Lone ranger Rickie can cope in Kiev

It is just over a year since England last played in Kiev, on that occasion it was to face a fancied Italian side in a European Championships Quarter Final, Tuesday night however sees Roy Hodgson return with his Three Lions as they look to go a long way to securing their spot at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Hodgson will be aware that a win for his Three Lions will put them in pole position to reach the 2014 World Cup, however, a draw or defeat will blow things wide open at the top of group H with their opposition and Montenegro on their tails.

The England boss will be up against it even more so as he has to travel to Kiev without several first teamer's due to injury and suspension. Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Andy Carroll and Glen Johnson are all missing, meaning that Hodgson is likely to hand Rickie Lambert the chance to shine alone up front for England in just his third cap.

The Southampton striker has scored in both of his England appearances so far, however Tuesday night will prove to be both his and Hodgson's sternest test yet. The rise of Lambert has been phenomenal and a match winning performance on Tuesday will all but secure both his and England's place at next Summers World Cup.

Ukraine warmed up for this clash with England by hammering minnows San Marino 9-0, while England were easily dispatching of Moldova 4-0. The hosts have met England twice in the last year. On the first occasion a Wayne Rooney goal was enough to see England progress at Euro 2012, meanwhile when the two sides met at Wembley earlier in this qualifying campaign, it was an 87th minute penalty from Frank Lampard which rescued England a 1-1 draw.

Lampard will be playing in his 100th game for England on Tuesday and like so many in the current England set up will know that this is his last chance to play at a World Cup. With Greg Dykes passionate speech about the state of the national game still ringing in the ears of many, Hodgson will be desperate to at least secure Englands place at the 2014 World Cup.

There is no doubting that this is Roy Hodgson's most important game as England manager so far. A win and England can start planning for next summer in Brazil, a draw and it is anybody's group, a defeat and England fans will have to start planning for a two legged play-off fixture.

Will England beat Ukraine in Kiev on Tuesday night?

Win a World Cup by 2022? On your bike Dyke

FA Chairman Greg Dyke this afternoon set England a challenge to win a World Cup by the year 2022, as part of the countries need to reform the national game, but was his challenge a step too far?

Every two years, expectant England fans (myself included) claim that 'this is our time', and yet time and time again we are left to bemoan and blame everyone but ourselves. Whether it be a dodgy referee, a freak goal or those dreaded penalties it never seems to be England's fault.

However, that all changed today a tiny bit as FA Chairman Dyke admitted that English football needed reforming to avoid "letting down the country and thousands of England football fans." The main issue seems obvious, however not so easy to approach. Last season just 32% of players in the Premier League were eligible to play for the England national side.

So how does the FA suggest we deal with this? Send your answers on a postcard as no explanation or plan was given other than a need "to work closely with the Premier League to deal with this frightening trend." A 'frightening trend' indeed, in 1995 just under 50% of players were English.

The warning from Dyke that things needed sorting was music to many ears, his next statement was not so. "I set a target that we win a World Cup by 2022." While extremely optimistic, it begs the question as to whether Dyke has completely misunderstood the challenge that faces him.

To reform the English national side, plans need to be drawn up to change the philosophy of the players. This plan needs to be implemented into players from as young of six or seven, allowing them to progress with a clear vision. The average age of a winning World Cup side is 27, so any hopes of winning a World Cup within 20 years seem unlikely.

Dyke of course should be congratulated for setting targets, something that has been missed by his predecessors, however his outlandish target seems to have overshadowed his much needed announcement.

Any plans to enhance the performance of our national side are welcome and I look forward to seeing what the FA and Premier League plan, however after the transfer window just slammed shut with a record amount spent on transfers, I can't see the Premier League accepting any proposals which will be detrimental to the worlds greatest league.

What would you say is the way forward for English football?

Winchester City FC ready to rise again

By Ryan Day

It has been a turbulent 12 months for Winchester City FC after suffering a torrid season in the Evo Stik South-West division which saw them eventually relegated to the Wessex Premier over ground issues.

