The Italian and Italy.

Good news for the English. There seems to be some hope, a ray of light at the end of the tunnel. Last night's international 'friendlies' left a rather good taste for the England Fans. A 2-1 win over rivals Germany will be regarded as a benchmark for the perennially under-achieving English. With Capello, they have a manager who is not only ruthless but hungry for the result. He does not look at the ego's, the golden balls or their over protective Club Managers. His principle is quite simple. You play well - you get the nod. This performance by the 'second string' England side was mighty impressive and will surely have the likes of Lampard and Gerrard shifting uneasily in their seats. And what is to become of Beckham and 'Owens' (as Capello calls)?
The Door is always open, he says, but with time running out, it might be a good time to play more Club Football :)
Well, that was the Italian.

Now for Italy. Unlike England, Italy had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Greece which was not quite the result all of us were expecting. The World Champions have not been at their best for quite some time and the rusty approach showed on the field as well. With Toni, they do have a marksman who can be the best on his day, but sadly, his days do not come as much as required. But, all said and done, a game not lost is always counted and there is always hope in the next few games. In the end, all that counts is the next World Cup. If they can hang on to it for four more years - all the losses and draws will be forgotten.