Sky Go is gone (At least for Xbox users)

Are you someone who watches Sky television via your Xbox 360? Well, if you are you probably aren’t any more.

The Sky Go free app that allows Sky customers to use two devices such as iPads, iPhones and games consoles has now been taken away from Xbox 360 users. The option to watch Sky through the console still exists but it now requires users to sign up to Sky Go Extra for an additional price of £5 per month on top your existing Sky bill. The Sky Go app is still available free of charge on iPad and various other devices but for whatever reason Sky have deemed it necessary to revoke the free app from Xbox 360 consoles.

Speaking from personal experience as someone who uses the Sky app regularly on the console, this is somewhat of an annoyance. I was only alerted to the changes while unsuccessfully trying to watch Sky Sports on Wednesday night. A quick search on the internet led me to the disappointing information that I really didn’t want to see: No more free Sky Go on Xbox.

The move to make Sky Go a paid service hardly come as a shock, but the fact that the app remains free on other mediums seems perplexing.

Plenty of people that I know myself use the accounts of family members or friends to utilise Sky Go free of charge through their own devices, therefore eliminating the need to personally subscribe to Sky at all. This always seemed to me like something Sky would crack down on eventually and the only surprising part of this news is that Sky Go remains free of charge on tablets and phones. This leaves people who previously used the service through an Xbox free of charge with two options:

1) Either pay Sky £60 per year for a service that was free until a few days ago to keep watching or;

2) Buy a cable to hook up a device that still has the free Sky Go app installed to link with their television for a one off fee of around £20.

Seems like a no brainer to me.

Some Pre season thoughts on LFC

After a few late nights spent staring at my TV and tablet screens as Liverpool do their best to entertain the American masses, a few things have stood out in my mind. I thought I’d share some of my own pre season thoughts with you:

Seb Coates may deserve a stay of execution

His 6ft 5in frame gives him an ungainly look. Lacina Traore(!) once gave him the run around. He turns as slowly as long life milk. He’s barely played football for the Reds in two years now and currently finds himself fifth (at best) in our centre back pecking order. Call me crazy but despite all of that, Seb Coates still looks like a potentially decent player to me. His distribution is impressive, he’s obviously a hell of a physical presence and, while mistakes still exist within his game, he’s generally very dependable one against one and positionally excellent.

Coates performed well in the friendly game against City early on Thursday morning, but he’s also done it in the competitive environment of the Premier League against the same opponents in Brendan Rodgers’ first ever home league game at Anfield. It may have been a long time ago now, but we’ve seen that he has quality in the past. It’s for that reason that I'm intrigued to see how he will progress this season following his long term knee injury.

Let’s be clear, we all know that any progression he does or doesn't make over the next year or so is unlikely to occur at Anfield. Mamadou Sakho, Dejan Lovren, Martin Skrtel, Kolo Toure and even Daniel Agger and Tiago Ilori (should they also remain at the club beyond August) are all currently blocking his route to gaining the much needed experience he must acquire in order to further his career. Injuries and a few dodgy performances under Rodgers have see Coates cast into a footballing limbo where opportunities are few and far between and any mistake he makes - should he actually get a game - see him castigated and dropped. Such is the life of young centre halves who move to big clubs who are in search of immediate success. Errors from defenders are obviously more costly than those made by forward players and young centre backs, in particular, tend to make quite a few howlers. As a result, the amount of trust a manager has to place in a burgeoning centre half like Coates has to be significant. If it is not, as appears to be the case here, then opportunities become limited for players like the Uruguayan and it is very easy for their careers to stagnate due to a lack of minutes on the pitch.

We've seen this before at Anfield with Gabriel Paletta who looked hopeless when he joined Liverpool as a teenager but subsequently went on to flourish in Serie A and became a regular for Italy during this summer’s World Cup. Maybe Coates will never fulfil the potential he displayed when he was voted Copa America’s Young Player of the Tournament in 2011. Maybe he simply won’t be suited to the Premier League’s pacey style, but if Liverpool are to release him this summer as we all expect, then I hope any potential deal is of the loan variety rather than permanent. After spending £7m to acquire the highly rated defender what would the club have to lose at this point by allowing him a year to go and put some much needed miles on his clock elsewhere before reassessing his future again in 12 months time?

