It does not surprise me that Roy Hodgson has left out Daniel Sturridge for England.
Let’s face it, if we can’t come through a Euro qualifier at home against San Marino and then a trip to Estonia without him, then we don’t deserve to be in the finals in any case.
I can understand why Brendan Rodgers wants to protect his player, too, because he has been out for quite a while, but I’m sure he wouldn’t have begrudged England the selection had it been a win-at-all-costs type of match.
As it is, I’m looking forward to England picking up maximum points and to seeing if Danny Welbeck an keep up his goalscoring form.
He got two in the last international against the Swiss and, of course, hit a hat trick for Arsenal in the Champions League last week.
That will have given him a real shot in the arm after his move down to the Emirates from Manchester United and hopefully England will continue to reap the benefits this week.
Can I just mention that we are having a comedy night for fans down at PPG Canalside on Thursday, October 16.
The comic who will be providing the entertainment on the night is Tony Jameson, who is one of the very best in the business, and it promises to be a cracking night.
Tickets are just £10 for season-ticket holders and £12 for others, and these can be booked by telephoning the club’s ticket office on 01484 484123.
