Considering the huge amounts of success England have enjoyed at international tournaments in which Rio Ferdinand has featured, it's no surprise that his omission this time around has caused such an enormous palaver in certain sections of the English media. Of course by certain sections of the English media, we mean every section except the Fiver, which is a part of the English media in much the same way as the triangle is a part of the London Philharmonic Orchestra; hanging around the back waiting for all the pompous proper instruments to have their say before chiming in with an occasionally endearing, but largely superfluous "Ting!"
It was therefore heart-warming for us to learn that as part of the FA's latest masterclass in Media Management and Manipulation For Idiots, we would not be forced to listen to a load of belligerent hacks trying to bully an England manager into justifying the squad selection with which he has been entrusted, but would instead be treated to the sight of Joe Hart and Stewart Downing being sent out to face the hail of interrogatory bullets originally intended for their manager. Predictably enough, it was Hart who did most of the talking, while Downing took up his customary peripheral role near the sideline from which he contributed no assists.
Obviously determined to address the subject of r@cism in football whether Hodgson was in front of them or not, but unable to ask questions about diva Rio and his latest hissy-fit because the subject is strictly verboten, the assembled hacks decided on the only other obvious course of action: asking two young white men, one of whom has blond hair, how they will cope in the event of being racially abused by white supremacists while playing a football match in eastern Europe. No, really.
It's the wesuwwection innit?
