young player feeling he had a point to prove but, three months down the line, there's more to Coquelin than merely his unwavering work rate.

To say there's a swagger to his game may be overstating things - he flies around the pitch too much for that - but there's an assuredness to his play that suggests Coquelin believes that he belongs in an Arsenal shirt. The numbers would certainly back up that belief.

Since the turn of the year, Francis Coquelin has played more league minutes than any other Arsenal player (988), making a combined total of 92 tackles and interceptions in that time - 29 more than any other Premier League player. His willingness to compete isn't restricted to duels on the ground, however, and despite standing at a modest 5'10", he has won more aerial duels per game (3.1) than his lofty teammate Per Mertesacker (3) this season, with an impressive 66.7% success rate. Coquelin is not only more willing but also more able to compete in the defensive phase than his senior predecessors.

Meanwhile, he's beginning to look more and more comfortable on the ball too, so much so that Ramsey claimed that he "makes us (Arsenal) tick over". He's certainly kept things simple, but a pass success rate of 83% could perhaps do with a little work to really get up to Arsenal standards. It is, rather, his composure in tight situations that has improved in recent months, completing all 16 of his dribble attempts from 15 league appearances - more than any other Premier League player who has yet to fail with a single take-on this season.

With all this in mind, it will be intriguing to see whether Arsenal are active in the transfer market for a defensive midfielder this summer if Coquelin can continue his form between now and May. One would think not, if their previous dealings are anything to go by, but given Coquelin's indisputable role in a run of nine wins from ten in the league, Arsenal fans will be far less concerned if they look to utilise their budget elsewhere this summer.

All statistics courtesy of , where you can find yet more stats, including live in-game data and unique player and team ratings. You can follow all the scores, statistics, live player and team ratings with the new free-to-download .

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FA planning Hodgson talks

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke says he is planning contract talks to extend Roy Hodgson's current deal as England manager.
Roy Hodgson: Could have contract with England extended

Hodgson succeeded Fabio Capello at the England helm in May 2012 and oversaw a largely positive run of results before the humiliation of group-stage elimination at the 2014 World Cup.
With qualification for the 2016 European Championships all but assured for the Group E leaders ahead of Friday night's visit of Lithuania, Dyke expects to sort out Hodgson's contract extension months before the tournament in France.
"I get on quite well with Roy and I chat to him all the time," the FA chairman said. "We have not talked about contracts yet.
"We will have the discussion with Roy in the next nine months to a year.
"When we decided in Brazil that we wanted Roy to continue with his contract, we thought 'he's got a contract, he sees it through'. Sometime in the next year we will discuss what happens afterwards.
"We genuinely haven't discussed it (yet)."
Dyke confirmed Hodgson would attend the draw for the World Cup qualifying stages in Russia this summer.
The FA chairman will not attend the event, though, as he does not want a repeat performance of the World Cup draw in 2013, when he slid his index finger across his throat at drawing Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica - seemingly implying Hodgson's team were doomed.
"Roy will go to St Petersburg for the draw in July," Dyke said. "I am not allowed to go after what happened last time!"
England centre-half Phil Jagielka is the latest high-profile player to express his desire for a new deal to be given to Hodgson, who will be 70 when the 2018 World Cup comes around.
"We were all massively disappointed with the way the World Cup went," the 32-year-old defender said.
"Qualifying went pretty well and we were all confident to have a good World Cup, but unfortunately it never happened.
"It was nice to see Roy was given another chance. It was always going to be a nervy opening to the European qualifying and stuff but the boys are fantastic, it proved we backed him, it proved it was the right decision to do.
"But I am sure when we qualify, are expected to qualify, we need to have a good tournament in France to back him if Roy is going to stay on. But the boys are desperate to do that.
"Qualifying has proved we are one step on the ladder to qualification so we are not daft enough not to know we still need to do it at a tournament, but we feel we have the boys to do that."

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Costa: No protection from refs

Chelsea striker Diego Costa feels that he receives no protection in England, despite being "kicked all the time".

Diego Costa: The striker suffered a muscular injury at Hull

Costa has scored 19 goals in 23 Premier League games since his move from Atletico Madrid last summer, the joint leading scorer in the division with Harry Kane. He also scored in the Capital One Cup final as Chelsea won their first trophy since the return of Jose Mourinho.

However, despite those positives Costa has gained a reputation for his physicality, and was banned for stamping on the leg of Liverpool's Emre Can. 

The naturalised Spaniard believes that he is not protected by referees as he was in Spain, but admits that he has had to learn to curb his temper. 

"When I think about English defenders the word nobility doesn’t come to mind,” Costa said. “They kick me all the time, just like they did in Spain.

