And another one bites the dust

With the countdown underway to the first round of games in the Prem, AGAIN, it comes as no surprise that another player from a Big Four club has pulled outta the the England Squad for this weeks friendly.

I said yesterday that this was bound to happen. However it doesn't make it any less shocking both in terms of the England's team's preparation for 2010 and for all the fans that have bought tickets. Do we get any benefit from seeing a patchwork England XI vs Holland??

The argument is always that Capello now has a chance to see how other players may fare in the team however, this isn't the point. These games are an opportunity for the preferred 11 to play as many times together as possible, and gel in a way that gives us a chance of getting past the quarter-finals next year.

Any-road, that's enough for now. I'm off to spit some more feathers.

Yours

Frank

Biggest Surprise in Football - Manchester United Player Pulls Out of England Squad

As true as the sky is blue and bears sh*t in the woods you can always bet on a Man Utd player pulling out of an England Squad - especially when it's a friendly!!

It beggars belief that in the year leading up to a major tournament, Ben Foster, our second choice keeper pulls out of a testing tie against the Dutch with ,according to SkySports, a minor injury. There may not be any points up for grabs but this is the kind of game that'll give Capello an idea of how we're gonna size up against tougher opposition in 2010. I'd put money on there being a few more key players missing come Wednesday - cue swine flu outbreak at all the top four's training grounds!!

Look, this isn't an anti Man Utd rant and I understand that Van Der Sar has snapped his finger off, but c'mon this happens every ruddy time!! Is there anyone out there feeling the same or am I just being a flag waving, England supporting prima-donna?

Let's leave it there for a while before the palpitations kick in and I have to spend the rest of the evening in a darkened room!!

Yours,

An utterly bemused Frank ;-)