The Opinion Forum

Hi all, I don’t know how many of you lovely people are following me but The Opinion Forum has moved under the new name, The View From London, located at www.theviewfromlondon.wordpress.com and available to follow on Twitter @theviewfromLDN.

Your support is really appreciated, its great to know your not blogging into the abyss!

Kind regards

James

After the disappointment of Hollywood Boulevard itself my buddy and I decided to go on a tour bus ride from the strip down to Santa Monica and its world famous pier/beach. We boarded the bus and zipped up to the top, open deck, the California sun beating down. Shades on and cameras ready we set off.

We passed many hotspots on the way to our first proper stop of Beverly Hills, but at the risk of boring you I will list some of the more notable ones. They include the House of Blues (Dan Aykroyd’s music venue), the Viper Room (nightclub previously owned by Johnny Depp), the Chateau Marmont (where celebrities ‘chill’ and where John Belushi died) and an El Pollo Loco fast-food restaurant that Brad Pitt used to work at (dressed in a chicken costume advertising specials!) before he hit the big time.

After a short(ish) ride we reached Beverly Hills, and following the anti-climax of the Hollywood Blvd experience this was a pleasant surprise. Although this much money concentrated in one area is a bit unsettling for any normal person, Beverly Hills really is stunning. The whole place oozes wealth, prestige and VIP status. We were informed by the tour guide that each street in the Hills is lined with a different species of palm (bet you didn’t know that!) and also that the residents are so stinking rich, that hidden alleyways have been created behind houses for the bin men, to ensure they don’t downgrade the neighbourhood with their very presence.

Even the city hall is something else! This gem (also the location of the police station in the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy) looks more like it should house royalty, not administrators. Every facet of this part of LA has had money thrown at it. The roads are perfect, trees trimmed to excellence and not one blade of grass dares to outgrow its neighbour.

Never have I seen so many expensive cars in such a concentrated area. You haven’t got to look far before you see a shiny new Bentley, Rolls or Mercedes, with the odd sports car thrown in for good measure. And its not just the mode of transport. In such a prestigious area, you’ve got to have prestigious shopping to buy high class clothes to go with your top of the range car. Topman will not suffice, nor Zara, nor Hollister. Beverly Hills calls for some serious retail.

The designer (or incredibly priced boutique) is king here. No less than Gucci, Prada or Louis Vuitton is acceptable. Rodeo Drive is home to Ralph Lauren, Chanel and Giorgio Armani among many others and as if it could get any more exclusive, there’s Via Rodeo, Rodeo Drive’s legendary Spanish cobbled street that houses more high line shops and restaurants.  If you like a bit of shopping, it may be an idea to keep your credit card in your wallet//purse, as just one purchase from these shops could put you in the red!!

To live this lifestyle you need to be rich, and not just wealthy, but full blown, stupendously loaded. This whole area epitomises the excess of Hollywood. On one hand you have Beverly Hills, Bel Air, the Wilshire strip with all the glamour and wealth, and then only a few blocks away you have some of the poorest areas in the city. I’m not trying to put anyone on a guilt trip but there really is a rich/poor gulf in this city.

As I said this is not a guilt trip and Beverly Hills truly is worth a visit. It’s a genuine case of ‘how the other half live’ (though in fairness it’s probably how the other 1% live!) and great fun!

Would I recommend visiting Beverly Hills? Certainly, but don’t hang around too long or you may get moved along!

But what’s your take? Do you agree or disagree? I’d love to know!

Hello all! Sorry for the delay in posts but been rather busy of late! The next edition of An Englishman in Los Angeles is coming within the next few days. The next article covers Beverly Hills! WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

James

Why all English people should listen to country music

We got both kinds, country and western…

As you may have gathered from previous articles, I rather like America and have visited it as often as I can. I have gone as far West as Los Angeles, to the mountains whilst skiing in Colorado and have spent a fair amount of time on the east coast in the sunshine state of Florida. It is in this wonderful part of the world that I stumbled upon country music.