“But I don’t complain. They go in hard on me, but over here the refs don’t give me free-kicks whereas they do in Spain.

“Some players try to put me out of the game. But I’m getting to control my temper better all the time, and I just set out to play my normal game.

“The Premier League is not over-rated. It is a tough league, with huge teams, and the small sides can beat you.”

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Schneiderlin eyes summer move

Morgan Schneiderlin has reiterated his desire to leave Southampton this summer if the club doesn't qualify for the Champions League.

Morgan Schneiderlin: Has been a key figure for Southampton

The France international had looked set for a move away from St Mary's last summer when he was strongly linked with Tottenham, only for the club to refuse to let him leave.

Arsenal were also reportedly eyeing a £25million move for the midfielder last January, according to the French media.

Saints have exceeded expectation this season in the Premier League under new boss Ronald Koeman and are still in the hunt for a top-four finish, although they are six points behind fourth-placed Manchester United.

However, despite Southampton’s excellent progression this season Schneiderlin, who is currently away on international duty with the French squad, wants to play in Europe’s premier competition.

“In August, I wanted to take a move but the club had lost too many players to agree to sell me,” he is quoted as saying in French newspaper L'Equipe.

"Since then I have had discussions with the leaders and I want to play at the highest level: it is important at 25 years old to finally know the Champions League.

"Given that, late in the season, Southampton may qualify for the Champions League and I can stay, who knows. I have no desire to be in front of my TV on Tuesday and Wednesday."

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England Handicapped By Natural Pessimism

The England team will never achieve anything unless we all lighten up. Also, last season was simply Joe Hart's 'Frog Chorus', and 80 per cent was a conservative estimate of turds in the Liverpool punchbowl...

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In a game of Graham Taylor word association, the word 'turnip' will come up pretty quickly. That unfairly dismisses a lovely man, and brilliant manager...

Jordan Henderson's form during Liverpool's resurgence has been notable, but so too has his inability to make his mark on the international stage. The time is now...

Anything to get off your chest? Mail the afternoon Mailbox. to keep it going.

Let's Get Positive
I just wanted the lovely folk of the mailbox to clear something up for me - since when was optimism and positivity a bad thing?

Time and time again I read sardonic and mocking articles and posts ridiculing Liverpool (and other team's) fans and players for daring to take the positives from a disappointing season and turning them into hope for the next. As a (fairly recent) ex-pat I'm ashamed by these attitudes and I can't help thinking it reflects in our national team performances, or perhaps more accurately lack of them.

More than one English pro has retired and mentioned how pleased they are to be out of the spotlight, away from the negativity and relentless criticism that accompanies every single mistake made in an England shirt and subsequently in their club colours.

That's sadly the national inclination; compensate for your own insecurities and shortcomings by pointing out those in others, and anyone who doesn't think that it has a negative effect on those on the receiving end needs to go and read a basic psychology book.

At the moment I'm putting together a training programme which will teach people the basics of Person-Centred Therapy (I work in Healthcare). It's actually an approach to life which everyone could benefit from understanding, and it boils down to three basic principles - take the time to understand a person, give people respect without judging them, and be yourself without hiding behind who you would like to be. If you have issues or negative feelings towards another person then guess whose problems that is? It's yours, and until you work out where those feelings come from then you have no right to judge anybody else.

I know this probably isn't an appropriate email for what is supposed to be a tribal and flippant forum, but wouldn't it be great if we could focus more on supporting our own teams instead of obsessively pointing out the shortcomings of our rivals?

Here's a tip - if at your home games your fans are holding up banners and singing songs about your rivals even if you're not actually playing them, then there are some serious emotional and/or maturity issues on display. Same goes for any of our lot who would rather spend time abusing opposition supporters instead of concentrating on our own positives and issues.
Joel, South Africa (all we are saaaaying.....)

Joe Hart > Paul McCartney
I've just read the exceptional piece on Joe Hart and I agree with every word. It said everything I have felt and it almost made me cry. It was like I had a piece published on football365 under the pseudonym Daniel Storey. I have always liked Joe Hart and feel it incredible he is treated in such disregard by many. Many people I know will always point to his complete loss of form last year as proof of his eternal incompetence. I find this like burning your Beatles records because the Frog Chorus proves Paul McCartney is sh*t. Unlike Macca, Hart has come back from his meltdown even better.
Howard

Screw You Guys, I'm Going Homegrown
So, I don't know if you guys are familiar with the underpants gnomes from South Park, but they were basically gnomes that stole underpants hoping for huge profit. Their business plan went like this:

Step 1: Steal Underpants

Step 2: ?