Full back areas require immediate attention

Manchester City’s second choice right back this season is going to be Bacary Sagna. Their reserve left back will be either Gael Clichy or Aleksandar Kolarov. If any position on the field demonstrates a yawning gap in quality between the champions and last season’s runners up then it is full back.

We’re now just over two weeks away from the start of the domestic season and Liverpool are yet to sign any of the numerous left backs that we have pursued all summer long, while it seems like the club are fairly uninterested in the prospect of upgrading on Glen Johnson. To me that is staggering. Johnson’s form has been so wretched for so long now that he only needs to step on the field in a pre season game to make Twitter explode with anger. They may only have been two friendly games, but against both City and Olympiacos Johnson was not impressive. The ball was getting caught under his feet, he left the his flank wide open several times, his passing was careless and his threat going forward was minimal. In other words, pre season or not, those games demonstrated an extension of the malaise that seeped into his game before the mid way point of the last campaign.

On the other side of the pitch Jose Enrique is back doing his best bull in a China shop routine and, while he offers the physical capabilities to match any other modern full back, his questionable concentration is always a potential Achilles heel for opponents to exploit. Jon Flanagan might have been largely impressive last term but is he really ready to step up and play week in week out as a primary selection right now? To me he seems more like the perfect back up player to either full back slot rather than the man who should be tasked with being our first choice on either side at this stage of his development.

Hopefully a deal for at least one top quality full back is concluded before we kick off against Southampton because at this moment in time the wide areas in defence are clearly where we need to strengthen most.

Sterling can strike it lucky

He may have only got into the first team as a regular back in December and he’s still only 19 years old but right now Raheem Sterling is clearly Liverpool’s brightest attacking spark. He’s found the net against both Roma and City already on the American tour and, despite it only being July, he looks as sharp and fit as he ever has, much to his credit. At one point against City he gave Gael Clichy - who is no slouch - a five yard head start over a ten yard dash and still got to the ball first with time to spare. If any Liverpool player looks ready for the big kick off at the moment then it is Sterling.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about our latest teenage prodigy is that he looks like he can play to a great standard in a variety of positions. We've seen him star on both flanks in the past, of course and even as a number ten numerous times, but I'm eager to see him get a shot up front at some point this season. His coolness in front of goal is incredible for one so young and his pace speaks for itself. When he curled home a wrongly disallowed goal against City in New York after racing onto a through ball it immediately brought back memories of Michael Owen in his pomp. The fact that Sterling looks adept enough to flourish up front this early on in his career allied with his obvious proficiency out wide or in a deeper role gives Brendan Rodgers plenty of options to ponder and gives us supporters a lot to look forward to.

New season, same Coutinho

Robbie Fowler may now be an official club ambassador but I sincerely hope he turns up at Melwood with his boots before the season gets going. Brendan Rodgers needs God to give a few lessons to our talented Brazilian midfielder ASAP.

After nearly two years at the club and plenty of deserved adulation and praise, it is finally time to acknowledge and criticise a major flaw in little Phil’s game: His shooting is dreadful. It has been from the moment he arrived on Merseyside and it hasn't improved. Yes he scored a few big goals last season, but with the increased competition in midfield and the wide attacking positions Coutinho needs to start hitting the net more regularly if he is to remain an automatic selection. I've lost count, even over the course of just a hand full of friendly matches, of how many times he has dragged shots wide from the edge of the box or hit the keeper when he’s been in an inviting position to score. Frankly, it’s getting a little bit silly even if it is the only real frustration one can point to when assessing his performances.