Now I know what you are thinking – four guys, all of which look like they walked straight out of a run down trailer park, wearing dungarees and chewing a bit of straw. Two are armed with banjos, one is playing a makeshift drum kit (consisting of pots and pans) and the other is using an empty bottle of moonshine as the group’s bass… But no, this is not modern country music!

Discovery

I ‘discovered’ country music whilst on a family holiday to Florida several years ago. We were driving down the freeway and trying our best to find a decent radio station. After several unsuccessful attempts we found K92fm, a local country radio station. Now if I’m honest, (as ignorant Brits!) we left the station on for a while with the sole purpose of laughing at the music and its lyrics. An hour later and the country station was still playing without a hint of suggesting it be turned off. It was apparent that we were starting to fall in love with country.

Within days K92fm became the station we tuned into whenever we got in the car. If we got in the rental car and it wasn’t the station that immediately came on, there were protests from the whole family. The songs that we’d previously ridiculed, with subjects such as tractors, farmer’s daughters, barn dances and drinking whiskey, were now firm favourites, with everyone (even my mum) singing along to every word. In fact, even upon returning to the UK, one of my first jobs was to download as many of the country songs I could remember for my iPod.

What’s the Appeal?

So why did we love this music so much? There really isn’t a reason why a Brit from the suburbs of London should like music that talks about a culture alien to his own. But for some reason I love it. It must be a longing I have, a desire for that simpler existence that embodies rural American life. Interesting that it was this desire for a new, simpler way of life away from the urban sprawl that led to European’s leaving the cities for the New World of America. It is obvious that American’s living that life to this day feel the same way and it is this sentiment that is reflected in country music. How many of us Brits long to take to the open roads of America and drive through the great American wilderness, to live the life of a ‘small town man’?

In a society where we are always so busy, always on the move and never settled, I find that country music can be almost a form of escapism. When listening to lyrics talking about travelling across America’s stunning geography, relaxing at a proper American bar and working hard in the fields you are transported away from the hustle and bustle of British life and to a much simpler place.

Though we may laugh at the country stereotypes that we see such as Bob from the Blues Brothers, Cletus from The Simpsons etc and the values they appear to stand for, country music celebrates so many of gems of living rather than just one night stands.

Many songs sing of the importance of family marriage, the love of the simple things in life, the benefit of a hard day’s work in the outside air, enjoying the company of friends and the incredible raw geography that God has created for us all to enjoy.

The Funny Side

As brilliant at talking about these things, country music also has a fantastic sense of humour. Several of my favourites are not only great songs to listen to, but are also pretty funny. ‘I Love This Bar’ is Toby Keith’s eulogy to his favourite bar, ‘Cheaper than a Shrink” tells the story of a guy who sees getting blind drunk as a cheaper alternative to getting psychological help for his problems and ‘What was I thinkin’” describes one man’s mission to have a relationship with a girl whilst avoiding being shot by her less than approving father! Put in a tongue-in-cheek way, accompanied by a great country sound makes for thoroughly entertaining music.

Easy Listening

 Now I’ve made my deep, philosophical point on a longing for a more basic, rural life, and also on the comedy value of country, but I mustn’t forget, above all things, that country is just darn good music! Country comes in so many forms. There’s the ballad like musings of love that once was and life on the farm, there’s the high tempo, energetic style, there’s the “driving down the open road” style and many, many others!

The only real way to see if country music is for you is to LISTEN to it! As the old cliché goes, “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it” – you may just surprise yourself; I certainly did! Country is making headway in this country, with mixed gender group Lady Antebellum getting a fair bit of airtime and even holding a few live shows. Country is coming over so get listening and start enjoying!

Listening suggestions:

Lonestar – My Front Porch Looking In, Mountains

Alan Jackson – Small Town Southern Man, Little Bitty

Trace Adkins – Honkytonk Badonkadonk (hilarious!)