Step 3: Profit

I feel like the proposal for more homegrown players has gotten its inspiration from the underwear gnomes. I'm pretty sure in some secret meeting room at the English FA there is a whiteboard that reads:

Step 1: Increase % of Englishmen in top flight

Step 2: ?

Step 3: Win multiple World Cups.

I honestly don't understand what they hope to gain from more Englishmen. I mean, I just looked at Eibar's squad on Wikipedia, and 22/25 are Spanish. I don't think they will be winning La Liga/forming the spine of the national side anytime soon.

At the same time, Real Madrid's preferred midfield of Kroos, Modric and Rodriguez with Ronaldo, Benzema, and Bale up front sure does contain a lot of Spaniards.

Increasing the number of Englishmen in the top tier doesn't suddenly turn you into Germany or Spain, I can't begin to fathom the logic behind it. But assuming it does work, how do we guarantee the national side starts performing like the Germans and not like Peru, which also has a high percentage of Peruvians in their top division.
Carlos, Peru (maybe I should shave a bald spot into head and gain 50 pounds and I'll be rich like my uncle)

Computer Says No
With talk about home grown players and finding the next Harry Kane, I thought I'd share some work I've just started on around data analytics in football at work.

Over the last couple years there has been a big uptake in interest in data as clubs have access to ever greater volumes of information about the performance of players (and perhaps more important for this debate, youth players in development).

Increasingly they're able to measure every aspect of performance and training. Then learning how to maximise the effectiveness of fitness, dietary, training and recovery programs all to improve performance. Practically this then reflects how a player's development is shaped, maximising the effectiveness of training to reduce chances of injuries etc. Its all about trying to gain that extra percentage advantage which at a key time in a match can make all the difference.

But lets take this a step further. How do you identify the next Messi or Ronaldo. What do they look like as they develop? Are there patterns we can start to see which suggest potential? How can we maximise potential or help it develop?

These are all questions being asked by clubs and something which is going to see huge leaps in the coming years through data analytics. Will this lead to more players developing or a high calibre of youth players?

I'm not sure, as it requires a change in attitude in football. If you're thinking now why is data involved in football, imagine how the industry itself (which rejects technology in favour of tradition) thinks!

In fact if you're interested in finding out more about data and how it's used look into Prozone and its creator Simon Wilson, who charts an unsuccessful start at Southampton in 2005 under Redknapp (after losing 3-2 'why don't you get your computer to play against theirs'), to a successful involvement in Man City's title winning side in 2011/12 where he's still at.
Tom, Saints (Using data from the last ten seasons of the Premier League the value of a goal scored and the value of a goal conceded were compared. It was found that scoring a goal, on average, is worth slightly more than one point, whereas not conceding produces, on average, 2.5 points per match. Ergo goals win you matches, clean sheets win you titles with statistical proof!)

A Bridge Too Far For Chelsea's Kids
I'm sure you'll probably get a lot of these but...

In Wednesday afternoon's mailbox, Mark Treadwell CFC took ire with another correspondent who had claimed that Chelsea "don't really care about developing young English talent" - he pointed to the fact that Chelsea have an impressive youth system, an excellent recent record in the Youth Cup and many England internationals at youth level. All admirable stuff.

But what's the point of all that if you're not going to play these guys in the first team? If they really wanted to nurture young talent, why only go 90% of the way and then stop? John Terry is the only Chelsea first-team regular to have risen through the ranks at the club - if Chelsea's youth payers are so great, then why aren't they given a chance to make that final step in their development?

The current crop of young Chelsea players looks extremely promising, which makes it all the more sad that such potential will likely go to waste. To illustrate my point, here is Chelsea's 16-man winning squad for the 2010 Youth Cup final (with current whereabouts in brackets):

Sam Walker (Colchester Utd), Billy Clifford (unattached, previously at Walsall), Rohan Ince (Brighton), Jeffrey Bruma (PSV), Aziz Deen-Conteh (Port Vale), Conor Clifford (Southend), Jacopo Sala (Verona reserves), Aliu Djalo (PS Kemi, in Finland), Gokhan Tore (Besiktas), Josh McEachran (still at Chelsea, now 22, always on loan), Marko Mitrovic (unattached, last at Brescia), Milan Lalkovic (Barnsley), Aldi Haxhia (unattached, ex-Kettering), George Saville (Bristol City, on loan from Wolves), Ben Sampayo (unattached, last seen at Grays Athletic), Anton Rodgers (Swindon).

