Over the years many songs have been written about the varied experience of life on the road. Many examples come to mind including Grand Funk Railroad’s “We’re an American Band” (“Out on the road for forty days, last night in Little Rock, put me in a haze”), Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Travelin’ Band” (“Take me to the hotel baggage gone oh well”), Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Auld Lang Syne” (“I said the audience was heavenly but the traveling was hell.”). And of course there’s the desolation, quiet fury and desperation of Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” (“And you always seem outnumbered. You don’t dare make a stand”). But none capture the loneliness of touring as well as Simon and Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound”.

Bear in mind that this song was recorded somewhat hastily after “The Sounds of Silence” became a surprise smash hit in early 1966 without either Simon’s or Garfunkel’s knowledge. They had split up by then, Garfunkel having returned to college and Simon touring England as a solo folk artist. Needless to say, they reunited in a hurry.

So who was he writing it for and where was he when he wrote it? The first question is easier. After moving to England in 1964 in the wake of the failure of Simon and Garfunkel’s acoustic folk album “Wednesday Morning, 3.A.M.” Simon met Kathy Chitty at his very first club date he played, the Hermit Club in Brentwood Essex. Chitty, who was only 17, worked there part-time selling tickets. A picture of her can be found on the cover of the solo acoustic album Simon recorded while in England, “The Paul Simon Song Book”. Simon and Chitty fell for one another

Kathy was in London when Simon wrote the song but where was Simon? In a railway station, of course. But which one? That’s debatable. But in an interview with SongTalk magazine in 1990 Simon recalled, “That was written in Liverpool when I was traveling. What I like about that is that it has a very clear memory of Liverpool station and the streets of Liverpool and the club I played at and me at age 22. It’s like a snapshot, a photograph of a long time ago… “. So Simon claimed Liverpool. Garfunkel thought it was in the vicinity of Manchester. However, if you go to the rail station at Widnes in Cheshire county in the northwest of England you’ll find a plaque commemorating the song displayed on the Liverpool bound platform. Simon once said of the Widnes railway station that if you ever saw it you would understand why he’d been so eager to quickly return to London.

And so Simon wrote these memorable lines:

“Every day’s an endless stream of cigarettes and magazines.

And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories.”

Although he longed to be back with Kathy in London their relationship was fated not to last. Together they revisited America touring mostly by bus. Kathy went back to England by herself with Simon following a few weeks later. Simon then came back to America when “The Sound of Silence” hit #1 on the U.S. charts but Kathy, a shy girl by nature, didn’t want to have anything to do with Simon’s new-found fame. They soon parted ways.

YEAH YEAH YEAH to coin a phrase – I know, I know, another appraisal of The Beatles film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’

Nearly fifty four years old and the subject of countless critiques does the world really need one more? Well after watching it on television for the umpteenth time over Christmas I decided another set of observations could do no harm – after all what is wrong in celebrating eighty seven minutes of such joy one more time?

Having watched ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ at least once every eighteen months for the roughly the past forty years I thought there was nothing new for me to see but like the brilliant rock album and great film (which it most certainly is) there is often something new to discover. Much of the back story I discovered in the two-set DVD edition that I received as a birthday present about five years ago and while ‘the making of,’ documentary of is both fascinating and informative it also served to shatter one of my lasting illusions of the film. Down the years when walking along the platform of Liverpool Lime Street station I always conjured the image of the Fab Four being chased down the same walkway in the opening scene, only to discover it was not shot there but at Marylebone Station and the train journey they take in the first twenty minutes of the film is not from Liverpool to London, but back and forth from Marylebone to Minehead – leaving me with mixed feelings whether it was information I really needed to be aware of.