Dierks Bentley – What was I thinkin’, Sideways

Rodney Atkins – Watching You, If You’re Going Through Hell

Zac Brown band – Highway 20 Ride

Miranda Lambert – Only Prettier

Carrie Underwood – Jesus Take the Wheel

Brad Paisley – I’m Gonna Miss Her

An introduction to Hollywood

Glitz, glamour, fame, success, extravagance – these are but a few words thrown around to describe the world famous Hollywood, Los Angeles, and was obviously on my to do list when I got to California last summer.

In all honesty I’ve never really been a fan of the whole celebrity culture nonsense we English seem obsessed with but I must say I was pretty darn excited about visiting that magical little strip of America, that golden part of LA where so many dreams had been realised and where so much history has and continues to be made. Hollywood is one of the most iconic locations in the world - the epicenter of the birth of the American media industry where countless films, television series and music albums have been created. The stars of the more successful projects have found fame beyond imagination, creating the Hollywood royalty of yesteryear and of the present day.

As we made our way from the airport to the hotel I caught my first glimpse of the Hollywood sign and, pardon the cliché, genuine shivers ran down my spine. It was barely visible being so far away and you really had to squint to see it, but I had my first sighting. (Unfortunately I had to wait until the second half of the trip before I got any closer!)

Eventually that time came and as we sat on the coach from Anaheim to Hollywood I started to see things that I recognized, the Capitol Records building, Union Station and of course the Los Angeles skyline in all its majesty. LA really is a juggernaut of a city and driving from one side to the other really hits home how vast it is. Back home looking on maps and planning the trip petered into pointlessness as the distances between two sites I wanted to see were just not feasible by public transport or in the time I had in the area!

A glimpse of the hills

As we passed through downtown the flat valley rose up into hills and dotted across those hills were the mansions of film stars, music artists and the down right filthy rich. From modern palaces to art deco properties built from 80s money the Hollywood hills were covered in little bits of personal paradise. To top it off the Hollywood sign became visible, like a sentry guarding the empire below it, keeping watch over the superstars that inhabit the surrounding hills. We’d definitely reached Tinsel Town.

We were staying in a Hilton by Universal City, the area at the top of the Hollywood Hills where Universal has its studios and its theme park (more on this to come in a later entry!). It was on the second day there that we headed back down the hills to go and see the strip itself, Hollywood Boulevard.

This iconic avenue conjured up all the stereotypes you can think of. I couldn’t wait to see the Walk of Fame, the Graumann’s Chinese Theatre, the Kodak Theatre and all the other illustrious landmarks that Hollywood boasts. The golden avenue awaited…

Hollywood Boulevard

Alas, it only took 5 minutes of being there to realise that Hollywood is, well, a little bit naff.

We got off the shuttle bus and were instantly swallowed up by the vast crowd. After a few frustrating minutes we managed to find a bit of space to orientate ourselves. It appears to me that in tourist locations people seem to forget all sense of etiquette and act in ways that in any other situation would be completely absurd. For example walking in a group of four, horizontally across a narrow road, at the slowest pace possible, and then stopping right in the middle of the road…

Anywaaaay, we were certainly on Hollywood Boulevard, the road sign confirmed this, but it didn’t really match the picture that I’d built up in my head.

The Walk of Fame had stars all right, but it just looked tatty and unkempt, with many slabs appearing to be cracked and dirty. There were also so many of these stars that the prestige of the whole thing seemed to vanish. In addition, you also had the creepy flower and candle tributes over the Michael Jackson star with people visiting it as some sort of shrine to the guy!