Like Sterling, Coutinho looks like he’s never been away from football and has settled straight back into his groove after inexplicably missing out on the Brazil World Cup squad. His eye for a pass and dribbling skills have been a highlight of pre season so far and he’s often looked technically a cut above everyone else on the pitch, not that that is anything new. His performances have been universally impressive until he sees the whites of the goalposts.

The annoying thing here is that if Coutinho could somehow develop half of the composure that Raheem Sterling shows in front of goal then we would probably have one of the best all round attacking midfielders in Europe on our books. Nearly every other aspect of his game is bang on the money. His poise, his vision, those quick feet and even his much improved strength are all wonderful attributes that are sadly undermined time and again by his finishing. He scored just five league goals last season and regardless of how brilliant the rest of his game undoubtedly is, Liverpool will need that tally to be improved this time around. Someone get Robbie on the phone. Quick.

Rickie Lambert - You know it makes sense

At first I was shocked. Everyone was weren't they? Rickie Lambert. Who saw that coming?

After the initial surprise had subsided though, I found myself struggling to think of a transfer in recent times that has made more sense than Liverpool acquiring the Saints’ Scouser.

Don’t get me wrong, I'm not saying it’s the best signing the club have made lately, just that it’s an entirely logical move. I'm not anticipating Lambert banging in 30 goals next season and displacing Daniel Sturridge or Luis Suarez in the first eleven, but I genuinely believe that this is an astute bit of business from the club.

Given my positive thoughts on the move, it will come as no shock to you that I have been severely taken aback by the amount of naysayers moaning about this transfer across social media and internet forums. From a purely footballing point of view, signing Southampton’s number 7 strikes me as somewhat of a no-brainer. I'm dumbfounded by the negativity that it has inspired from some quarters.

Last season Liverpool’s third choice striker was Iago Aspas. He tries his best, bless him, but let’s be honest, summoning the present day Robbie Fowler from the bench against Chelsea would have brought more belief to the Anfield crowd back in April. Aspas isn't good enough. Liverpool’s current depth up front isn't good enough either. Not for a campaign that will be spread across four competitions. Daniel Sturridge misses too many games already and Luis Suarez, like it or not, was slowing down at the end of last season even without Champions League games being added to the equation.

That being said, I hadn't even contemplated the Reds signing another striker during this window. I had assumed that Fabio Borini would fill the void that Aspas' likely departure will presumably leave in the coming weeks. Finding another centre forward from outside the club looked like tricky business to me. Anyone coming in would have had to not only be better than the back up options already in the squad but also be happy to sit on the bench quite a lot. You don’t usually find too many of those lads around.

By all accounts, Brendan Rodgers wasn't thinking about recruiting another striker much either. The club hadn't been linked to many out and out centre forwards prior to Lambert this summer and reports suggest that his name only cropped up during the recent negotiations with Southampton for Adam Lallana. As a result, when news broke about Lambert’s move back to Liverpool it was an undoubted surprise.

But what a delightful surprise it is when you really think about it.

For the paltry figure of £4m (or two thirds of an Iago Aspas if you prefer), Liverpool will now go into next season with a player who has scored 28 Premier League goals in the last 2 campaigns in their ranks. He contributed 23 goals and assists combined in the league last term for Southampton. He is an England international and no doubt his wages won’t be stretching the club’s bank balance too much either. Compared to what Brendan Rodgers currently has at his disposal, Lambert’s signing will represent an enormous improvement and all at a low cost with little risk involved to boot.

So where will he fit in?

Despite his appearance, Lambert isn't some one dimensional, hulking target man. Every time I've seen him in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons he’s struck me as a far more sophisticated player than that. He has a lovely touch, scores some belting goals with his feet and also chips in with his fair share of clever assists. In other words, he is no last resort to throw on and hump long balls up to like an Andy Carroll. He may well be the man Liverpool turn to if a game is deadlocked late on against a stubborn defensive outfit, but those anticipating Brendan Rodgers imploring his team to ‘go long to the big man’ when Lambert takes to the field will likely be left disappointed.