So of those, only Bruma and Tore really "made it" in the upper echelons of the game, and neither of those are English - just imagine how well any one of those English players may have done if given the chance to play and learn alongside the likes of Mata, Lampard, Drogba etc. on a regular basis, instead of being frozen out, their development stunted at the crucial final phase.
Ryan F (PS Patrick Bamford is a product of the Nottingham Forest youth system, Chelsea paid a seven-figure sum for him)

Put Restrictions On Transfers, Not Money
There have been a few mails lately on the fair play rules, and being a massive know it all with no responsibility whatsoever, I figured I might as well share my solution which requires the current system to be thrown out completely like you would a toaster that doesn't.

The idea behind the rule is to even out the clubs and stave off financial ruin that comes from idiot chairmen chasing success at any debt or leagues with clubs so doped it becomes boring. What drives the debt and success is largely the cost of players: wages and transfers. With EU labour laws making a salary cap almost impossible (and if you review other sports with them, they are easily corrupted) UEFA have gone the route they've gone. But it's overly complicated and impossible for fans to easily understand it without first becoming an accountant. I see a better way.

Don't try and restrict the flow of money which can be hidden and manipulated (Switzerland, I'm looking at you), instead place more restrictions on the flow of players. It's much harder to hide real people than money.

Basically my idea comes down to two things:

1. The mandatory transfer listings for all players at all clubs in all leagues who don't start at least 10% of league games. The ability to set the price also needs to be taken from the 'selling' club and should be set at a maximum of what the player was transferred for in the first place. This will: make players think harder before switching clubs in the first place; make stockpiling of players almost impossible; make clubs more wary of spending on transfers; see young players stay longer at the club that develops them; give players who fall foul of a manager have a way of escaping; and it will make squad rotation more interesting.

2. Ban loaning of players. This supports the above and prevents the whole system from being manipulated.

I believe this will benefit football far better and much closer to the grassroots than the current system that can't be policed properly anyway.

UEFA, if you want me contact the editor and they can pass on my details.

Or my idea is sh**e and because I have sh**eforbrains I simply can't tell.

Sincerely,
Briggsy

Only 80 Per Cent?
I feel the need to take umbrage with the chap who referred to 80% of Liverpool fans as turds in a punchbowl. I can assure him the figure is much, much higher than that. I am often to be found facepalming when yet another FKW circulates with the gurning simpleton in question wearing the famous Mersey Red. The blind defence of Suarez was a particular low point from the Scouse Army!

Still; if it's any consolation all big clubs suffer this blight. The world over you'll bump into a clueless, telly-clapping, glory-hunter with a Red Devil on his chest. More recently he'll be as likely to be sporting Machester Blue, London Red or London Blue. As you wrote, success (however fleeting in our case) does seem to attract this certain type of person. You'll often find their vehemence to be in direct correlation to their actual worth/knowledge as a supporter. Hence why these United fans tend to get ever so shouty when challenged.

All that written, I tend to find the match-going support fairly decent in most respects. The average match going fan tends to be pretty sound... albeit that's based on the occasional chat in a pub or walking back to the station etc. In fact, caught on their own even the average bitter can be entertaining in small bursts.

I'd say the turds in a punchbowl figure is about 90% for Scousers and about 99.9999% for the other big clubs; natch!
Gregory Whitehead, LFC

When He's Not Wiping His Arse With 20s...
It's an international break, which for a Canadian is rarely a time for joy, so I thought I'd write in this observation from last Saturday night. I had to stay awake to collect my daughter from work so I watched a number of MLS matches.

Firstly, the Impact defended resolutely (that's the word one is supposed to use, right?) when down to ten men. I watched the Kaka show. The commentators were speechless when Vancouver scored with almost the last kick of the match to snatch the three points. Not the narrative they were hoping for. One nice Kaka dribble though.

The reason for the subject line is that I also watched the Portland v. Kansas City game. Has anyone else seen the man bun/ beard combo that Liam Ridgewell is sporting? He's taken living in Portland very seriously.
Richard (Toronto FC, WHUFC) Cumberland Beach

PS Having seen John Carver as manager of Toronto FC, I would never had predicted his performance at Newcastle. (Did the sarcasm font work?)

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The Page That Is Jealous Of The Pasta

Chief Grumpypants is annoyed about Hodgson staying past Euro 2016 (despite not knowing if he will or not). Plus an inadvertent revelation from Brian Reade...

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Radamel Falcao threatens to walk out of the club that does not want him, Henry from Eastbourne starts something big and somebody at the Mirror can count...

Steven Gerrard's accomplishments are greater than those of Giggs and Scholes, apparently, while Brendan Rodgers Kopped some bad luck and tim gets the credit for Kane...

Howard's End
It's international week, so obviously The Sun's Chief Grumpypants Steven Howard is grumpy about England.