Not only was it busy but like any tourist hotspot you get the tourist predators. These came in the form of people in horrific costumes of characters such as Jack Sparrow, Marilyn Monroe and Barney the Dinosaur. They could have been forgiven if the outfits were actually any good but they were awful! The deformed Barney one was particularly bad, with the guy’s face sticking out of Barney’s mouth, who kindly offered to tell us a secret if we gave him a dollar. I wasn’t that desperate to hear his secret…

Graumann’s Chinese Theatre, the bastion of Hollywood honour and a staple Los Angeles tourist must-do, was also pretty rubbish. The photos that adorn the postcards and holiday brochures advertise it to look wonderful but the reality is quite different. Go through the gate at the front to the courtyard before the main door and it is devoid of anything except an untidy kiosk flogging tours around the area. Oh and some hand prints of famous people, which, I’m sorry to say, is reminiscent of a primary school project as opposed to Hollywood glamour.

Although the road itself isn’t bad, almost every street off the main drag was littered with tacky souvenir shops, more akin to one of the poorer British seaside resorts. These shops even found their way onto the strip itself, which ultimately dragged the class of the Boulevard way down. After five minutes of wandering down the road, I looked to my mate and there was an awkward silence. Who was going to admit that this was crap first? Eventually the silence was broken and we both realised that after all the anticipation, all the imaginative thoughts conjured up in our minds, we were disappointed and done with Hollywood Boulevard in five measly minutes. I understand that this article makes me sound really bitter, I’m honestly not, just really disappointed!!!

Oh well, maybe a tour bus ride would be a better experience…

But what’s your take? Do you agree or disagree? I’d love to know!

Thanks so much to everyone that liked my first article on my trip to Los Angeles!! Please follow me on twitter @SuperStridey for news on the latest articles, the newest of which will be published tonight! Also please feel free to comment, I’d love to hear your opinions!

Thanks again for your support!

An Englishman in L.A – Angels versus Sox

This is the first article in a series I will be writing covering on my trip to Los Angeles last summer (2011). This will cover everything, from my time in Anaheim and Disneyland, to Hollywood and Griffith Park. This first instalment covers the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Chicago White Sox which myself and the mate I travelled with went to on our first day in LA.

SPORTS MAD

Like many English people I have real fascination with American culture, from its super-sized cuisine, cities and personalities, to its stunning raw geography and terrific patriotism. But one thing that stands out for me is its sporting culture. America loves its sport. I imagine that its tough, frontier past has led to this. A history that involved great competition, tireless endurance and a desire to achieve victory has obviously left its mark on America.

This focus on sport is great news for me as an avid sports fan and as soon as I booked my flight to LA I began my search for tickets to sporting events in the area. To my horror Los Angeles does not actually have an American Football NFL team, which is shocking considering the size of the city, meaning that that was not an option. The NBA was out of season, as was the hockey which left baseball, America’s Game as it is known as. Whenever I have visited America in the past and, sitting at a resort bar watching the baseball on the TV, I have always tried my best to understand the game itself. Sure, compared to the grace and elegance of cricket for example, baseball can’t really compete, but when you understand how baseball works, the tactics involved and the sheer changeability during a game (in one hit a team that is comfortably winning can be rocked for 4 runs!), it truly is an exciting sport to watch.

Baseball also comes with a plethora of fantastic jargon, which, once grasped, can make you sound like an absolute expert. Once you’ve grasped fly-outs, RBIs, triple plays, ground outs, loaded bases etc, the game of baseball really opens up and adds to the excitement! With this in mind I got searching for the nearest game.

DODGERS OR ANGELS?

Los Angeles boasts two Major League baseball teams in the LA Dodgers, located in the north of the city, and the Anaheim Angels, based in the South East. I had originally intended to see the Dodgers during the second half of my trip (I was staying in Anaheim for the first few days and Hollywood for the remainder) and was very much looking forward to seeing them. However my bubble was burst when a colleague at work, who has himself been to see the Dodgers, mentioned in passing that they do get a bit of trouble with fans at the stadium. Initially I brushed these comments off – I’d been to enough football games in England to know that trouble is rare and only involves a minority – but after a google search and a little bit of research on Trip Advisor that concurred with these reports, I thought it best to avoid it and to go and see the Angels instead, who were reported to host a much more relaxed, family atmosphere. It was a choice between manic Millwall or placid Plymouth, in a foreign country so playing it safe seemed like the sensible option.