But no matter how many times I see it (and on this latest viewing I did spot a couple of errors in continuity that had never come to my attention before) I am always enthralled by the sheer exuberance of how The Beatles perform as actors. To clarify ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ completely breaks with the tradition laid down in the films made by the likes of Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard up to that point, as rather than play singing characters The Beatles are themselves which gives ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ its documentary feel and in a story that sees them travelling to London for a television appearance also provides an insight into the lives they were living at the time. The film, cleverly directed by Richard Lester, depicts each member with a distinctly individual personality that from this point onward they would retain until virtually the day they split up – John (rebel), Paul (romantic), George (thinker), Ringo (jester) – but in 1964, before a dark side to ‘Beatlemania’ had developed, their camaraderie is joyful and a far, far cry from the tetchy, squabbling individuals they became when breaking up in front of cameras for ‘Let It Be,’ just five years later.

In early 1964, however, the hand of manager Brian Epstein is still on the tiller, evident in their clean shaven, collar and tie appearance – with hard drugs, political pronouncements and mysticism still someway off. The music too has yet to undergo the transformation that happened once Bob Dylan and psychedelics replaced Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran as the principal song writing influences of Lennon and McCartney – nevertheless the soundtrack of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is still a marvel. ‘If I Fell,’ ‘Tell Me Why,’ and ‘And I Love Her,’ all have gorgeous melodies and straightaway as songwriters they are way ahead of the field, while in the latter song the stunning classical guitar arrangement shows The Beatles were quite capable of eclecticism in their own right.

One oddity of the film given it is their movie, is the name of the group is never mentioned – ‘The Beatles’ appears on Ringo’s drum kit and on the helicopter in the closing scene – but everywhere else the superb script, written by playwright Alun Owen, contains comical references to their fame and throws in several in-jokes for good measure, the most obvious being frequent remarks made to Paul’s grandfather, who is travelling with them, about him being ‘a clean old man.’ Played by Wilfrid Brambell, this is a reference to the character Brambell was currently making famous in the television comedy ‘Steptoe and Son’ where he is often labelled ‘a dirty old man.’ After spending time with The Beatles, Owen manages to give his script strong authenticity, picking up on expressions the group were using such as ‘grotty’ and ‘mocker’ that had never been used before. What did come as a surprise when recently watching the film was a scene on a backstage staircase where there road manager (played by Norman Rossington) says to John Lennon as a chorus line passes: ‘put those girls down Lennon or I’ll tell your Mother.’

It seems a strangely insensitive line particularly as Lennon had lost his Mother in a tragic car accident six years before and in view of the tortured songs he wrote about her (‘Mother’, My Mummy’s Dead,’) most notably on his breath taking solo album ‘Plastic Ono Band’ in 1970.

But let us not leave ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ on a sombre note – it is much too upbeat and infectious for that.

If you have seen the film then see it again and dare yourself not to smile. If somehow you have never seen it what a treat awaits – a wonderful opportunity to witness many of the reasons people remain enthralled by The Beatles to this day.

In every football-playing country, there is a league system. The most competent clubs play in the top division league. The sport being the most popular one in the world, top-tier football leagues are watched by the crazy fans from all over the globe. In fact, the most exciting league matches find the highest number of viewers. These five leagues are as follows:

· Barclays Premier League

· Spanish League or La Liga

· Italian League or Serie A

· German League or Bundesliga

· French League or Ligue 1

Among these five leagues, Barclays Premier League is considered the most exciting one. A decade ago or so, Serie A was widely considered the most competitive league in the world. However, things have changed over the last few years since Manchester United lost their monopoly. The Red Devils – Man U are often referred to as their famous nickname – were simply unstoppable under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson. Once their golden era is over, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal are some of the big names dominating the English Premier League landscape.

This 2015-16 season, Leicester City have emerged as the Premier League champions. Premier League is no longer predictable like what we have been watching in Serie A or Bundesliga where Juventus and Bayern Munich have been champions for several years in a row. In addition to the above-specified names, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Southampton are other big names in the first-division English League. Tottenham have finished their campaign second on the league table. Chelsea have suffered a lot and failed to make a great start to the last campaign. It led to sacking of their manager Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea or the Blues managed to drive themselves back from their woeful run under manager Guus Hiddink but due to their earlier drop, they failed to break into the top four. According to reports, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are among the 20 wealthiest clubs in the world. These leagues are most televised in a number of countries. The TV rights earn the clubs millions of pound. The prize money earned by the league winner is the best in any country. The players earn the most attractive wages that can be offered in any league.

