Winning ways stay in fashion

It made for sorry reading – and we’re talking here about the worsening levels of behaviour. So, if this variety of organisations really want to reform English football, then they have to follow this latest initiative through and come down hard. They must be seen to back up officials – not undermine them. The PFA need to step aside, if they are asked for help by their members over suspensions and the like. Clubs need to be told by the Premier League that the players will not be indulged if they break the laws. And those same clubs should not speed-dial their solicitors to start a costly legal action over whether Player X deserves a three-match ban instead of two. Managers need to accept decisions instead of whining incessantly that a throw-in on the halfway line led to a goal being scored against them. The Football Association has t o dish out meaningful punishment. Because, the first time that anyone either sticks up for a manager, a player or enters a plea by way of mitigation, the campaign will be held up as just another meaningless soundbite. And that would be a huge disservice to not just the referees in the Premier League, but also those poor 28,000 refs who get out of bed each and every weekend to keep our national sport alive at grassroots level. CERTAIN sections of the sports media have a hang-up about Sam Allardyce’s appointment as England manager and “playing football that people remember”.

Ask the overwhelming majority of fans and the “football people remember” is when they have won.

Sure, it would be great to play tikitaka. Easy even, when you have the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi to call upon. But few have.

Portugal didn’t play the beautiful game. But they won the European Championship. And that was after, let’s not forget, a friendly defeat to England in the build-up.

Judging by the party which kicked off in Lisbon, they didn’t have an issue with the manner of victory.

Yes, there’s one style that never goes out of fashion: Winning.