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On this week's show we ask if the romance of the cup has disappeared as the Carling Cup semi finals and the FA Cup 4th round take place in England. We also...

• Review the football week in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Have a new Vox Pops topic
• Introduce a football expression in English for Football
• And continue their weekly battle in the predictions competition

For learners of English there are also

• Worksheets and transcripts
• Vocabulary lists
• Online quizzes and crossword puzzles
• Weekly blogs from our football-crazy writers in fans’ forum

Listen to the show here 

 
On this week's show we look at the African Cup of nations, and...

• Review the football week in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Have a new Vox Pops topic
• Introduce a football expression in English for Football
• And continue their weekly battle in the predictions competition

For learners of English there are also

• Worksheets and transcripts
• Vocabulary lists
• Online quizzes and crossword puzzles
• Weekly blogs from our football-crazy writers in fans’ forum

 

On this week's show Damon and Damian review the European Championship qualifiers and look back at where it all went wrong for Ireland and England.

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Is it me but I find the international breaks a little bit of a distraction from the real business of league football. I miss my (bi) weekly fix of the mood altering drug that is being a West Ham United fan. The highs and lows produced on the whim of the fates is only good enough until the next time. Analysis of the league tables is the post drug comedown, and the continual staring at the tables, almost with a dream like quality, recalculating the various permutations, "if we hadnt conceded that 93rd minute goal against Bolton we'd be joint ninth with Everton..." leaves me sated but with the nagging thought and need for wanting more. When we lose I just blank out the memory and won't buy the Sunday papers or watch Match of the Day (it's just too painful) but winning gives me a little spring in the step and I go out to embrace the world, happy but with the bothersome awareness that the storm clouds of doubt will reappear next time.

Though Spain and England are two of the great under-achieving sides in world football both teams were being touted as possible European Championship winners at the start of this qualifying campaign. This lack of international success was not the only feature that these two countries shared. Earlier the debate raged on about a number of issues concerning the teams: should the respective captains, ironically Madrid team mates, play for the national team any longer? When would the two hugely unpopular managers be removed? Were the boasts of having the best players in the world playing in the best league(s) going to ring hollow? Would the teams ever find their true playing style?

Well, we know what happened with Steve MClaren's England but few would have predicted that Spain would finish top of the group after losing to Sweden and Northern Ireland away early on in the campaign. In addition, Raul has been forgotten (apart from Madrid-based newspaper, Marca) and Luis Aragones is flavour of the month.

But it is not just the fact that they have qualified but rather how they have done so. Spain are winning games and winning them well and it is down to what the Spanish media refer to as los jugones, or those who love to play - Iniesta and Xavi from Barcelona and Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas. The 4-1-4-1 system is working a treat for Aragones' men and with the calibre of David Villa and Fernando Torres up front maybe next year will finally be the year for Spain. Maybe.

There should be little change at the top of La Liga this weekend with the big teams all having winnable matches, though if you are looking for a shock then maybe Murcia can surprise Madrid. At the bottom you get the feeling that if Levante lose to second bottom Betis it will be all over for them while two former giants, Bilbao and Deportivo, play at San Mames knowing that a defeat would land them in the relegation struggle. Betis and Depor to win those games.

Malaga still lead the second division and visit Real Sociedad where I am tipping another away win for los boquerones.

England coach, Steve McClaren, looks like he has decided that the crunch game against Croatia tonight is the time to stamp his authority on the team and drop some big names. Out go David Beckham, painfully two short of a hundred caps, and Paul Robinson after some high profile blunders in goal. I'll tell you what, a bit more of this strong management style might have been welcome earlier in the campaign: remember the two recent selection successes, Barry and Heskey, both came because injuries forced the manager's hands.

Carson should be an able replacement for Robinson and Shaun Wright-Phillips , although he blows hot and cold should have the pace to get behind the Croat defence and get some balls into the box. The only question mark is whether those balls will be first time balls whipped to the far post for Crouch, or slid along the face of the goal between the keeper and the six yard line for... Owen...

Oh yeah, he's not playing.