BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Sweden and Austria look set to lift my bad mood

I CAN only presume that when Gary Neville got his draft papers from Hodgson, Baldrick was enlisted at the same time. That would then explain the latest cunning plan.

Your first-choice centre-back gets his jaw smashed up and the options for his replacement are a 33-year-old, multi-award winning, hugely decorated, highly talented central defender who has won 81 England caps and represented his country with distinction at two World Cups. Or a bloke who can't get into the Liverpool team at right-back.

No brainer, wasn't it? In Roy we trust, eh?

Anyway, I should be celebrating not groaning.

Not only have I managed to swerve all street-party action over the past few days but I also marked my return from a week away by backing England to beat Belgium 1-0.

The only downside is that I had to watch the match although I suppose it made for a decent prep for England versus Sweden which will be the most tedious of all games at the Euros. Sorry - except those involving Greece come to that.

The Swedes are in action on Tuesday night which is nice of them, especially as they are playing Serbia who are still licking their wounds at not qualifying.

Sweden are good things and so too Austria, who saw off Ukraine on Saturday and can do likewise to Romania who haven't been the same since they all went for the peroxide blonde look in 1998.

Didn't think that one through did they?

Is 15 minutes of fame worth a lifetime in the wilderness?

Ask Michael Ricketts, he'll know the answer.