The club ran up debts to be thought upwards of £10,000 and even had to postpone one fixture last season as the electric had been cut from their Denplan Stadium.

But four months on from being saved by two well known local businessman, the dark clouds that once rolled over the Club seem to be lifting. Work has been carried out on the pitch meaning that new first team manager Graham Kemp can get his side playing the way he wants them to ahead of their return to the Wessex Premier League.

As well as the pitch, some ground maintenance work has been carried out by the club and some diehard Winchester fans who refused to see the club hit the wall, despite them being only weeks away from that back in April.

The return of Dave Malone and new Chairman Paul Murray has meant a restored optimism around the club, but Mr Murray was quick to point out it hadn't been easy:

"Its been a challenging time since we got involved in April, we both live in Winchester so we decided to get involved. The supporters have been fantastic since we came in.

The club was virtually non-existent when we got involved, we wanted to get the club back on its feet. It is rare you have to build a new team from scratch but here we are a week before the season starts and we have had an unbeaten pre-season campaign", he added.

The Reds completed their pre-season campaign on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Fleet Town and new First Team Manager Kemp is looking forward to the new season, despite the turbulent last few months:

"I came to the club and there was no one here. We have called on some favours and it is coming together, but the hard work starts now.

If we lose and them players have given 100% then I will be happy. My first stipulation was that we needed to sort the ground out, we need to create an environment where people want to play their football, its coming along but we are not where we want it to be just yet".

While Kemp realises the struggles the Club has gone through in recent months, he says Winchester will not be there to make up the numbers this season:

"Without putting to much pressure on myself, I have not just come here to win nothing, I am hoping we can be challenging for promotion this year and if not then certainly next season".

Brits abroad - Not good enough?

With so many foreign imports into the Premier League these days we rarely see English players heading in the opposite direction. Everything Sport explores if that is because the English game is the place to be or the English players are not good enough for other countries?

Only three days into the new week and Manchester City have spent over £50 million pounds on two foreign players, one from Spain and one from Brazil. There is no doubt that while these figures seem high, it has become a harsh reality that these numbers are expected. Even more so of a reality is that these players will be from other countries.

With the Under 21 Championships kicking off tonight with England involved there is plenty of proof that England does produce fine quality players, but why do they never seem to leave the Great British Isles to taste some exotic endeavors in other countries?

Of course some players have flown the nest to try some World football, however very few have succeeded and most have returned to the English game after a short stint away. Most recently we have seen David Beckham, Joe Cole and Joey Barton try their hand in another country. While Beckham is expected to make an impact wherever he goes, it can be said that it was not his footballing skills that lit up his time abroad but more his global attraction i.e shirt sales.

The shortage of English players moving abroad seems to have been a consistent issue throughout the last few decades, however some of English biggest stars have made the move, with most considered being unsuccessful.

In 1993 in form Watford Striker Luther Blissett decided swapping Vicarage Road for the San Siro of AC Milan was the 'dream'. One season and just five goals later, Blissett returned to Vicarage Road, so what went wrong?

"When we played away at Ascoli in the first game, the change was just chalk and cheese. It was literally just playing keep-ball for the whole match and it was very difficult." he said in a recent interview with Sky Sports News

"You'd lay the ball off and spin to get behind people and the ball would end up back with the sweeper. They'd just be keeping the ball across the back. That's how it was." He added.

Of course Blissett was not the only British player to make the move to Italy bringing about the most famous quote from Liverpool legend Ian Rush who described his time in Italy 'Like playing in a different country'.

Fans of the Premier League will argue that there is no need for players to uproot and move sticks as these youngsters are plying their trade in already the Worlds best League. While it continues to attract billions of viewers, English club performances in the Champions League this season would suggest that actually we no longer have the best division in the world.

Returning Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho yesterday dismissed this argument. "Sometimes these things happen and there is no answer. In my first stint here it was just Chelsea, United and Arsenal going for the title, now there are five or six teams."