MATCH DAY

Fast forward a few months and I was in Los Angeles, fresh off the plane (a wonderful 12 hour delight!), tickets in hand and outside of Angel Stadium in Anaheim. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been to many football matches but the atmosphere at this game was something totally alien to me. There was none of the pre-match aggression that can engulf a Premier League or England international game back home and instead Home and Away fans mingled openly as they bought copious amounts of beer, snacks and souvenirs to see them through 9 innings of baseball. In true tourist fashion, I immediately kitted myself out with an Angel’s t-shirt, baseball cap and wrist band; trying my best to blend in! The Angel’s superfan had arrived!

As the crowd built and took their seats, the atmosphere also built. Playing conveniently to the stereotype, everywhere you looked there were vendors selling burgers, hotdogs and popcorn (to name but a few), walking through the stands and as soon as an audience member called out, the vendor would pick up the item and lob it across the stand to where they guy was sitting!

As part of the pre-match entertainment we were treated to the Angels Strike Force. This was not their pitching line-up but a group of lovely cheerleaders, armed with what I can only describe as oversized air rifles which they proceeded to load with baseballs and folded up t-shirts. They would then choose the most enthusiastic member of the crowd and fire one of the items at them, hoping they would catch it! In a health-and-safety obsessed world this was a real treat! These guns were so powerful that from the pitch, the girls could fire a t-shirt to a member of the crowd in the top tier of the stadium! Great stuff though unfortunately I wasn’t selected to receive a t-shirt or a baseball which I was frankly gutted about!

After soaking in the atmosphere for a bit, I was in need of a beverage and went to pick up some drinks for me and my mate. Unfortunately, as we were both 20, beer was off the menu but they had something just as good. I made my way back with about 2 gallons of Mountain Dew in tow and as I reached the stand the whole audience rose to their feet and went silent – the National Anthem was about to start.

Unsure as to the proper etiquette for an Englishman, I just stood dead still where I was, took of my hat and let the chills run down my spine as those famous opening notes sounding across the stadium. Every American in the crowd belted it out; some even went as far as raising their hands almost as in a form of worship. The anthem reached its crescendo, and as “the home of brave” rounded the anthem off, the crowd roared and fireworks decorated the sky.

THE GAME

The anthem completed, we were off as the first pitch was thrown and the teams trooped out. Jared Weaver got the Angels underway, with each strrrrrrike receiving a smattering of applause and the occasional “all right!” from an Angel fan. The game began quite slowly and it was almost as if the crowd were warming up with the players. After a few more strikes and standard fly-outs (see, I’m getting good at this!) the top of the first was over and the sides switched over.

This slow start didn’t last and before long the batters started connecting and the Angels started scoring. As the ball was hit, the crowd held its breath and as it beat the fielder the audience roared the batter on as he and the other runners dashed around the bases looking to score.

Then it came. The Angels’ Torii Hunter stepped up to the plate. White Sox pitcher Zach Stewart fizzed in a pitch which Hunter absolutely hammered. The whole audience (myself included!) rose to their feet as the ball sailed over the infield, sailed over the outfielders… It was going, going, going, GONE! IT’S OUT OF HEEEEEEEERE!!! Hunter smashes the ball for a home run and crowd goes wild! As soon as it cleared the fence fireworks again lit up the night sky as Torii Hunter casually jogged around the bases, completing his homer. What a moment! Of all the things I love about American sport, this was the one thing I needed to see. It would be like going to the football and not seeing a touchdown or going to the basketball and not seeing a slam-dunk.  And it’s not just seeing it, but being there, experiencing that moment everyone had been waiting to see. The result didn’t matter now; I had got my moneys worth!

