So what today?

The White Rabbit is still in the field. I know you'd want to know that.

On the sporting front the country is preparing to go football crazy. Our steady, predictable Swedish manager suddenly decided that he wasn't steady and predictable and brought in a wealth of young talent. The big shock was Theo Walcott, he's 17 and hasn't played premiership football. Now Erickson says that in a squad of 23 you can take a risk AND I can see that if they think this guy is the future it might be worth taking him for experience BUT! We've only picked four strikers, one of those is Walcott, and Rooney and Owen are both injured and Rooney especially may not be fit for the group games or even the whole thing. If he had picked a Defoe or Bent instead of say Jenas or Hargreaves then fair enough.

That said I actually think the squad is pretty good. The likes of Lennon and Downing are impact players who he can bring on, we have some variety which we never had in World Cup 2002 or Euro 2004.

Of course the problem is that to make best use of this young talent we would have to substitute or drop senior players like Mr Beckham. Since Erickson has never done this and shows no inclination to do this....................

We won't win the world cup and I never thought we would, but if Erickson does make best use of his options and Rooney and Owen are fit we will at least have a chance. We at least have an option for another plan is Erickson wants to try it.

We start the cricket Thursday. Only seems like yesterday we were on a winter tour! The big decision is doing we play Panesar or say we don't need him on seam friendly wickets in May and go for an extra batsmen. Personally I'd like to see him play but if he isn't likely to bowl then he may as well get experience at Northants. Personally I think the seam options are more interesting. Lewis would best suit the conditions and is in form but he is a short term option and is he really going to go to Australia? I'd go for Plunkett and Mahmood, they may not be good enough but they are young and one of them may be a future England player.