With a rising number of foreign imports joining the Premier League,could this be the best time for youngsters from England to try their hand at clubs around Europe? Former Arsenal Midfielder Paul Merson thinks they should.

"If we had five or six players playing across Europe's top leagues that would help England". Merson said in a Newspaper interview last year.

Another issue seems to be the language barrier, however football is now considered a worldwide language so this should no longer be an issue.

While Premier League football remains the most watched League across Europe, it perhaps looks like that it is no longer leading the way with attractive, exciting, and attacking football with the emergence of countries such as Germany now leading the way.

The fact that very few players move away from England appears to be due to the fact that they are not good enough.

What do you think? Are English players not good enough to play abroad or are they better to stay in the Premier League? 

Why the second coming of the 'Special one' may not be so special

Jose Mourinho today returned to Stamford Bridge having signed a four year deal with Chelsea FC.

Mourinho's final game in charge of Real Madrid on Saturday evening, despite six goals being scored, was a sideshow as all focus was on the man that once pronounced himself as the 'special one'.

Of course all signs seem to have pointed towards Stamford Bridge for the last few weeks as Chelsea fans licked their lips in excitement at the second coming of their former boss. Today we look at whether a return to the English capital is the right move for Mourinho. 

There is no doubt that the 50 year old is Chelsea's most successful manager in recent history and those fans still love him. But could that all change? 

They say in football you should never return, we never expected Mourinho to listen to that advice, why would he? Here is a man that has won most things in most countries. 

This time though things could potentially be very different from when the eccentric Portuguese manager took over at the Bridge in 2003. Back then Mourinho had a team that had achieved very little and he had John Terry and Frank Lampard in their prime. This time he set to inherit a side that has won the Europa League and qualified automatically for next seasons Champions League.

The aim will be simple for Mourinho this time around, win the Premier League and the Champions League. Of Course he never had to deal with the threat of Manchester City during his last tenure, while Manchester United and Arsenal will also be out to upset his return to Englands top flight.

While it is argued that now is the perfect time for Mourinho to walk back into Stamford Bridge like a knight in shining armour, you can't but help but think while he has lots to win, Mourinho has so much more to lose this time around. 

The fact he has the same love of Chelsea as their supporters will give him an extra boost in the challenge to complete his 'unfinished' business at the Bridge. The boss also enjoys a strong relationship with the British press, not something every manager can boast. 

The one relationship though that seems fractured is that of Mourinho and the Chelsea owner Roman Abromovich. In 2007 Mourinho left the Bridge blaming a breakdown in relationship with the influential Russian. While it appears that the relationship is now fixed, you have to wonder how long it will be before that all changes. 

Is a return to Chelsea right for both Mourinho and the Blues?

90 minutes of football and £120 million pound at stake...How do you enjoy the Championship play-off Final?

A sunny Bank Holiday Monday in May and the majority of us are set to enjoy a nice relaxing day, making the most of our extra day off from work. Some will no doubt be nursing a hangover from a crazy Bank Holiday night out, and then there are Crystal Palace and Watford fans who will spend the day biting their finger nails ahead of footballs richest game.

Today at Wembley, Palace and Watford will contest the Championship Play-Off Final for the right to be playing Premier League football next season. After 46 league games it all comes down to 90 tense minutes at the home of football to decide which of these two teams will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool next season.

There is no doubt that Watford fans are still pinching themselves that today is even happening after their dramatic semi final v Leicester at Vicarage Road, where the Foxes looked to have secured their spot in the final as they earned a stoppage time penalty, only for Watford keeper Manual Almunia to save superbly before playing the ball up field allowing Troy Deeney to smash the ball home with just seconds remaining.

Although for Palace it was not quite so dramatic, Ian Holloway and his side had to battle past fierce rivals Brighton to reach today's showpiece event. After a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park it looked like the pendulum had swung in the Seagulls favour, however two goals from Manchester United bound Wilfred Zaha at the Amex secured Palace a 2-0 aggregate win.