The Kirkby native represents another option with a different skill set to the forwards currently at the club but, while he will undoubtedly give the side more presence and threat in the penalty area, I would be amazed if he’s used simply as some unrefined battering ram as some are predicting.

Rickie Lambert may not the ‘marquee’ name that some fans wanted to kick off this summer’s transfer activity, but I'm really struggling to see a downside to this move. Yes, he’s 32 years old and he will never be world class but, when you look at the other top clubs in the Premier League, he appears to be a much safer bet than most of our rivals’ back up strikers (excluding the anomaly that is Manchester City, of course).

Would you back any of Yaya Sanogo, Arouna Kone, Harry Kane, Fernando Torres or Danny Welbeck to outscore Lambert over a season? Would you back Iago Aspas to? I know I wouldn't.

And for that reason alone, I'm more than happy with this move.

Welcome back Rickie.

The forgotten moments of 2013/14

Are you missing them yet? I know I am.

Life isn't quite the same without a Liverpool game to look forward to at the weekend. The imminent World Cup can’t come and go quickly enough as far as I'm concerned. Forget Hodgson and the three lions, I long to cast my eyes upon that wonderful, mesmeric team in red again.

I'm sure you've been feeling similar things yourself. If you’re anything like me, you've probably devoured countless highlight packages and revisited some of the more glorious games from Liverpool's season.

And so, generous as I am, I thought I’d offer something a little different to break the - admittedly enjoyable - repetition of rewatching Liverpool v Man City, Suarez's four goal haul against Norwich, Liverpool v Arsenal, the Everton games and the rest of those celebrated high points of 2013/14.

As an alternative, I've compiled below, a collection of eight moments from campaign just gone that have slipped under the radar a little. Some are more significant than others while some will undoubtedly already be indelibly burned into your mind’s eye. Hopefully though, a few will have escaped your attention somewhat in amongst the stress of that title race and it’s deflating conclusion. I hope, therefore, that what follows below will bring a smile to your face as you relive these less heralded memories of the magical ride that was 2013/14.

Enjoy.

The greatest goal Anfield never saw

In amongst the madness that was Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal back in early February, Luis Suarez produced one of the most ridiculous long range strikes that you could wish to see.

With the Reds already two goals up inside ten minutes, Steven Gerrard took a less than perfect corner kick from the right hand side down at the Anfield Road end of the ground. The ball was struck low and arrowed vaguely towards Suarez who attempted to control the cross just outside the penalty area. His touch resulted in the ball bouncing further away from goal and up into the air. Struggling for balance and running back towards the Kop, the Uruguayan somehow managed to wrap his foot around the ball and unleash a volleyed effort from nearly 30 yards out. The velocity and swerve of the ball as it left his right boot was scarcely believable. To use a technical footballing term, the shot was a bona fide thunder-bastard. Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal offered a token dive but didn't even have time to extend his arms as the ball blazed past him in an instant.

The fact that the post was left shuddering and the goal netting remained undisturbed is one of the season’s great disappointments. Had the ball moved just another inch or two in the air, Anfield would have been celebrating one of the most incredible goals in it’s history. Forget goal of the year, this would have been goal of the decade. Instead, the entire crowd was left open mouthed and with hands on heads which, ironically, is exactly the same reaction that Kolo Toure gave immediately after he missed the rebound effort with the goal at his mercy.

Classy Coutinho leaves them on their Arse

Staying with that incredible day when the Reds eviscerated the then league leaders, it would be remiss of me not to include one of the numerous pieces of skill that Philippe Coutinho treated us to during his midfield master class. Having already produced a terrific slide rule assist for Daniel Sturridge in the first half, the little Brazilian outdid himself in the second period with a move of such grace and quality that it left onlookers slack jawed and Arsenal players hopelessly chasing his shadow.

