The Layman

The latest battle between the FA and FIFA has, once again, quickly degenerated into nothing more than a bum fight whose participants both possess serious problems when it come to credibility and morality.

With some jobs, you can be as good at them as you like but you will never get any type of recognition. Quite the opposite in fact; its only when you screw things up quite horrendously does any attention come your way. Examples of this fact include nuclear safety inspectors, drummers and full backs.

For those unaware of the story of Enke, his football career included stints at Borussia Munchengladbach, Benfica, Barcelona, Fenerbache, Tenerife and, most notably, at Hannover 96.

One of the most contentious and pressing issues in English football is how to make the next generation of English footballers as good technically as their Spanish, German or Dutch counterparts.

One announcement from UEFA and the English press has enough ammunition to fill an opinion page on any slow news day for the next seven months; should Wayne Rooney be taken to the European Championships if he is banned for the opening three games (appeal not withstanding)?

Thus far the football business has taken the oncoming global financial apocalypse rather well, the lower reaches of football notwithstanding and besides, Sky doesn’t care for them so why should we?*

Tactical innovation happens all the time without one even noticing it as it is all about organic growth; refinement and tinkering to come up with the optimum set-up for a team.

Football and Twitter is all the rage at the moment, what with Joey Barton attempts to transform himself into a Scouse Che Guevara/ George Orwell hybrid and Mick McCarthy’s Louise Mench-esque attempts to ban the site.