The build up to this game has been further enhanced by Ian Holloway's critical comments about Watfords use of the flawed loan system in the Football League. Up to this season there was a limit on five loan players in each squad from England, however no maximum number on foreign loan imports. With the Watford owners also having ownership of Udinese in Italy, it allowed the Hornets boss, Gianfranco Zola to snap up eight players on loan, including that of 21 year old Matej Vydra who has bagged an incredible 20 goals already this season.

There will not be two more eccentric managers on the sidelines either with Zola and Holloway two of the most entertaining bosses in the Championship. Zola this week said his players would be 'crazy' not to enjoy the occasion, unfortunately I don't think it is a game that can be enjoyed....until you win.

The winners of today's game will earn a potential £120 million pounds over the next year regardless of whether they drop straight back down from the Premier League thanks to large TV deal and parachute payments. In essence that means that each minute today that the players are on the field could potentially be worth £1.3 million pounds.

It is set to be an enthralling afternoon of football for everyone watching, maybe except them Watford and Palace fans making their way to Wembley, my advice to them, make sure you have some nails to bite and shoulder to cry on or to dance on at full time as it really will get that emotional. Strap yourselves in, it is going to be a roller-coaster.

Who do you think will win today's Championship Play Off Final? As always let us know.

Why Gareth shouldn't Bale on Spurs.....yet!

After failing to qualify for the Champions League this season, many Tottenham fans fear they could be about to lose their superstar winger Gareth Bale, however Everything Sport takes a look at why the Welsh wizard might be better to give it another go at White Hart Lane rather than hotfoot it across Europe to Madrid.

Spurs could count themselves unfortunate to miss out on a top four finish this season after finishing with their highest ever points tally in the Premier League, totaling 72, with only the extraordinary form of rivals Arsenal post Christmas preventing the White half of North London celebrating Champions League football next season.

Reports this week have linked Bale with an incredible £60 million pound move to another team in white....the one time Galacticos of Real Madrid. While all footballers dream of the opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs in world football, Bale should reject any advance from Madrid and stick with his Tottenham team mates for at least another season,particularly as they seem on the verge of toppling the once one sided battle in North London.

At just 23 years old, Bale could be about to become the main man who leads Spurs to something that they have not done in a while and that is finish above their near neighbours.  There is no doubt anymore regarding Bales ability, he has scored goals in an abundance and crucial ones at that. While it seems wrong to label Tottenham a one man team, you can't help but ask the question where Tottenham would have finished without the supreme Bale in their line up.

Bale is a key man and his reputation at Tottenham is rising all the time, you have to wonder if a move to Madrid would mean the same. You only have to rewind to 2012 to find the last player who swapped London for Madrid, Luka Modric.

Like Bale, Modric was a key part of a Spurs squad who had qualified for the Champions League, interest from Madrid grew and the player demanded a move to Spain. Spurs no doubt lost a key player, but Modric has found it tough in Spain and reports of a return to England already seem to be circulating.

While it is unfair to say the same would happen to Bale, it is clear that Bale would go from a stand out player to just another name of stars in a team that doesn't necessarily produce what it should.....trophies. Of course their are arguments that a move to Madrid could make Bale the complete player, while there is some truth in this, there is no reason why it has to be this season, he has time on his side.

At just 23, the Welshman has his best years ahead of him and he can still evolve at Spurs and help them become a regular in Europe's elite competition before departing for the Spanish capital. Andres Villas Boas is building something special at Tottenham and he is planning to build it around the Welshman. Spurs are no longer knocking on the door of Champions League football, they are now prepared to blow it open by making some big name signings and that is something the current top four should be wary of, and while AVB and Bale are leading the army, that threat is even more serious.

Nobody will expect Bale to stay at Tottenham for his entire career, of course they don't, why would he? But what Spurs fans will be expecting is another top four push next season and they will be praying that it is with Bale, I would be surprised if he jumps ship just yet and I think AVB would as well.

Let us know your thoughts. Should Bale stay at Spurs or push through a move to Madrid?