Four years after he last played for his country, the West Ham forward’s swashbuckling presence makes him an irresistible choice for Gareth SouthgateThere was a genuine tremor of excitement this week at the news Gareth Southgate is planning to go to the London Stadium on Saturday to take a first-hand look at the irresistible, intoxicating Andy Carroll. England have a double-header against Germany and Slovakia coming up in March. Carroll last played for England four years ago. He is – cautiously, baby‑steps – in a rich goalscoring seam. And for all the injuries, the lost years, the sense of talent unexpressed, he remains a strangely compelling and persuasive presence.On Thursday Slaven Bilic slipped his own neutral gear briefly, lowering his...
Leicester City’s title win was every bit the fairy story, as was Wales’ run at Euro 2016, but England displayed their unerring ability to ruin the moodThe year 2016 was a terrific one for the Premier League and a terrible 12 months for English football. Leicester City’s title success was every bit the fairytale, the perfect antidote to long-held and justifiable fears that ordinary clubs could no longer dream of glory as the bigger institutions and the Champions League elite had effectively ringfenced all the prizes worth winning. Related: A 2016 football moment to remember: Dejan Lovren sets the Kop on fire | Paul Doyle Arsenal and Tottenham are particularly guilty of dithering instead of cashing in on managerial changes elsewhereI've...
If England’s new manager looks like the safe choice that is perhaps because he’s also the right choice, even if his appointment prompts a yawn of indifferenceDivorced, beheaded and died; sacked, disgraced, resigned. Not forgetting, of course, seduced by sheikhs, humiliated by an emerging volcano‑nation and bought and sold for a pint of wine and a keynote-speaker gig. Like doomed Tudor wives, this seems to be the lot of England football managers now, remembered more for the frenzied drama of their departures than any tangible success on the pitch.With this in mind welcome, finally, to the dawning of the age of Gareth. After a trial period that ended just short of matching Sam Allardyce’s 67-day reign, Gareth Southgate has finally...
Even without physical comparisons with his former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney is unable to keep up with today’s hard-running demandsIn between buffing and burnishing his alarmingly sculpted physique, Cristiano Ronaldo likes to take 3am ice baths to boost his metabolism. He eats six high-protein meals a day, rarely drinks alcohol and refuses soft drinks. Away from the constant task of tweaking his already unimprovable musculature, Ronaldo relaxes by swimming, sleeping a strict eight hours and – oh yes – doing 3,000 sit ups a day in front of the television.It is of course pointless to compare mere mortals with such extreme athletic obsession. But this does still seem to be the lot of Wayne Rooney, in part because of the...
Gareth Southgate seems on course to land the England job, Wales slip up, Republic of Ireland must stifle Gareth Bale and Spain warm up for WembleyCurrently there are no outstanding teams in international football. In part this is down to concentration of money in the club game, which has led to the world’s best players converging at fewer clubs than ever before. But to look at the winners of the last World Cup and European Championship, and to look at the South American giants, is to look at a fallow period across the board. Which is to say that it has never been easier to succeed, which is to say that England stand on the verge of opportunity. Though they...