The game continued to thrill, with more runs being scored, and a particularly great shot by Bobby Abreu. So far in the game he’d grounded out (hit it at the floor and been thrown out) three times and done nothing to help the team. When he took to the plate for the fourth time, a guy behind me was explaining to his friend that Abreu “Sucked” and that there was no point him stepping up to the plate. Of course, in true American, dramatic fashion, Abreu shattered the pitch and scored a double, the ball juuuust dropping short of going for a home run.

During the game, I was introduced to the fascinating world of entertainment during the innings. As if the game wasn’t enough, often between innings there would be some form of audience participation. We experienced the Kiss Cam, where as the name suggests the camera rests on two people and they must kiss. At one point the camera pointed to two Sox pitchers in the ball pen who, being good sports played along and had a hug! There were also several competitions, the best one being that one seat number, chosen at number, won a set of 4 tyres, courtesy of one of the club’s sponsors. The camera zoomed in on an older man in the top tier who whooped and jumped out his seat, his fellow fans congratulating him on his win.

Another curious tradition at the American ball game is the 7^th inning stretch, which is, funny enough, a time in the middle of the 7^th inning that everyone gets up, stretches and loosens up. It’s also a chance to get in more supplies and the whole event is garnished with ‘Take me out to the ball game’ being played with much audience participation.

After this literal stretch, the game resumed with 2 and a half innings to go with the Angels several runs up and with Chicago having put nothing on the board as of yet. The atmosphere was in full swing, especially as the Angels were putting in a decent performance. It’s notable to say that the stadium itself is alive, with neon advertising signs for Budweiser and Chevrolet etc illuminating the stands. The massive scoreboard was impressive in its own right and there is a decorative rockery/fountain area at the back of centre field which was quirky to say the least, but a great feature (and a nice target for the batting side!). The field, perfectly cut and fantastically green was emblazoned by the powerful floodlights against a pitch black sky, perfectly complimented by the cool California night. In time the 9^th inning came and the Angels pitcher just had to see off the last of the Sox batters and victory was theirs. The pitch came in, struck the batter out and that was the game! Angels won. As is tradition, whenever the Angels win, the halo on a massive letter ‘A’ outside of the stadium lights up, letting all the traffic on the freeway now that the Angels just kicked ass!

The game lasted around 3 hours, (not nearly long enough!) and to top it off the Angels took a decisive win. A bona fide American ball game is something that every sports mad Englishman (or woman!) should experience. Even if you aren’t a fan of sport you will still love soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying a drink in the warm LA night! The whole experience was incredible, exciting, surreal and entirely American and I loved every second of it.

ENGLAND 1 SPAIN 0

Venue: Wembley Stadium

Date: 12th November 2011

Saturday night’s result against Spain could have taken the England faithful down several routes. The Three-Lions one-nil victory over the reigning World and European champions could very easily have been hijacked and blown out of proportion, something all too familiar (remember the World Cup hype – we were meant to win it weren’t we?!), but thankfully everyone appears to be airing on the side of caution.

It was encouraging to hear Frank Lampard in his post-match interview playing down the result and seeing it for what it was, a great win but not an automatic promotion to Fifa’s number one world ranking spot. So what should we take from this game? Firstly how did the players do?

 To start it was nice to see a mixed up team, with a mix of experience in Lampard and Cole and a refreshing infusion of youth, notably from Danny Welbeck in the second half whose blistering pace gave Barcelona centre back Gerard Pique problems on several occasions. The centre half partnership of Jagielka and Lescott proved effective against a Spanish offence that contained David Villa, Iniesta, Xavi and David Silva in a Messi style role, much to my personal surprise. In previous Wembley fixtures I’ve attended, neither of these two have blown me away but Lescott was faultless throughout, stifling the Spaniards on numerous occasions and Jagielka managed to handle Villa’s trickery down the left wing capably. This partnership will no doubt give Capello some troubles when selecting his team for the Euros.

