You read a lot about the manner in which the Far East adores the Premier League and having been in Singapore/Indonesia for nearly 2 weeks you can see it to a degree. The problem has been that since I arrived all we've had are the good old Internationals. Yes you can see these games out here but there isn't the same interest. Apparently when the Premier League games are on there is a square in the centre of Singapore that broadcasts the big games to a huge local and ex-pat audience on big screens outside the bars. Since the games kick off between 7.45pm and 2.30am on a Saturday it can be a great experience. I'm hoping to see the Liverpool and Arsenal games down there tomorrow night - assuming my friend and I get a pass out.

One thing is for sure, you don't miss many games out here, from whatever league you want to watch. There are so many football channels and sporrts channels that you can always find the game you want to see. They even got to see the England game, unlike most of the population of England itself.

Maybe Sven knew it all along but was too conservative to give him a go but as the papers will undoubtedly go into THEO overdrive I hope some perspective can be found. Firstly I hope a certain Arsene Wenger who, until now, has been the single most important factor in England's failure to be any good, will be given credit for his nurturing of Walcott. In hindsight, would not Wayne Rooney have been a better (or more consistent)  player if he hadn't been playing every game he could since the age of 16 and ditto Owen (who seems to have too many injuries at a relatively young age now). As I typed that I do realise that Arsenal have been playing Cesc in the same way so maybe his career will struggle as he reaches his mid twenties - it's a fine line I suppose with exceptional talent at an early age.

I haven't seen any of last night's games as I've just awoken here on Bintan but looking through the results I see Switzerland really did manage to be as bad as we probably knew they were. Losing 1-2 to Luxembourg really is a depressing result and makes any of England's poor games in the past seem almost bearable. The local press aren't too please about it. So despite my irrational hatred of International games last night did throw up results that almost made them interesting - Finland drawing with Germany and Portugal losing at home being two of them.

I see that the mighty England managed a spectacular win against all that is Andorra and the rest of the UK teams played a variety of ex-Soviet Union states in those other so called important World Cup qualifiers. Look I love football and I do get excited every time there is a major international tournament coming up. However, qualifiers are dull and even the most ardent fans struggle to get too warmed up for them. We, therefore need a new system to sort this out.. OUCH!!!

Sorry about that I just got hit on the head by a fruit dropped by my resident holiday flat mate - a little bat. It must be much simpler being a bat in this world I think you'll agree.

Anyway back to the qualifiers and it seems that FIFA should be adopting that successful UEFA model entitled the Champions League. In this competition all the teams from countries with more money (i.e. Bigger TV audiences) get more teams to the back end of the tournament (group stages) whilst the others knock themselves out in 3 qualifying rounds. Henceforth there will be 32 teams at the World Cup with big European countries, South American and Asian countries too .. OUCH!!!

These bats eat a lot of fruit.

Meanwhile countries with no big TV money (i.e. poor African or South American or Scotland) have to fight it out to reach the final 32. It makes as much football sense as the current Champions League.

Please can we have some real football again soon.