We all know how it goes. Someone is appointed as England manager, the tabloids big them up then when things start to go badly, or the papers just need to fill space, the knives come out and the tone of the coverage changes drastically.

Fabio Capello had a fairly easy start to his reign as England manager, his side dominated their qualification group so there was little else for the papers to do other than praise him. However, his players have given the tabloids some much craved after...

gunnerryan

I get the impression the news stories regarding Jamie Carragher's contract talks were blown out of proportion this week.

With the club battling to secure fourth place in the Premier League, potentially disruptive contract talks are the last thing on Carragher's mind, though he must surely be aware of big offers on the table for other, younger first team players.

Carragher said: "I'll still play my best and if I have to move then I'll move. It wouldn't bother me."...

mightyreds86

As with most international friendlies, last night's game against Egypt provided more questions than answers. Yes, the home team ran out 3-1 winners in the end, but the first half performance was pretty dreadful. One of the few facts manager Fabio Capello can take out of the game is that Wayne Rooney and Jermaine Defoe cannot play together. The pair have not scored when they have started together upfront and it's unlikely Capello will try this expect again. However, even this answer leads to another...

gunnerryan

I'm not usually a big fan of international friendlies. The games are usually played at a very low pace and against sub-standard opposition. That makes it very difficult to actually learn anything about the players on show. However, perhaps the only exception to this rule are the matches that take place in the run up to major tournaments. Take England v Egypt tonight. Ok, they'll still be plenty of reasons for the leading England players to take their foot off the gas - who could blame Wayne Rooney...

jamestaylor

So Wayne Bridge has decided to rule himself out of playing for England. It doesn't take a genius to work out the obvious motivating factor behind his decision but I suspect his thought process runs a little deeper than that. Clearly he dislikes John Terry and is upset about what has happened in their personal lives. However, instead of trying to press on and play for England like nothing has happened, Bridge has decided to call it a day not for his own reasons, but for the good of the team. ...

gunnerryan