History of English League

English League has become the giant one after starting as a small one in the 19th century. They have also earned success in the European competition. Years ago, the star players from Brazil and Argentina used to prefer playing in the Serie A or La Liga. They did not think twice to snub offers from Premier League in order to show their skill in other countries. The story is completely different now. Both the Brazilian and Argentinean players now love to ply their trade in the Premier League. In fact, the star players from several football-playing countries are now eager to prove themselves in England.

English football league is marked by both pace and skill. Every year, a new club wins the Premier League title and that makes the charm of watching the league alive.

Aintree Racecourse is one of the most famous racecourses in the world and is located on the A59 at Ormskirk Road, Aintree (Anglo-Saxon for ‘one tree’), in the northern suburbs of Liverpool, just 6 miles from the city centre.

The racecourse occupies more than 250 acres and has two left-handed chasing circuits. The rectangular Mildmay Course is the first and was opened in 1953. It is nearly one and a half miles in length, with sharp turns and steeplechase fences.

The Grand National course isn’t as sharp as the Mildmay course but is much more demanding which is why it is known as one of the toughest races in the world, one which all horse trainers aspire to gain entry to. The Grand National course is far longer than the Mildmay, at almost two and a quarter miles, and is completely flat, with fences that have a drop on the landing side lower than the take-off side.

William Lynn is the man responsible for bringing racing to the village of Aintree. Lynn was the landlord of the Waterloo Hotel and started racing on the land which he leased from the Earl of Sefton. He started to build the grand stand in 1829 and after five months the first meeting for flat races was held.

Hurdle racing didn’t begin until 1836, when the first Liverpool Grand Steeplechase was held at Aintree on February 29th. This race is considered by some as being the first ever Grand National and was won by The Duke, ridden by Captain Martin Becher.

However, the more documented Liverpool Grand Steeplechase of 1839 is more commonly identified as the first Grand National, and was won by Lottery, ridden by Jem Mason. The race of 1839 was a four miler, across country, and the rule was that ‘no rider to open a gate or ride through a gateway, or more than 100 yards along any road, footpath or driftway’.

The racecourse was handed over to the War Office in 1915, and after the 1940 National it was again requisitioned by the military. Racing resumed in 1946 and in 1949 the racecourse was bought by Messrs Topham Ltd; who had leased the land for almost a century; from the Earl of Sefton for £275,000. Mirabel Topham, an enterprising soul, went on to create the Mildmay course and a motor-racing circuit which held the European Grand Prix and five British Grand Prix.

Bill Davies bought the racecourse in 1973 for £3 million and in 1975 Ladbrokes saved the Grand National, which was in danger of dying out, by managing and administering it for seven years at a yearly rent of £250,000. In 1983 the racecourse was deemed secure when the Jockey Club bought it.

Aintree has come a long way from the days when it could only be accessed by rail or paddle boat. Now, improved rail and network links means that fans can travel by any means to reach the wonderful racecourse. There is even a six acre enclosure for landing by helicopter on site or the alternative option of John Lennon airport twenty minutes drive away, meaning that those both home and abroad can come share in the magnificent Aintree festivities.

Internet marketing should be seen as a jigsaw, with all the pieces required to get a satisfactory result. Search engine optimization is only one component of a successful website and even if you have first page rankings on the popular search engines this does not guarantee people will actually click on your impression.

What many people forget is, the most important part of any business, your site visitor experience. When optimizing a website, after employing your keyword research and finding high traffic, relatively uncompetitive key phrases you will be looking to change your Meta tags so they contain your keywords. The mistake people often make it that they simply group the keywords together on the Meta Title tag, without thinking that, for their potential customers, this is the headline that will grab attention. You need to make your keywords flow so it actually means something to your target audience.