'Semis or bust,' is the headline on Howard's column. 'Show Roy the door if we're not in last four,' is the tagline.

Yes, get rid whatever the weather if Hodgson doesn't lead England to a stage they haven't reached in nine previous international tournaments under six different managers. A reminder that England have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup or European Championships twice in their history when not on home soil.

'Beat Lithuania at Wembley tomorrow and it will be 15 points from five Euro 2016 qualifiers for England,' Howard writes. 'And the FA will continue to congratulate themselves on their wisdom in retaining the services of Roy Hodgson.'

This is our favourite aspect of Chief Grumpypants, when he is sarcastic about good things to make them sound bad. "Oh, five wins out of five. Weeelll Dooone."

'A couple of months ago it was suggested that Hodgson fancied continuing as England boss through to the 2018 World Cup finals,' Howard continues. 'He would become the longest-serving England manager since Bobby Robson. I have never heard so much nonsense in my life. Hodgson's contract ends after the Euros and any decision on his future should be taken then.'

Before you continue getting angrier, Steven, we should probably refer you to Greg Dyke's recent quotes, in which he confirms that contract talks are not yet planned.

"We have not talked about contracts yet. We will have the discussion with Roy in the next nine months to a year," Dyke said. "When we decided in Brazil that we wanted Roy to continue with his contract, we thought 'he's got a contract, he sees it through'. Sometime in the next year we will discuss what happens afterwards."

Thursday's back page headlines include:
'Roy Must Wait' - Daily Express
'Englan Make Hodgson Wait Over Contract' - The Times
'Dyke: Not Done Deal That Roy Goes To 2018' - Daily Mirror
...and, finally, 'Eur On Trial' - in Howard's own The Sun

Still, best to get grumpy just in case, eh?


My Dad's Bigger Than Your Dad...
If you needed an indicator of the arrival of an international week wilderness, the Daily Mail have sounded the alarm at ear-bleeding volume. 'How Big Is Your Club?' screams the headline on their back page.

Mediawatch is actually almost impressed by their front, for there is no attempt to sell their 'Special Report' as anything other than a what-else-were-we-meant-to-talk-about admission. 'The Sportsmail study that will get everyone arguing,' is the tagline. 'Are you happy or angry at where your club has finished?' asks the inside page. 'Pretty please click here' it might as well say.

They've ranked the top 50 English clubs according to various measures. A few issues, of course:

- Ranking 'player quality' by the number of players to have played for England from that club only really works if England are seen as the best country to play for. Mediawatch would rather have members of the German or Argentinean squad than England's squad right now, and would have for most of the last forty years.

- Also on 'player quality', using the number of players provided to the 2014 World Cup squads is an odd way of judging how big a club is, given that some countries are obviously better than others. Do Roger Espinoza and Juan Carlos Garcia of Wigan playing for Honduras really equate to, say, Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure for Manchester City?

- The study is intended to rank clubs across the course of history (since 1888). So how does ranking teams only by their most recent income reflect the entirety of the last 127 years?

- Trophies are ranked according to importance, which seems fair. But is the Champions League really only worth 25% more than a league title and twice as much as an FA Cup. Mediawatch wonders whether Arsenal would swap their 11 FA Cups for five Champions League titles and a single FA Cup win. We can guess the answer.

- That measurement also fails to make any recognition for teams that reach finals or semi-finals. So in Champions League terms, Atletico Madrid were as big as Daugava Daugavpils of Latvia last season. 'Here at Sportsmail, winning is everything, second is nothing,' is the reason given. The Guardian being named Sports Website of the Year must really smart.

- However, it's the 'crowd' element of bigness (their word, not ours) that will most annoy. A cynic might say that ranking Liverpool's crowd below Aston Villa, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham, amongst others, is intended to causes spittle to be emitted from Scouse lips. Still, at least they were one place ahead of West Brom and six ahead Charlton.

If you think we're being pedantic: 1) Have you not read Mediawatch before, and 2) the Daily Mail claim this a 'forensic' study that 'finally settles' the great debate. Pffft.

Still, it filled three pages and got people angry. That counts for so very much.


...And he's Better Looking, Too
Don't think that the 'forensic study' is conflicted to the newspaper, mind. The former Sports Website of the Year also goes bigger than big.

Top story on MailOnline's football page at 11am on Thursday: 'Are Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea the biggest club in England? Our study FINALLY settles football's great debate'

Second story on MailOnline's football page at 11am on Thursday: 'HOW BIG IS YOUR CLUB... LEAGUE FINISHES: Chelsea lead way this year but where do they rank for all-time?'

