Who's making the right noises?

They say a week is a long time in football, and yet it seems I haven't been able to write about it in three. This despite Sir Alex's ranting, United losses to Chelsea and Liverpool, the 2018 bid being restructured, Liverpool being on the verge of Champions League exit, David Beckham leading L.A Galaxy to the MLS Cup final and Robin van Persie using horse placenta to cure his ankle. All in all there's been a lot to write about. Perhaps my lack of activity stems from the Sunday leagues, down at the bottom rung of football life has been stagnant, the weather has caused havoc with our fixtures with the last 3 cancelled.

But I return to you now to blog about the topic you have come to realise I am most passionate about- international football. The weekend just gone was in fact one of those few occasions when the sporting gods threw all international sport at us at once. And England came up short, everywhere!

The rugby union side, destroyed by injuries, were dreadful to say the very least- they won but they may as well have lost. The cricket team, with some injuries, were well beaten in the 2nd Twenty20 international (the one run win on Friday hardly saves them). The rugby league side, not with injuries, had Australia on the ropes, leading with 20 minutes to go and then lost, 46-16.

Then there was the football team, led by new father and stand in captain Wayne Rooney, interrupted by injuries to all but two of their regular starters. The 2nd (or possibly 3rd) choice side took to the field against the most successful side in World Cup history, Brazil, of course. I mention their history because that's what the next few months are all about, the World Cup that is. The fact that England lost is unimportant, that they played averagely as a unit is also redundant, this match was all about those 'fringe players' and if they could cement their place in the squad to South Africa.

In goal Ben Foster, who has been dodgy for England in the past, had a good game. He made a couple of decent saves and his only dodgy moments, giving away the penalty and a kick from the ground going straight to Kaka, were the faults of Wes Brown and Matthew Upson respectively, and importantly didn't get punished. Wes Brown managed to almost certainly write his name off the squad list, the right back position is one of England's problem areas behind Glen Johnson and yet Brown was so awful it just will not do in the World Cup, it is a shame for a player who has been so solid at club level. The rest of the defence was more solid, I'm still not convinced by Lescott and Bridge but who there is to replace them is a question I can't answer and I'm afraid nor could Mr Capello. In midfield obviously Gareth Barry is a World Cup starter, his main competition would be a fit and in form Owen Hargreaves but that is still yet to be seen. Jermaine Jenas did little wrong, but unlike Capello's first match in charge, when Jenas got the winning goal, he did nothing right and will never get passed the first choice England midfield and would also struggle against the 2nd choice. On the flanks James Milner continues to impress with a mix of industry and skill and will definately be on the plane. On the opposite flank though, with Mr Beckham helping his side to the MLS Cup final, Shaun Wright-Phillips did himself no favours with a mule like first touch, of course things may have been different for him had captain Wayne got on the end of his early cross. Up front Kai's dad ran his heart out as always, and the captain's armband suited him well, he IS a future United and England captain and record breaker and if anyone was going to break Brazil it was going to be him. Finally was Darren Bent, a player I have often said I would have in my England squad- perhaps no more. The former Spurs player played, well, like he was back at Spurs and not at his Sunderland best. Playing like that will not help his chances, which after Saturday I believe are all but gone.

All this means that Foster, Upson, Bridge, and Milner are all edging closer to that plane with only injury likely to stop Upson and Milner. It also means that players such as Joe Cole, Owen Hargreves, Phil Jagielka and maybe even Michael Owen still have a change. Finally it means David James, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wes Brown and Darren Bent will still be hoping till the last.

Of course England weren't the only ones playing on Saturday and the only one's who gave us some clues to the future. For one there was the opposition, Brazil, World Cup favourites and rightly so. Many 'purists' have complained that Brazil don't play with the flare and beauty of the 1970 winning and 1982 losing sides but in this day and age of greater physical players it is almost impossible. Then again any side with Kaka, Robinho, Maicon, Elano, Nilmar and Dani Alves amongst their ranks can hardly be thought to have a lack of flair and class. The debate though is pretty pointless, the real talking point is how good they look as a team and with the odd adjustment to the side, including Robinho coming back into the side, few would doubt their World Cup credentials.

Elsewhere Spain, the World Cup's joint favourites, took on the team who on talent alone should be one of the favourites but add in their hopeless manager and you have a team who barely qualified for the World Cup. Of course Argentina won't be so bad at the tournament but don't expext them to be good enough to retire Carlos Tevez- clearly life for the blue side of Manchester must either be so stressful or boring that it makes you consider retirement so young. Spain look healthy, and that's an understatement, a side that boast Fabregas, Iniesta and Xavi in the centre of midfield and Torres and Villa upfront are dangerous (they have loads of other talent but why bother naming many or any others).

Two of Europe's super powers taught us very little as Italy and Holland drew 0-0. The Dutch will always flatter to decieve before inevitably losing in the quarter finals, noooo it doesn't sound familiar at all! The Italians at times seem to be clueless, Marcello Lippi seemingly thinks he's back in 2006, choosing as close to the World Cup winning squad as possible whilst trying to push through a passport for Brazillian born Juventus striker Amauri and ignoring Italian born attacking midfield genius Antonio Cassano.

Of course one of the other favourite's for the World Cup, and seemingly every World Cup, Germany, did not play this weekend, and all our thoughts should be with Robert Enke's family and the German and Hannover squads, football is sometimes the least important thing in life.

In Cardiff the boys of Wales took on the men of Scotland in a match that mattered not to getting ready for the World Cup and was just further proof as to why Scotland never needed to worry about a Great Britain squad at the 2012 olympics, none of thier players would have been in it! The Scots have a bleak future, in the short term at least, with George Burley finally sacked, how he'd survived so long is beyond me, and with players barely good enough for the Sunday leagues there is a lot of rebuilding to do. Lots of names are being thrown about for the post and perhaps the Scots should go back to the tried and tested, and soon to be out of a contract, Walter Smith. I'd go for youth and inexperience in Darren Ferguson, it's out there I know but I'd like to see the SFA be a bit daring. The Welsh though have something to smile about, despite a qualifying campaign that ended as soon as a good performance in Russia didn't end in a win they do at least have extremely talented youngsters such as Aaron Ramsey, Simon Church, Gareth Bale, and Joe Ledley- all young and all collecting many caps already.

The hosts meanwhile were playing Japan to continue their on pitch preperations. Bafana Bafana will be so determined to play well in the World Cup and not find themselves as the first hosts failing to advance passed the group stages. To kick start their warm up matches they drew 0-0 with the Japan in Port Elizabeth. It doesn't sound exciting does it, but after the match Motoaki Inukai, President of the Japanese FA, complained about the famous vuvuzela trumpet, an African instrument known for being loud. It is according to Mr Inukai too loud, You can't hear yourself speak. I will be bringing it up (with Fifa president Sepp Blatter),". As far as noise is concerned it's South Africa making the loudest ones... or maybe it's Japan!