Meta Descriptions are also important to get right, because this gives you a chance to really emphasize why someone would want to click through and view your site. Again just jamming this with a group of keywords is a surefire way to alienate the reader. This part of the text needs to be compelling and really get people curious about what lies beyond. Avoid superlatives, boasting and ridiculous claims as nobody listens to people who shout about themselves, they are just concerned as annoying.

The key to this balancing act is understanding that your customers are thinking "what's in this for me?" Give benefits, not features and focus on how your product or service can alleviate your customers various problems and needs. Never forget that you are serving two masters when it comes to online marketing, the search engines and more importantly your potential customers.

If you’re thinking about competing in hunter jumper A and B rated shows, you will want to do everything you can to be totally prepared. Not only do you need to be prepared, but your horse does as well, and that means exposing them to as many show-type jumps as possible. There is nothing worse than walking into the show ring and having your horse refuse at the very first jump. Even if you don’t have a very spooky horse, it’s a good idea to expose them to a wide range of jumps so you both know what to expect. Here are a few things jumps you should add to your training arena.

Liverpool

A Liverpool is incredibly important to have at home if you plan on competing in jumpers or top-level equitation. Even the most solid horses tend to take a hard look at water jumps. A good alternative to water is to have a blue tarp that you can spread out under the jump.

Brick Wall

Brick walls are actually just wooden boxes painted to look like bricks. The bright colors and solid features can sometimes be scary to horses.

Roll Top

Roll tops are made out of wood and can be found painted in a range of colors. However, horse shows generally have roll tops that are covered in a green artificial grass.

Flower and Brush Boxes

You should have plenty of flower and brush boxes with a variety of different colored artificial flowers for each box.

Planks and Gates

Planks and gates are great for filling out jumps and creating a different look for each obstacle. Make sure they are varied both in color and design.

Once you have all of these additional jumps, remember to change them up regularly. You want your horse to see new jumps all the time, so by changing boxes, rearranging the course and adding new flowers, you are giving yourself the best chance of doing well once you reach the show arena. On a final note, remember to practice jumping very plain, simple white fences too – sometimes those are the spookiest!

James Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942 in Liverpool. He was the first son of Mary and James McCartney. His brother, Peter Michael McCartney, was born eighteen months later. Paul’s mother was a midwife, who died from breast cancer in 1955 when Paul was just 14, this troubled Paul deeply. Paul’s father was a cotton salesman during the day for A. Hannay Co., and a jazz musician with Jim Mac’s Jazz Band at night. Paul did very well in school. He passed his 11-Plus examination in 1957 and entered the Liverpool Institute, a very popular high school. There, he met a younger student by the name of George Harrison whom Paul later brought with him into John’s group, The Quarrymen. As a child, Paul showed no particular interest in music. Both he and his brother were sent to piano lessons, but these didn’t last long. Then he was given a trumpet by an uncle, and he began to teach himself. His musical talent probably came from his father. Of all The Beatles, Paul’s family was the only one with any musical background or interest. At the Liverpool Institute, Paul became popular. His dealings with young girls, however, had little effect on his grades. He was a top student, but he soon found that school was interfering with his social life. Like John and the others, Paul was influenced by early rock songs. Still, it was Elvis that formed the greatest impression on him. Paul first met John through a mutual friend, Ivan Vaughan. Vaughan invited Paul to see The Quarrymen play at the Wooton Parish. c The Quarrymen, and Paul accepted. Paul’s first public performance with The Quarrymen was at a dance at the Conservative Club in Broadway. Paul was supposed to play a solo that night, but for some reason, he never did. What he did do after the dance was play John some songs that he had written himself. John was impressed and later tried to write songs of his own. Neither wrote anything of much value, but the two began collaborating, each egging the other on to better works. From that day until the end of The Beatles, they never stopped, and together they became “Lennon & McCartney,” one of the most renowned song writing duos of the twentieth century. Once they had become established songwriters, Paul and John would often write independently of one another. John’s songs were more raw rock ‘n’ roll, while Paul’s tended to be more romantic. Songs like “Yesterday,” “Michelle,” and “Lovely Rita” are typical McCartney songs. An early agreement between Paul and John assured that all Beatle songs that either wrote would bear the trademark of “Lennon & McCartney.” Paul met Jane Asher at a pop concert at Albert Hall. She was then seventeen. The Radio Times asked her to go along to the concert to give her impressions of The Beatles. After the concert, she was invited back to their hotel for a drink. That night Paul and Jane spent the evening together. “I realized she was the girl for me,” Paul once said. Jane, however, summed up her impression of the boys by exclaiming, “They couldn’t believe I was a virgin. ” Paul wanted Jane to give up acting to be with him constantly. She refused. This led to a number of arguments, but Paul was still attracted to her. It was for Jane Asher that he wrote “I’m Looking Through You” and “And I Love Her.” Marriage seemed inevitable, and on Christmas Day, 1967, Paul asked Jane to be his wife. She accepted (Bio..)(Paul Mc…)