Although he is a player that the fans appear to be divided on, Glen Johnson performed well as right back and one of the qualities that really pleases me about him is his attacking ability. A la Ashley Cole on the left, Johnson often plays as a marauding defender who is more than capable of dribbling into positive attacking areas (anyone remember his spectacular goal from outside the box at against Mexico?) and appears defensively solid, but in all honesty I don’t understand why Capello hasn’t drafted Man City’s Micah Richards into the England setup. He has been in scintillating form recently and is pacey, strong and just an all round top quality right back. We will just have to wait and see!

Overall England put on a fine defensive display and although there were a couple of shaky moments when a more clinical Spain should have scored, the Spaniards became increasingly frustrated as the game went on and for all their passing brilliance were unable to put the ball into the net.

The midfield played host to another one of Fabio’s experiments with Phil Jones playing in a central defensive midfield position. I’m not sure this gamble paid off. Jones didn’t appear comfortable in this position and was often sloppy on the counterattacking moves England tried to thread together. It may have just been me, but Jones also looked absolutely knackered throughout most of the game. Best to keep him in defense methinks! Milner and Lampard both had strong games, Milner the stronger of the two who personally displayed real commitment and hunger for the ball throughout the game, and the ever-concrete Scott Parker also had a brilliant game, bagging himself the man-of-the-match award (though this should have gone to Lescott really!). Hart continued his fine run of form (his 15^th game in a row on the winning side for England) and was only beaten when David Villa’s effort clipped the wrong side of the bar after a cracking volley from just outside the box.

Theo Walcott didn’t do a great deal to impress the 89000 strong Wembley crowd, bar a few runs that could have developed into something but, as is often the case with Walcott, did not come with an end product. His replacement Stewart Downing uncharacteristically didn’t make much of an impact, though in a game more balanced between attack and defence these two would have been able to produce more. It’s fair to say that the left wing will be pleased to have Ashley Young back.

So a fine defensive performance but England were found lacking in attack. Darren Bent was ineffectual for the entire game and his substitution for Welbeck was greatly welcomed by the audience. Welbeck made an instant impact and as mentioned earlier, troubled the Spanish defenders. More game time for him please Mr Capello! The forward positions are where England need the most improvement and hopefully we’ll see some of that in Tuesday’s game against Sweden where Capello will hopefully revert to the attacking 4-3-3 formation that has served us well in recent games.

Again I must make sure I don’t over exaggerate and become what I despise, but could this be the start of a change in opinion towards Capello? He has been lambasted about his seemingly poor managerial decisions, questionable squad choices (Kevin Nolan, really?) and stubborn attitude when it comes to formations, but could this result prove that Capello isn’t a footballing buffoon as many believe he is? For all his shortcomings Fabs got it right on Saturday. Rather than playing an open formation and getting massacred he dug in, thoroughly briefed his team on their respective duties and grinded out a pleasing win. The defensive, counterattacking style worked excellently against such high quality opposition and a nicely executed set piece secured the win for England.

Of course, and again I stress, let’s NOT get carried away. In fact, the cynic in me thinks that when I take my seat on Tuesday I may well witness the Lions being humbled by a Zlatan Ibrahimovich hatrick and in that case we’ll be back to hating Capello and calling for anyone over the age of 25 to be dropped from the squad. But this was a win, and we can take many positives from it. We beat the World Champs through a fine defensive display and most of our seniors and youth played well, but this is one result and in order for anyone to believe we can make an impact at Euro 2012, we need a few more of these. If, in a few months time, we’ve sent Sweden home beaten and comfortably dismissed the Dutch then maybe we can start to get excited.

Ridiculous that this is a footnote, but Spain did play exceptional football, and though they didn’t score, I could have watched them play all day. Europe beware, this Spain team is the cream of the crop.

Also, Cesc, get a haircut mate…