After deciding not to watch the match live, mainly because watching England has become somewhat tedious in recent times, I did decide to watch the highlights. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. Was the football mistake free? Certainly not, but the freedom and fluidity of the play was definitely inspiring from a fans point of view. In hindsight I think the injuries to Andy Carroll, Ashley Cole and Gareth Barry may have been a blessing in disguise. These omissions forced Hodgson to play Leighton Baines, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tom Cleverley who played with a youthful exuberance that we haven't seen in a three lions shirt for quite a while. It also meant Jermain Defoe was tasked with the striker's role, and although he might have had a goal or two more on the night, his talent and club form over a number of years mean this chance is overdue in my opinion. I think Defoe is the most gifted natural English striker the Premier League has seen since Alan Shearer retired and I think his movement gave focus to England's play. It was also good to get a positive answer to the eternal midfield Gerrard/Lampard question. They may not be the long term answer to England's midfield, but at least we now know that two genuine midfielders can play together in harmony using good judgement to know when to go forward and when to sit deep. Gerrard tended to sit deeper while Lampard was making runs beyond Defoe and Cleverley as he did to head in Glen Johnson's cross for his second goal. Albeit England are still work in progress, their campaign could not have got off to a better start, so hopefully the good work will continue against Ukraine on Tuesday at Wembley. John Terry is the only doubt, but either his club-mate Gary Cahill or Phil Jagielka should make an able deputy. (If Jagielka plays, hopefully we don't hear any ridiculous pronunciations of his name!)
As well as the football on Friday, the first big boxing show of the season was incredibly refreshing as well. Having heard an interview earlier in the year with Matchroom Sport's Eddie Hearn, he said that he was intending to bring genuine 50/50 fights to the public. He did this firstly with Kell Brook v Carson Jones in July where the Sheffield pugilist came through one hell of a gut-checker, and continued last night at Alexandra Palace with the excellent 'London's calling' show. This saw Erick Ochieng, Lee Purdey and Tony Bellew all win in enthralling fights, and creates a buzz and excitement for the coming boxing season. Perhaps Carl Frampton v Steve Molitor in a couple of weeks in Belfast is the prime example of Hearn's policy, and with the continuing Prizefighter series, Brook v Saldivia and Froch v Mack on the horizon it certainly whets the appetite. Perhaps the only blot on the weekend was that Darren Barker had to pull out of his fight, but hopefully the Londoner can get over his recent arm injury and get back in the ring soon. I have seen some talk that he should retire, but I think he is one of the classiest middleweights out there and the sooner he is back in the ring the better. Over the next two years Matchroom will provide Sky with twenty shows a season to bring to air, so hopefully fight fans will see 'deeper bills with more title fights and more competitive fights in packed out arenas' as promised. Thankfully for boxing, the future's bright....the future's Matchroom. I for one am glad that I don't have to see the over inflated ego's of boxers from other stables (no names mentioned!) win easy fights any more.
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