In 1969 rumors started to spread that Paul was dead. Rumors of the death were exaggerated. No one knows for sure where the “Paul is Dead” rumor began. Some rumors were spread that Paul had been dead for three years and that he had been replaced by a look a like. Beatles fans everywhere looked for clues that were left intentionally in lyrics, record covers and pictures that would reveal the truth about the hoax.

The idea that Paul McCartney was dead for three years surfaced during the release of Abbey Road in September of 1969. The first indications of the hoax were printed in two Midwestern College newspapers (Iowa’s Drake University Times-Delphic and Northern Illinois University’s Northern Star). Russel Gibb, a Detroit radio jock for WKNR FM read about the story in the college newspaper articles and invented new “clues” for listeners. Listeners called the radio station and claimed to be able to hear secret messages by playing Revolution #9 and other songs backwards. A walrus is a Greek symbol for death. In the song Glass Onion, John Lennon sings, “well here’s another clues for you all, the walrus is Paul,” which connected Paul to his “death”.

According to one myth. Paul left the recording studio in anger, following a fight with the rest of the group. Paul stormed out of the studio, jumped into his car and sped off (I Buried P…). All of the clues point to a car accident that reportedly happened prior to Paul leaving the studio in anger. On November 10, 1966 a British newspaper reported that on Wednesday morning at five o’clock someone was involved in a car accident, according to the newspaper the accident was so bad that the body could not be identified in any way. In A Day In The Life, John Lennon sings, “he blew his mind out in a car, he didn’t notice that the light had changed, a crowd of people stood and stared, they’d seen his face before, nobody was really sure if he was from the house of god (in the song god sounds like Paul)(I Buried P…)

Many visual clues were on the Abbey Road LP. The media began reporting the joke as a fact as soon as it was released. The rumors began to grow larger. In October of 1969 McCartney himself made a public appearance in which he stated the breaking up of The Beatles. In a 1970 Rolling Stone interview with John Lennon, Lennon was asked if any of the hidden clues were supposed to have any meaning. Lennon replied, “No. That was bull. The whole thing was made up.”

The Beatles enjoyed attention. They were jokers; maybe they were just having a little fun with their fans. Some people today still believe that Paul is dead because of the many convincing clues. No evidence shows that any of the members were behind the hoax. No one can prove that it did or didn’t happen. The fact of the matter is that Paul is alive today. He is currently married to an ex-model. He is touring the concert world. And he is still a Living legend.

His full name is Djibril Aruun Cissé. He was born on 12 August 1981 in Arles, France. His playing position in the field is Striker.

At the age of 11 He began his career at Nîmes Olympique in 1993. Afterward Cissé went to Auxerre still in the youth team. Gérard Houllier brought him to Liverpool. For the period of his time at Anfield Cissé played 49 matches with 11 goals; although he was at times played on the wing of right side.

