Cricket: Why England should stick with Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow has earned his opportunity at Test level

It hasn't taken long for some people to write off Jonny Bairstow's chances of succeeding at international level.

He has only had two Test innings and looked shaky in the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge, where he was dismissed for 4.

But to write off his chances already would be foolish.

Bairstow was given a thorough working over by Kemar Roach in Nottingham, and struggled intensely against the short ball, but must be given a chance to prove himself at the highest level.

As has been pointed out, the 22-year-old hasn't faced too much express pace bowling at county level, so he needs to be given time to adjust.

Sending him back to Yorkshire and county cricket would do more harm than good.

He has earned his chance to play Test cricket and two shaky innings should not be allowed to define the selectors' views of him.

Every batsman will struggle against the short ball at some point in their career and it just so happens that Bairstow has experienced this early.

Roach's success in bowling short at him will surely lead to Bairstow being targeted by the short delivery, much like Australia's Phil Hughes was after struggling in the 2009 Ashes series.

If Bairstow struggles over a sustained period against short bowling, then the selectors will have a decision to make.

However, he has at least earned a full series against the West Indies to prove himself, and he is likely to be picked for the subsequent one-day series with the Windies and then Australia.

If he is still struggling with the short ball then, he could be taken out of the firing line for the Test series against South Africa and their stable of quality fast bowlers, which includes Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander.

Until then, though, he should not be judged too harshly.

Bairstow is up against a fantastic bowler in Roach and is understandably nervous in the early days of his international career, but has been in great form this season.

Roach has been impressive - except for a number of issues with no-balls - so far in this series

He has two county championship centuries to his name in 2012, while he also impressed at international level with a score of 60 not out in a T20 against Pakistan in February.

Bairstow wouldn't have got as far as he has now without mental toughness and talent with the bat.

He clearly has the ability and while he will have to improve on his two displays against the West Indies so far, he should see this tricky period out.

He is batting at number six for England and that is the one position which they have struggled to fill in the successful years under Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower.

Paul Collingwood struggled in the latter days of his England career while Eoin Morgan found it difficult to make the step up from one-day level to the longer form of the game.

The same may be true of Bairstow, but he needs to be given a fair chance to prove he belongs at Test level.

If Bairstow does eventually fail, Ravi Bopara is waiting in the wings after a period of good form for Essex (although he has been in poor nick since recovering from injury recently), while Morgan still has the potential to become a Test-class batsman, so England have plenty of middle-order options.

However, Bairstow is the man in possession of the shirt and will be eager to prove himself in the third Test against the Windies at Edgbaston.

With the series already wrapped up, it will give him a chance to relax and produce his best form in Birmingham.

Roach and co are sure to target him again, so it is time for Bairstow to show his worth, demonstrate his talent and make himself impossible to drop.

He has been released to play for Yorkshire in the County Championship this week and is sure to be working on improving his technique against short-pitched bowling, but he should not be overly worried.

If anything, this tough introduction into Test cricket could work in his favour.

He now knows - if he was in any doubt - the gulf in quality between county cricket and Test cricket is large, and should enjoy the challenge of improving his technique.

However, Bairstow should not lose sight of the qualities which have got him this far, and concentrate on the positives of his game.

If he takes his eye off the ball and concentrates too much on improving his ability to play the short ball, he risks other parts of his game declining.

The pressure-cooker atmosphere of Test cricket is hard enough to cope with without over-complicating things.

Bairstow will have to find an answer to the short ball, of course, but time should be on his side.

Two Test innings do not make a player's career. They should not be allowed to break one, either.

Defiant Chelsea's Champions League win was meant to be

Chelsea again defied all the odds last night to win the European Cup for the first time

In football, some things are just meant to be.

Chelsea defied all logic and expectation last night by winning the European Cup in Munich, but the way their season has gone, nobody should have been surprised.

They have been on an unstoppable path to glory, coming back from the brink on numerous occasions with their name seemingly destined to be added to the trophy.

Chelsea were doubted all the way through yet have somehow come away with club football's biggest prize and the greatest achievement in the club's history.