Third story on MailOnline's football page at 11am on Thursday: 'HOW BIG IS YOUR CLUB... CROWDS AND STAR PLAYERS: United lead the way (and there's a surprise in second)'

Fourth story on MailOnline's football page at 11am on Thursday: 'HOW BIG IS YOUR CLUB... TROPHIES: Liverpool's trophy cabinet is the envy of the country as they lead our list'

One spreadsheet + Wikipedia + lots of counting + lots more rage = international (week) crisis averted.


A Tired Old Joe-ke
It's that time of year again, when Joe Cole's manager is asked why he hasn't been playing many matches. The response is always the same. 'Great to have around', 'Still in my plans' and 'Important player to have on board'. You get the picture.

This season it's Tim Sherwood's turn.

"It's just nurturing him through. He's getting no younger and it happened to all of us, but I still think he's got a part to play," said Sherwood. "He's not broken by any means. You just have to make sure you nurture them to get the right balance between training and playing."

We'd say Joe Cole isn't getting that balance right. He's played 225 Premier League minutes since joining the club. The most he's played in any league game was 72 minutes in the 1-0 defeat to Leicester.

"He can score and he can assist. I don't like players who are just out there, I like them to affect football matches."

No. of goals by Joe Cole for Aston Villa: 1
No. of goals by Joe Cole for Aston Villa: 0

"You'll hear me say this a lot but I like players on the pitch that actually affect the game and I think Joe when he's on the pitch affects it."

No. of minutes played by Joe Cole under Tim Sherwood: 0

It's more a case of if he's on the pitch than when, Tim.


Coppell Load Of This
In the Daily Mail, Neil Ashton has written a passionate defence of Steve Coppell, who he cannot believe is not in work.

'It seems incredible that this man, with more than 1,000 games in the dug-out and who has twice been named League Managers' Association manager of the year (2006 and 2007), is out of work,' writes Ashton. 'No-one really knows why.'

'It just doesn't feel right to see Coppell, a man of integrity and honour, on the fringes of football. Something, somewhere, has gone wrong when Coppell is working on his golf handicap every day.'

The answer probably lies in the quotes given by Coppell himself.

"There are 70 clubs you don't want to manage because you have no chance," he says. "The Championship is my division, I know what it's about. If you want a five-year plan, fannying around, building from the bottom up, I'm not your man. I have done that."

After resigning from Reading in 2009, Coppell's only job in management was at Bristol City in 2010. He resigned after just two competitive matches, stating: "I found I could not become passionate about the role. I am retiring from football management." His last position was as Director of Football at Portsmouth, which he left after three months.

So four-and-half years after retiring from management, Coppell has ruled out 75% of English clubs, said he is only interested in one division but not interested in "fannying around". We think that might be a clue to the current status quo.


Inadvertent Revelation Of The Day
'I was slightly delayed by a half-time conversation at Anfield and needed the loo before I took my seat. As I headed to the toilet I heard a roar and someone shout down the steps "Gerrard's coming on". On leaving the toilet I heard another roar, only to be told by a steward, "Gerrard's been sent off". So thanks to football I now know it takes me 38 seconds to empty a full bladder' - Brian Reade, Daily Mirror.

Brian Reade doesn't wash his hands. Pass it on.


Least Surprising Sol Campbell Quote Of The Day
In an interview with the Shooting Gazette: "I do like the [shooting] attire. I have all sorts of country clothing because we do live in Northumberland as well as London. The style is important to me, but the quality goes hand-in hand with it. I love the fabrics, the materials and the cuts. I love the whole sporting side of it.

"My first time, two years ago, I managed to shoot 11 birds having never picked up a gun before. This year I shot about 30 birds - much to the annoyance of my father-in-law. That was a mixture of birds. The banter was just lovely... that's always great" - Oh Sol. Sol, Sol, Sol.


Trying Too Hard Headline Of The Day
'Bogota Have Faith' - Daily Mirror on Juan Cuadrado.

Top marks for effort, but it only really works if Cuadrado was born in Colombia's capital, rather than 810km from there in Necocli. Or if Colombia were playing their latest friendly in Bogota, rather than 13,100km from there in Bahrain.


Worst Headline Of The Day
'Pals Say Bale Still A Clas Act' - The Sun. Poor Joe Allen, Neil Taylor and Sam Vokes. Three Premier League and international players reduced to 'pals'.


Non-Football Story Of The Day
'A 31-year-old woman has found love with a tree named Tim and says it's the best sex she's ever had. Emma McCabe says she's fallen head over heels with the sturdy poplar tree and she's happy after a string of disastrous relationships. She also says the sex with the tree is the best she has ever had with anyone.

'McCabe, who has a serious of unlucky relationships with men, says she's planning to marry the tree although her family won't talk about it.

