England will struggle to get out of group
HOME before the postcards or a longer stop-over in Poland and the Ukraine for our brave boys at the European Championships?
If the jury is still awake after watching our wonders dispose of the clearly over-rated Belgium and before that Norway in friendlies, then I suggest they will not have made their minds up yet over the national team's chances.
I'm still not convinced England will get out of their qualifying group, and don't really buy into the theory that as no-one expects much of them, then, by definition, they are bound to reach the final at least.
The problem England have, as I see it, is that they are simply not very good.
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Not rank-bad exactly, but more mediocre with a suggestion of a Championship-class club dressed up in Premier League garb.
A tad harsh? Maybe, but here's hoping I'm wrong and England will I won't say over-achieve, but at least give as good an account of themselves as injury and suspension allows.
Whenever someone hails the side as 'being difficult to beat', then you know what's coming up is not about to be a thrill a minute.
In fairness, England's preparations have been sound – If you overlook the Rio Ferdinand-John Terry row. No big introductions, just good, honest ground out 1-0 wins, then bags packed, early nights and all ready for our first match against France.
Yes, that France, the country who have been revived under Laurent Blanc, on Monday.
Then Sweden and finally Ukraine, so nothing to worry about there then.
Looking at the plus points for England, Joe Hart is as good as you'll get in goal, Ashley Cole is a first-class defender and in midfield, skipper Steven Gerrard can be a world-beater.
But up front Roy Carroll, Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck I'm not convinced they're going scare defences.
And talking of defence: was manager Roy Hodgson right or wrong.
No, not just to wear the England kit while training his troops, looking more like a dodgy scout master, than an international coach, but concerning the silly, won't-go-away elephant in the room which is Ferdinand's absence from the squad.
When Ferdinand, with all due respect to Liverpool bit-part player Martin Kelly, was not called up when Gary Cahill joined the ever-growing cast of Hodgson's Casualty, it fuelled the argument that, because of the court case concerning Terry allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, Rio and Terry were no longer on good terms.
Oh, and FA chief David Bernstein's demand that no questions on that matter be proffered by the Fourth Estate just gives one a nasty twinge in the nethers that loose ends have been left untied.
I just hope England don't trip up early!
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