Didier Drogba has epitomised their spirit not just this season but over the last eight years, and it was fitting he had such a massive say in their Champions League triumph.

His bullet header which forced extra-time two minutes before the 90 were up was magnificent, while it just seemed right that he scored the winning penalty in the dramatic shoot-out.

Drogba will go down as a Chelsea legend and this was his defining moment, and if that penalty does turn out to be his final kick for the club, what a way to go out it was.

Roman Abramovich and co would be crazy to let Drogba leave on a free transfer this summer as he has proved time and time again he is the man for the big occasion - he also scored the winner in Chelsea's recent FA Cup win and has scored nine goals in nine finals for the club - despite what many think about him.

Drogba's theatrics are not great but to concentrate on that ignores all the brilliance he has brought to the game over the years.

He is the ultimate 'number nine' and still offers so much at the age of 34.

Some say Chelsea should let him go now as he is only going to decline, but Drogba could have years left in him due to the fact he was a late bloomer and only started playing top-flight football in France at the age of 23.

He is a powerhouse who scores goals, provides so much for his team-mates and always gives his all, and he deserves to be remembered for this rather than his infamous play-acting.

Drogba should go down as the greatest player of his type in his generation

Drogba's glory night in Munich helped him exorcise his demons from the 2008 Champions League final, where he was sent off in extra-time against Manchester United for slapping Nemanja Vidic.

John Terry, watching from the stands in Munich, was unable to right his wrongs from Moscow due to his suspension, but he will feel some sense of redemption with his beloved club finally adding the European Cup to their roll of honour.

Roberto Di Matteo deserves so much praise for Chelsea's incredible triumph as he inherited a squad in crisis after the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas in March.

At that time, Chelsea were flattering to deceive in the league and looked set to go out of the Champions League at the hands of Napoli, who held a 3-1 lead from the first leg.

At that point, if anybody had suggested Chelsea were just a couple of months away from being European champions, they would have been ridiculed.

However, Di Matteo, with the help of Chelsea stalwarts Drogba, Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and others, somehow turned the tie around with a 4-1 win over the Italians at Stamford Bridge after extra-time.

They had almost been eliminated in the group stages and had to beat Valencia at home to qualify for the knockouts, so they have had to come through several high-pressure matches to get their hands on the ultimate prize.

Their quarter-final against Benfica nearly went wrong as Chelsea failed to impress in the second leg and almost went out on away goals.

Then came the unbelievable semi-final with Barcelona, as Chelsea withstood a barrage of Spanish pressure in both legs to somehow emerge victorious.

Nobody gave them a chance of defeating the European champions and their chances were even more slim when, with the tie level at 1-1 and the half-time whistle in the second leg looming, Terry ridiculously got himself sent off.

All logic pointed towards a landslide victory for Barcelona but Chelsea rode their luck and incredibly came away with a 3-2 aggregate victory - with Lionel Messi missing a penalty - with goals from Ramires and Fernando Torres leaving the Catalans floored.

After all they had gone through to reach the final, we shouldn't really be surprised that Chelsea eventually came away with the trophy.

However, they still went into the tie as outsiders due to the fact their opponents were Bayern Munich, who were irrepressible on their route to the final and had the advantage of playing at the Allianz Arena, their home stadium.

Everything pointed towards a Bayern victory and the balance of play in the final also suggested there would only be one winner.

Chelsea sat back and defended, while Mario Gomez missed a clutch of great chances.

It seemed that if Bayern were to score, the floodgates would open and the Germans would go on to win two or three-nil.

Thomas Muller provided the breakthrough on 83 minutes with a header past Petr Cech. Bayern's pressure had finally told and there was no way back for Chelsea.

Muller must have thought he had won the cup for Bayern with his late header

Or so it seemed.

We should have known better given the odds Chelsea have overcome this season, and sure enough Drogba came good with a superb header to force extra-time.

Even then, Chelsea were second favourites. Written off throughout their journey to Munich, it just seemed their luck had to change somewhere along the line.

Three minutes into extra-time, Drogba fouled Franck Ribery in the box for a Bayern penalty. Surely this was the moment Chelsea's resistance was set to end.