He experienced playing football with some senior clubs: Auxerre (1993-1996), Liverpool (2004-2006), Marseille (2006-2008), Sunderland (loan) (2008-2009), Panathinaikos (2009 – till now).

Djibril Cissé is a French soccer player of Ivorian ancestry. Cissé is renowned mainly for his acceleration and pace, in addition to his hairstyles that always attention-grabbing. He has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham from the time when 2005.

At the age of 15 Cissé signed for Auxerre club, and in May 2002 made his international first appearance in opposition to Belgium. In May 2003, along with Auxerre, he triumphed for the French Cup and a month afterward the Confederations Cup with France. In the French Ligue 1 in the 2001-2002 and 2003-2004 season, Cissé was the top scorer making 70 goals in 128 league matches for Auxerre club.

Here are the lists of his honors he achieved as long as his career as a soccer player. The honors with the club are Auxerre (Coupe de France: 2002-2003); Liverpool (UEFA Champions League, 2004-2005), (UEFA Super Cup: 2005), (FA Cup: 2005-2006); Panathinaikos (Greek Super League: 2009-2010). And for the country is FIFA Confederations Cup: 2003.

How do you explain the continuing popularity of the Beatles, a pop group that broke up officially in 1970? The Beatles break up was marked with rancor and resentment between McCartney and Lennon. Lawsuits were filed and legal matters dragged out for years, during which time the principles hardly communicated. Harrison recorded all those songs unappreciated by the Lennon/McCartney juggernaut on the double album “All Things Must Pass.” And even though McCartney and even Ringo Starr have had viable post Beatle careers, the parts are less than the whole, especially those who remember the Beatlemania of the 1960s.

This sour end to the most popular music group of all time has not cooled the ardor of their fans. Each CD re-incarnation of the vinyl album sells in the millions. The Beatles Anthology, a complete and pricey retrospective set of their entire career, became a run-away best seller in the mid 1990s and again in its 2003 DVD release. The Cirque du Soleil’s “Love” Las Vegas show is the ticket of the year and is garnering rave reviews. And Beatle fanatics continue to make pilgrimages to iconic Liverpool and London locations to experience the landmarks in the Beatles history.

So what is going on here? Besides Elvis Presley, it’s hard to think of any other non-current artist or group that still commands attention and record sales like the Beatles. It’s no stretch to say that, as a group, the Beatles penned more quality tunes than any other pop/rock musical group or artist. The sweep of their material, from the charming “From Me To You” to the personal pleas of “Help,” to rave ups like “Helter Skelter” is unrivaled in modern popdom. It was the Beatles who established the long playing album as an artistic medium that showcased interesting songs and compelling performances with no discernible duplication or flagging of inspiration through almost 10 years.

Before the Beatles, albums were afterthoughts to the radio hit, with one or two hits filled out with lesser formula tunes. Even King Elvis suffered from this syndrome with his movie soundtrack albums. Blame manager Tom Parker who foisted on Elvis mostly forgettable tunes cranked out by composers willing to sell their songs cheap to the Colonel’s in-house publishing company. But most albums of the day were of this ilk, a hit tune or movie title song surrounded by often forgettable dross.

The Beatles were lucky to hook up with George Martin, a creative and sympathetic producer and musician. Up until the Beatles, most artists had little control over their product, deferring that role to experienced producers and A&R men. Martin familiarized the Beatles with the techniques of studio work and frequently suggested song arrangements. But even he at an early date realized the rare and extraordinary song writing talent that Lennon/McCartney were developing song by song. And it continued and matured through each and every album.

People forget how rare it was in 1962 for a music combo to write, sing and play its own compositions. The pop music model had been Elvis-inspired singers named Bobby and Tommy who plied mostly forgettable songs to sighing teenagers. The Beatles changed all that in something resembling a revolution. Suddenly, four or five piece combos were “in” and record executives expected musical proficiency and hit song writing all wrapped into one package. Music stores began selling electric guitars and amplifiers by the boatload. Beatlemania was born.