Collecting a loose ball on the edge of his own penalty area, Liverpool’s number ten danced smoothly between Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski before dragging the ball effortlessly beyond Jack Wilshere with a shake of his hips. He then accelerated past half way before delivering a perfectly weighted, curling forty yard pass between Mikel Arteta and Kieran Gibbs to put his team mate Jordan Henderson clean through on goal. The England midfielder appropriately attempted to punctuate the move with a jaunty chip from the edge of the penalty area - blasting it home would have been no way to cap such a graceful assist would it? - but sadly the ball floated wide of the post.

It may not have led to a goal, but the spin, the skill and the execution of the pass that Coutinho showcased was pure footballing fantasy and one of the most aesthetically pleasing pieces of play that a Liverpool player contributed during the season.

Back heels from you Jordan Henderson...

Everyone knows how far Jordan Henderson has come in the last 18 months of his career. I could have picked dozens of examples from 2013/14 that illustrated his development but, in the end, I settled for three.

For a long while, Henderson was a player devoid of confidence at Anfield. Under Kenny Dalglish, he’d choose a safe pass whenever he could, he would rarely get himself in to goal scoring positions and he certainly wasn't attempting any fancy flicks and tricks back then. He is now.

Henderson helped set up three goals with back-heels this term. If that doesn't display confidence and technique then I don’t know what does. The first came at White Hart Lane on December 15th 2013. Breaking into the box and running towards the byline, the England midfielder pulled off an impudent back-heel that nutmegged Kyle Walker and allowed Luis Suarez to cross for Jon Flanagan who battered the ball past Hugo Lloris. Less than a week later, Henderson was at it again. This time his perfectly weighted flick rolled back to Luis Suarez following a quick one-two and the striker curled home a sumptuous goal to put Liverpool 2-0 up against Cardiff. Henderson’s back-heel hat-trick was completed when Liverpool found themselves 2-0 down at home to Aston Villa back in January. A first time flick through his own legs inside the penalty area released Daniel Sturridge who got Liverpool back into the game.

These three incidents demonstrate just how much the 23 year old has improved and also offer a glimpse of how much better he can yet become. So here's to you Jordan Henderson...

Sturridge does his best Jordan impression

There was a plethora of goals scored by Liverpool this season (I'm refusing to call it ‘last season’ just yet. I don’t want to let it go that quickly!) that didn't get the recognition they deserved. Daniel Sturridge’s chip against West Brom and Luis Suarez’s 18 yard header in the same game, to name just two. But the one that I feel is still most criminally underrated came courtesy of an outrageous Sturridge back-heel against Cardiff City.

With the Reds leading a topsy turvy game 3-2 on the hour mark, Glen Johnson got down the right hand side and produced a pretty poor cross - I know, who saw that coming? -  that hit a Cardiff defender and ricocheted free in the box. With the ball rolling close to the byline and to the right of the goal, Daniel Sturridge decided that the easiest thing to do would be to blindly smash a first time back-heeled pass directly into the stride of Luis Suarez who, presumably, would be anticipating such ludicrous thinking and position himself on the edge of the six yard box. Suarez, of course, was exactly where Sturridge needed him to be and put Liverpool 4-2 up in the game with a left footed finish past David Marshall.

That this goal came in a match that yielded 9 goals was fitting. It was perfect in execution and the imagination that went into it summed up just how enthralling Liverpool now are to watch. Jordan Henderson - who, as we've established, loves a back-heel himself - could scarcely believe what Sturridge had done. His reaction to the goal was nearly as glorious as the skill itself. Henderson couldn't contain himself as he skipped up and down on the spot with bewildered excitement. Brilliant.

Flanno floors Soldado…

Liverpool v Tottenham at Anfield was a bit of a non-event in truth. The Reds waltzed their way to victory in comfortable fashion having sewn up the game in the first 45 minutes. Spurs’ now departed manager Tim Sherwood admitted that he stayed in the director’s box for the entire match because he ‘couldn't do anything to help’ his players by relocating to pitch side. Such was the difference in quality between the two teams. You could then, have forgiven Liverpool’s players for easing off and playing the second half of this one sided ‘contest’ in second gear.

