WHAT’S HOT WHAT’S NOT
HOT MARK LAWRENSON
LAWRENSON’S dry wit is not to everyone’s taste but his humour is a reassuring constant on BBC radio and television. It was excellent news, therefore, to hear him reveal he has won a secret three-month battle against a cancerous blemish on his face and is back to full health.
GREGOR TOWNSEND
TOO many in rugby look down their noses at football so it was encouraging this week to see some co-operation. Scotland’s rugby head coach Townsend is spending time with Belgium coach Roberto Martinez and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola. Townsend recalled: ‘Pep said, “I love the fact that you guys pass the ball backwards but you are always looking forward. That’s my philosophy!”’
ANTONIO CONTE
CHELSEA may be eager to whitewash Conte’s contribution to English football but it was interesting to hear Marcos Alonso reveal how Gareth Southgate regularly attended the Italian’s coaching sessions during his title-winning season. Southgate’s side were functional rather than free-flowing at the World Cup and one suspects his 3-4-2-1 system owes a great deal to Conte’s success with the formation.
NOT PHIL FODEN
FODEN has been elevated to wonderkid status, so it was surprising to see him relegated to England’s Under 19 squad this week and reduced to playing against Holland. He is still to start a Premier League match for Manchester City and if he has aspirations of an England breakthrough, he ought to be pushing for a loan move sooner rather than later. And that is just to get into the Under 21 team.
SOMERSET
LANCASHIRE’S director of cricket Paul Allott (right) will no doubt reflect on some poor batting during his side’s County Championship match at Taunton, but for 22 wickets to fall on the opening day — 13 of them to spin — suggests they were battling a rather poor pitch and he is right to be aggrieved. Somerset now face a penalty after also being marked down for the state of their pitch against Middlesex last year.
MARTIN O’NEILL
YES, Wales had Gareth Bale, but Ryan Giggs also fielded a back four featuring three Championship defenders. To be 3-0 down inside 37 minutes, as the Republic of Ireland were, is embarrassing and after five years O’Neill’s reign looks tired and rather joyless.