Internet only England coverage

After the recent backlash from fans that were angry at not being able to watch England on television you would think the FA and the TV companies would have taken the hint. Sadly it appears they did not and if anyone intends watching the game between Ukraine versus England they will have to do it online.

The match will be the first England game to be broadcast via the internet instead of television. It should come as no surprise that the vast majority of football supporters are less than impressed by this. If you have not taken out a subscription then it will cost the princely sum of £9.99 to watch the game. There may be unofficial alternatives for those willing to do some research.

Scratching around for an internet site to watch a live feed from the game is ridiculous. It highlights just what is wrong with modern day football. Even if you stumble across such a feed the quality is not always the best. It seems the humble supporter does not rank high on the list of priorities. This is international football and all fans regardless of nationality should be able to watch the game on terrestrial television.

The BBC pockets a huge amount in TV license fees. This should be going towards securing exactly this kind of sporting event for the nation’s viewing pleasure. The FA should be working alongside the TV companies to ensure all games are available via that old fashioned medium the television set.

The online bookmaker Bet365 is allowing member access to the game without charge. There is a small catch however because you need a live account credited with some funds.

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Saint Gerrard Can Do No Wrong

Arsenal striker Eduardo has been rightly charged with diving by UEFA for his theatrical effort against Celtic. However, this raises questions about whether or not this will be an isolated punishment. Diving is widespread throughout World football and should be eradicated. Highlighting the behaviour of one player will not stamp it out. This should be a regular occurrence and offenders should be hit with an automatic suspension.

There are numerous other players who have a reputation for diving. Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard is a perfect example. Gerrard has become an expert at going down like he has been pole axed. It is highly unlikely FIFA or UEFA would charge a high profile player. There have been some classics by Gerrard over the years such as the penalty he was given against Sheffield United when he tripped over thin air.

In his recent court case he was charged with assault, it appeared to most right thinking people that Gerrard was indeed guilty of the charge. The CCTV footage clearly showed a drunken Gerrard and his friends surrounding one member of staff. However, his legal team managed to successfully argue that he acted in self defence. Not because he had been assaulted but because he feared an attack was imminent.

If that had been Joe Bloggs caught on camera committing assault things would have been different. The accused escaped punishment simply because of who he is and the majority of personnel inside the Court were positively star struck. The outcome was a good one for Gerrard but made a mockery of the justice system. It also gave more weight to the argument that some highly paid footballers believe they are immune to the law. Alas, no doubt plenty of people at court managed to obtain an autograph from their hero.

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Time For Man City To Deliver

Mark Hughes has been the envy of just about every football manager in the World over the summer months. Spending the millions was the easy part now he will have to mould his collection of superstars into a team capable of winning the premiership title. The attitude of Robinho might also improve now he has been joined by several big name players.

The owners of Man City will want to see a return on their considerable outlay. That does not necessarily mean a trophy is demanded this season. However, they will want to see a marked improvement on the results of last season. When playing at home City was reasonably strong but away from home the return was very poor. That will have to change this year.

For all the attacking flair at their disposal the one area where City could still improve is the back four. The manager is well aware of this fact hence the protracted attempts to land both John Terry and Joleon Lescott. If these efforts remain unsuccessful they may turn their attention to an overseas player instead.

Even with question marks over the defence City possess enough pace, power and skill going forward to trouble any premiership side. It is only a matter of when and not if they add a defensive kingpin or two to the equation. When that happens they will be a force to be reckoned with.

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