The Beatles raised the bar for other to follow. The so-called “British Invasion” consisting of groups like Herman’s Hermits, the Zombies and the Dave Clark Five who offered energetic songs filled with memorable melodic hooks.

Go to any Paul McCartney or Ringo concert and you’ll see fans of all generations, not just aging baby boomers. Many of these fans continue to gather at annual Beatle fests in America and Liverpool to pay homage to their favorite band. This is the most powerful testament to the enduring legacy of the Beatles. As the magical melodies travel from generation to generation, as more CDs and DVDs are bought and enjoyed, you can be assured that the Beatles will remain as relevant today as they were in those halcyon days of 1963-1970.

I have been watching the attempt by the English FA to name a new manager with great interest, it's a great way to see how not to do things! Even the way they approached Luis Felipe Scolari was a joke – they knew he could not possibly accept the job before the World Cup but still offered him the job! Yes the FA is a truly wondrous organization, capable of ineptitude beyond the wildest dreams of the likes of Mr. Bean!

With the only other truly 'foreign' coach in the running, Guus Hiddink also ruled out, and Arsene Wenger not interested at the moment anyway, who does that leave? Well I am giving my assessment of the possibilities:

1) Steve McLaren

OK so he's got Middlesbrough to the UEFA Cup final but he has severely inspired confidence in me. His team play a poor brand of football, not exactly exciting, despite having money to spend. To my mind they should be at least in Tottenham's position fighting for 4th with the money that has been spent and the facilities they have. Their training facilities are among the best in the world, far superior to Liverpool's Melwood facility for instance. Yet they continue to struggle in the EPL and not just that but they rented to reach the UEFA Cup final. It may be harsh but Steau Bucharest are hardly Juventus are they? Yet 'Boro still had to scrape through the skin of their teeth! So for me I would have to say no he is not good enough.

2) Sam Allardyce

What can you say about Big Sam? His team are capable of playing some of the best football in the top flight, but tend to rely on scrapping their way through. But, unlike McLaren, the money he has available is very low, he has had to accept he can not get the Yakubu's of this world and has adjusted his tactics to suit the players he has. The reason I would give him the job if it was my decision are these:

a) his players play for him, there's never any suggestion they do not give 100%

b) he will leave no stone unturned on the coaching side to get the best from his players – if giving them ballet lessons will improve their job then he will have them taking ballet lessons no matter who they are (I for one would pay good money to watch Wayne Rooney taking ballet lessons!).

c) he's not a yes man in any way – he would do it his way rather than allowing the FA any input.

So yes Sam is the man as far as I am concerned – although I would of just as happy with Hiddink, Scolari, Benitez or Wenger.

3) Martin O'Neill

The first problem, of course with O'Neill is his nationality, though I, for one, do not care about that, many others do. The second problem is would he want the job? He has enough on his plate at the moment and might not be in a position to accept it. A truly great motivator, and that is one of the main tasks of a national coach, but, and this is a big but, his tactical ability is suspect. But still its good enough to put him in as strong a position as Sam Allardyce in my mind.

4) Stuart Pearce

He would have to be a huge gamble, not because of his lack of experience but because of the bad run his team are on. Personally I think he has to be involved in some capacity if the FA can persuade him. Although my impression of Pearce suggests he would probably pay the FA to be involved in some capacity with the Englad team! But not the man for the job, yet, for me.

5) Alan Curbishley

He performed wonders with Charlton and has to be at least considered for the position. But I believe we will see him managing Newcastle United rather than England, purely because Charlton is not seen as a big enough club. I am sure he believes the same and that was behind his leaving the club – he knows the club does not match his ambitions at the moment. Without European football he will not get the England job.

The other thing I would have to say is why the FA get more of the top coaches involved? Its criminal to have a coach of the quality of Dario Gradi not involved with the FA to sort out their youth policy. If one man knows how to produce young players its him.

Although of course that would take a degree of competency the FA is incapable of and also the swallowing of pride and accepting that maybe someone else knows better about football!