'It's believed Emma's bizarre attraction to the tree may be a result of a condition called dendrophilia where a person is sexually attracted to a tree' - News.com.au


Thanks to Brian Sexton. If you spot anything that belongs on this page, mail us at , putting 'Mediawatch' in the subject field.

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Supporters clashed on the way out of the stadium after the Irons picked up a late victory thanks to Diafra Sakho's late strike

Video has emerged of in the street before a Premier League game in east London.
Supporters clashed ahead of Saturday's match between and Sunderland, which was won by the Irons thanks to Diafra Sakho's strike.
The footage shows punches being thrown, while bystanders look on with concern.
One of the men involved even uses a hard hat as a weapon in the altercation.
The fracas is then broken up by two policemen, who also appear to come in for shoves and pushes from the fans.
The game – a late kick-off at Upton Park – appeared to be petering out into a goalless draw, with neither side able to carve out clear-cut openings for much of the match.
But some late pressure from Sam Allardyce's side paid off when Sakho guided a low volley past Costel Pantilimon.
The result lifted the Irons to ninth in the table and left new Sunderand boss Dick Advocaat with plenty to ponder over the international break.

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Owner Ellis Short has overseen a 25% pay hike to £663,000 for the unnamed board member and also sanctioned a 21% increase in the club’s overall wage bill

Nigel Roddis

Sunderland have awarded a top director a six-figure pay rise - as the club fights relegation again.
has overseen a 25% pay hike to £663,000 for the unnamed board member and the sanctioning of a 21% rise in the club’s overall salary bill.
The £130,000 rise comes as Sunderland admit they rely on Short’s personal wealth to prop up their loss-making finances.
Sunderland tonight refused to comment on which board member had banked the extra salary - and do not have to, because they are a private company.
Short is the senior executive and ultimate boss.
Per Magnus Andersson is his No2, with chief executive Margaret Byrne next in the chain of command and Angela Lowes in the role of financial director.

Sunderland AFC

£663k
Director's new salary

£130k
25%

The figures, for the year to July 31st 2014, cover Paolo Di Canio being sacked, Gus Poyet's appointment, Sunderland reaching the Capital One Cup final and a miracle escape from relegation.

The club is having just sacked Poyet and appointed Dutchman Dick Advocaat until the end of the season.
He began with .
West Ham 1-0 Sunderland in pictures:

The pay rise at the top of the Stadium of Light mirrors the ballooning wage bill at the club – up £12m to £68m.
Sunderland made an operating loss of £19.8m, compared with £23.1m in the previous year.
Billionaire Short's wealth is vital in absorbing the losses and keeping the club running.

Poll loading …

Turnover increased to £101m, up from £72m, because the club survived in the Premier League and banked extra income from an improved television deal. But operating costs chewed up most of that, rising to £120m from £95m.
Sunderland are currently fourth bottom and will face a huge cut in income if they go down. However many players are on contracts which see their wages cut in half if they end up in the Championship.
have bank loans of £38.6million. Gate receipts were up from £12 million to £15.7million, with TV revenue up from £44.9 million to £71.8 million.

£19.8m
Operating loss

£101m
Turnover

£120m
Operating costs

For year to July 31, 2014

Advocaat has warned that the rest of the season could be ugly as he gets his players scrapping for survival.
Striker Steven Fletcher, who has upset fans by , is convinced financial disaster can be avoided with Advocaat’s “animated” approach.

Under fire: Fans slammed striker Fletcher recently for posing with £260k Lamborghini supercar

He said: “The manager has provided a lift around the place. We needed a boost. He is a very animated manager and that is good for us. He’s brought that to training.
"He gets the players running and chasing it down. It is structural. We have eight games left and we’ve got a big chance.”

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Dutchman suffered a losing start as boss as his side went down 1-0 to West Ham at Upton Park after Diafra Sakho scored a late winner

Getty

Relegation battles are never beauty pageants in swimsuits or cocktail dresses – and the beaten manager made no excuse for playing devil’s Advocaat.
If are going to stay up, is prepared to win ugly and “play very negative if the need is there”.
Forget about Holland being the spiritual home of Total ­Football. There will be no Rembrandt portraits or Dutch masters at the Stadium of Light.
If Dick Dastardly can help it, the Wear-Tyne derby against Newcastle on Easter Sunday can be uglier than a mud fence as long as the Black Cats get the cream.
According to number crunchers, the meeting of Mackems and Magpies after the international break is the biggest game in ­Sunderland’s history because of the £5billion TV deal that kicks in next year.
In pictures - West Ham 1-0 Sunderland

It remains to be seen whether the accountants are proved right, but on the evidence of a cold, grey evening in east London, it could certainly be the ugliest.
Sunderland had served up eight goalless draws under Advocaat’s predecessor Gus Poyet, and were two minutes from a ninth when in this monument to mediocrity.
Poyet enjoyed an enviable 100 per cent record against Newcastle as Sunderland manager.
Advocaat would give the Black Cats’ whiskers to mark his home debut with more of the same.
Just do not expect him to paint any pretty pictures where paintballing is the more expedient option.