Jon Flanagan had other ideas. With his side in a commanding position and all three points firmly wedged in their back pockets, Liverpool finally faced a rare moment of danger in the 81st minute. Spurs' £24m striker, Roberto Soldado, received a pass twenty yards from Liverpool’s goal and began to stride into the penalty area. He didn't get very far. Quick as a flash, Liverpool’s Scouse fullback launched himself into a slide tackle that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Tommy Smith montage. After taking the ball, Flanagan's follow through saw him career into Soldado and deposit the Spain international on his backside, albeit after a somersault. A perfectly timed, ball winning tackle that left an esteemed international writhing in pain. It doesn't get much better than that for a young defender. Welcome to Anfield, Roberto.

...and gives Lennon the slip

If that Soldado challenge summed up Jon Flanagan’s whole hearted approach to football, this moment showcased the lesser heralded side of his game. The general view of ‘Flanno’ prior to this season was one of a gritty, determined defender who lacks a bit of finesse and serenity on the ball. To his credit, the youngster is beginning to alter such perceptions. This move against Spurs did a lot to further his cause in that respect.

Collecting a pass on the left wing, in the defensive third of the pitch and under pressure from Aaron Lennon, Flanagan initially feigned to take the ball inside onto his preferred right foot. Lennon bought the dummy and was left red faced as Liverpool’s left back pulled off a delightful little Cruyff turn and sped away up the line leaving the England winger trailing in his wake. The move was greeted with a huge cheer from the Anfield crowd and the noise continued as Philippe Coutinho smashed home from 20 yards to finish Flanagan's work off. It may not have been the greatest piece of individual skill that Anfield witnessed during 2013/14, but this assist was a sweet moment for Liverpool’s latest Academy starlet.

Coutinho teases the tigers

Liverpool 2-0 Hull City. One of the few games from this season that didn't really capture the imagination. It is best remembered for a trademark Luis Suarez free kick at the Kop end but, in truth, for little else. It could have been very different, though. This game could and should have yielded one of the best solo goals in years.

In the second minute of stoppage time with the game winding down to it’s natural conclusion, Philippe Coutinho picked up possession five yards inside his own half. Six seconds later he was bearing down on goal having danced past three opponents. Ultimately, he struck his shot straight at Hull keeper Allan McGregor who made the save, but the run that preceded the shot was dazzling. Two Hull defenders were left eating the turf as the Brazilian magician showed once more just why he is such an exciting prospect.  

Sturridge juggles his way to goal

You know a goal is somewhat out of the ordinary when your girlfriend (who isn't much of a football fan) starts laughing her head off at it. After yelling with relief at the fact that Liverpool had finally sealed three valuable points in a needlessly stressful encounter with Stoke City, I enquired as to why my better half’s sides were splitting. ‘That goal was just weird. He was like a performing seal, I've never seen anything like that before’ came the riposte. Touché.

Stoke City 3-5 Liverpool felt monumental. Steven Gerrard in a new role, the Reds’ first win at the Britannia in a league game, an ever changing scoreline that that swung more times than the Foucault pendulum and the return of Daniel Sturridge. It was the striker’s goal in this match that so amused my partner and delighted Liverpool fans. After his initial shot was saved at the near post, Sturridge kept the ball in play with his chest, steadied himself by heading it up into the air and finally rifled home on the volley underneath Asmir Begovic. It was certainly a unique way of finding the net and the improvisation and technique were second to none. It also finally killed off a Stoke side who had looked likely to snatch a point until that moment.

So there you have it. A collection of nearly moments, sumptuous skills and glittering goals that were somewhat lost under the avalanche of highlights from Liverpool’s season. Roll on 2014/15.

He Slipped on his Fucking Arse......

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard

He slipped on his fucking arse

He gave it to Demba Ba

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard.

And with that nifty little ditty, any conflicting feelings I had about England at this summer’s World Cup all but vanished.

The last time that I actively wanted the English national team to do well in an international tournament was at Euro 96. Back then I was child who had yet to develop any of the apathetic or negative feelings that have since grown inside me for all things ‘Three Lions’. I admit that that summer of international football in our own country was intoxicating for the ten year old me.

That being said, I still wanted Italy to win that tournament and went to Anfield to see them against Russia. My Father (An Italian) introduced me to football and therefore Italy have always been my international side of choice. Lucky me.

As a kid, England I could take or leave, usually. As an adult though, I've basically gone about ignoring them until that becomes impossible (every other summer unless Steve McClaren is their manager). The little plastic St George’s flags appear on cars, the pubs fill up with idiots who can’t handle their ale and millions of people form an opinion on a sport that they hardly follow. Mercifully this all usually ends with England being sent packing on penalties. Frankly, the whole experience does my head in and I only really begin to enjoy international tournaments when England exit.

Before last weekend though, I was genuinely worried that this World Cup would buck the trend. Liverpool have five players (potentially six if Adam Lallana signs on in the next few weeks) representing England in Brazil. They should all be in the starting line up, too. I've always wanted to see our lads do well individually for their national teams and, given that such a large red contingent will be taking to the field for England in Brazil, I was beginning to dread the prospect of having to cheer on a side led by Roy Hodgson and backed up by that S*n sponsored brass band and all the ‘ten German bombers’ whoppers. Panic was truly setting in.

The England Brass Band. Not for me.

So a massive ‘thank you’ is in order to the fans of Newcastle United, our 7th placed ‘rivals’ from down the East Lancs and our neighbours, Everton. When they all relentlessly ripped into Steven Gerrard last week with the type of gusto and relish you would expect had their clubs had actually won a trophy, the panic subsided. Supporters up and down the country revelling in the slip that ‘cost Liverpool the league’ had made my mind up. Get behind England this summer? Not a chance.

I must stress that this isn't a choice made solely out of anger for one song and a stream of piss taking Vine videos, though. When Manchester City fans were banging the aforementioned tune out at Goodison Park a couple of weeks back, I didn't really have a problem with it. Taking the mickey is part of football and, as they were the beneficiaries of Gerrard’s slip, I could understand them rubbing our noses in it a bit. Part of the game, and all that.

Newcastle fans doing the same though? I wasn't having that. Those lads will be cheering ‘Wor Stevie’ on all summer long and yet last weekend they spent most of the game at Anfield mocking their international captain by chanting the name of a striker who basically pissed on their legs and ran off to London for more money. ‘Demba, Demba Ba’ indeed. ‘Irony’ mustn't translate into Geordie. Neither must the words ‘small time’.

Throw in Everton fans doing the Poznan at Hull and United fans flying a nonsensical and frankly, bewildering banner over Anfield as they limped to a humiliating 7th placed finish and I was back where I started:

Hoping that Steven Gerrard ‘slips on his fucking arse’ once more in Brazil and Luis Suarez sends England home as a result.

Demba Ba scores after Gerrard's infamous slip

If all the over the top Gerrard/Liverpool mocking wasn't enough to steer me back to sense, then Roy Hodgson’s 17 hour press conference this week - Sponsored by Vauxhall ‘Is your team a sports car or a family saloon Roy?’ Barf. - sealed the deal. I just can’t get behind England, it’s not possible.

If they were a club side they would be the type that has cheerleaders, plays the Fratellis when a goal is scored and their fans would sing songs exclusively to the tune of Sloop John B. The whole ‘In-ger-lund’ experience has always left me cold. It just feels small time and nothing epitomises small time more than spending the last day of your season singing about a player whose mistake had no effect on your club’s own (mis)fortunes. Yet that is what thousands of football fans around the country we’re reduced to on Sunday.

No doubt most of those lads who exhibited their hilarious ‘Gerrard Bantz’ will be getting behind ‘Roy’s Boys’ in a month’s time. Me? Thankfully I’ll be supporting the Azzurri and Luis Suarez.

Fuck England. Forza Italia.