Getty

Advocaat said: “The only important thing in the final eight games is winning – the way we do that isn’t important.
“If we win games very ugly, I like that. How do we win ugly? Play very negative if the need is there.
“But in derby games, playing at home gives you a big advantage. So if we can do what we did against West Ham – tactically we did well, although we didn’t create a lot of chances – with our fans behind us, we can do even better. I don’t agree the derby is one of the biggest games in our history.
“For us, every game is ­important and we need the points. Newcastle is only the most ­important game because it’s the next one.
“But I have seen the intensity of the game here – if you’re involved eight or 10 times in Rangers against Celtic, you know about it.”

Getty

Week to forget: Wes Brown limps off against the Hammers

Advocaat will honour Poyet’s promise of two days off for players not called up for international duty this week before settling on the personnel and pattern required for the ear-splitting din of the derby.
Centre-back limped off injured after just 11 minutes at Upton Park – his second bad result in a week after his clan lost 548-0 on ITV’s All Star Family Fortunes.
We asked 100 people if ­Sunderland will stay up if they are mugged at home by the Mags. Our survey said: “Uh-oh.”
Hammers midfielder conceded the East Enders were fortunate when substitute Nene flattened Seb Larsson in the build-up to Sakho’s winner.
He admitted: “We got a bit of luck but we were due a little bit. You can’t play brilliant every week and hopefully that will kick us on to another winning streak.

Getty

Jumping for joy: Stewart Downing and James Collins celebrate

“There are a lot of winnable games coming up, so Europe is still a possibility. Tenth place for us is not good enough, we want to aim higher and we’ve the players to do it.”
West Ham boss batted away vice-chairman Karren Brady’s barb that the Hammers had been “underachieving” since Christmas after nicking only their third win in 17 games since Boxing Day.
Nobody does winning ugly better than Big Sam, who said: “Everybody’s expectation grows – mine did – but we’ve only lost to Crystal Palace and Everton below us. That’s how good this season has been.
"We’ve known we wouldn’t be ­relegated since Christmas, but were talking about finishing in the top four even though we knew it wouldn’t happen.”

Getty

Getty

Getty

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A picture of the injury-hit striker with the expensive motor was posted online prompting the furious backlash

Twitter

Sunderland has defended himself after an online backlash to a picture of him posing with a £260,000 Lamborghini Aventador supercar.
The picture of the 27-year-old Scot with the expensive motor on the drive of his luxury home was posted online.
Furious fans questioned his decision to flaunt his wealth while the club are battling relegation and have just sacked manager Gus Poyet.
Injury-hit Fletcher, who earns £40,000 a week, has scored just four goals for Sunderland this season and just seven in two years at the club.
However his agent Scott Fisher insisted Fletcher had not posted the car photo on Twitter, .
He blamed the company who sold the Lamborghini for putting the picture online.
Fisher added: “It wasn’t Steven that put the picture up.
“The company who were doing advertising on it done it.
“I don’t know what the problem is and what people are getting excited about.”

Action Images

Poor form: Injury-hit Fletcher has scored just four times for Sunderland this season

Fletcher was shown last week posing with the car which was parked in his driveway just feet from a £160,000 Bentley.
One angry fan later tweeted: “This is where the Sky money goes, into mediocre players’ pockets while lower league clubs can barely afford their academy.”
Another fan blasted: “There is no way he is good enough to have that kind of lifestyle.
“This is what is wrong with the game.” A third fan added: “Two seasons, 7 goals, 1 new Lamborghini Aventador.”

The Italian giant’s Aventador model is one of the most expensive cars.
Bruce Wayne even drove one in Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.
Fletcher began his career with Hibernian before lucrative moves to Burnley, Wolves and Sunderland racking up transfer fees totalling more than £20million.
The Lamborghini boob is not the first time he has fallen foul of social media.
In January, he posted images of himself on Instagram having spat on the back of a rickshaw driver taking him to a night out in London.
Footage and images of the incident were later removed from the player’s account.
Fletcher also sparked fury in 2012 when he tried to flog his new ­clothing range to 100,000 Twitter followers just hours after Scotland had failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals.

Action Images

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