But no. Cech kept out Arjen Robben's spot-kick and the dream was back on.

Chelsea survived the rest of the extra-time period and forced a penalty shoot-out.

Again they were doubted by some, but others were finally coming round to the idea that the London side's name was destined to be added to the trophy.

Juan Mata's penalty was saved by Manuel Neuer, but Cech went on to deny Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger to hand Chelsea the advantage.

Drogba then stepped up to strike home the winning penalty and realise the Chelsea dream.

Could this be Drogba's last ever kick for Chelsea?

It is difficult to decide which was the most incredible moment or statistic from the night.

Perhaps it was that Chelsea fought back despite conceding the opener just seven minutes before the end.

Or that Bayern scored just once from 35 attempts.

Or that Chelsea scored from their first and only corner of the game.

Or that Ryan Bertrand was handed his Champions League debut in the final.

Or that Chelsea survived the extra-time period unscathed despite conceding a penalty.

Or that Drogba scored the winning penalty with what could be his last kick for Chelsea.

Or that a German team lost on penalties to an English one!

This triumph was Chelsea's destiny but they still needed some outstanding performances to deliver it.

Gary Cahill and David Luiz were colossal at the back and proved John Terry is perhaps not as important to Chelsea as many think, while Ashley Cole showed why he is still the best left-back in the world.

Lampard was excellent in midfield and then there was Drogba, Chelsea's talisman who provided the defining moments.

There will be some who criticise Chelsea and Di Matteo for their tactics, but anyone doing so is a fool.

If Di Matteo had continued in the same cavalier style as Villas-Boas, Chelsea would have been eliminated by Napoli and humiliated by Barcelona and Bayern.

Di Matteo has done an incredible job at Stamford Bridge

The Italian recognised he needed to introduce a more pragmatic style and that Chelsea needed to defend for their lives against the top sides in Europe, and he has been more than vindicated.

Di Matteo - if he is not to get the permanent manager's job this summer - will go down as the greatest interim boss in history.

He will also go down as one of the luckiest in history but that doesn't matter. All that matters is whose name ended up on the cup.

Abramovich ought to give the job to Di Matteo as he has brought the winning mentality back to Stamford Bridge and got all the fans behind him.

He deserves at least a season to prove his worth as he has delivered the Champions League and the FA Cup.

Di Matteo could have done little more and it would be extremely harsh if he was not given the job on a permanent basis.

The spirit and determination is back at Stamford Bridge and Di Matteo deserves much of the credit for that.

The players and fans surely want him to stay on, so there should be little debate.

Some may say Chelsea have been backed into a corner because of Di Matteo's achievements as interim manager, much like Liverpool were with Kenny Dalglish, but he has surely earned a contract.

He has been calm and dignified throughout his short spell in charge so far, and deserves the chance to capatalise on his hard work next season.

This Champions League final may not go down as one of the greatest, but it will in terms of the way all the odds were overcome and the plucky underdogs somehow emerged victorious amid incredible drama.

It seems strange to refer to Chelsea - bankrolled by Abramovich's billions - as underdogs but that is exactly what they have been this season and this remains a remarkable achievement, regardless of how much money they have spent.

Bayern deserve commiserations as they were undoubtedly the better team over the 120 minutes, and this heartache will take some recovering from.

Robben will feel awful - much like Terry did after his penalty miss in 2008 - as his spot-kick would have surely sealed the trophy for Bayern and he was forced to eventually watch his former team-mates celebrate the greatest moment of their careers.

Robben did not take a penalty in the shoot-out as he was not in the right frame of mind

Jupp Heynckes' side are one of the top teams in Europe and will be contenders to win the Champions League again next season, but you have to wonder how this defeat - in their own stadium - will affect them mentally.

It was a match full of drama and Chelsea certainly rode their luck, as they did throughout their Champions League adventure this season.

Their triumph was simply meant to be.

Chelsea are not the best team in Europe but they currently hold that title. That is all that matters.

They needed luck - much like Liverpool in 2005 - but earned it through their determination, spirit and never-say-die attitude.

Chelsea will never have a season quite like this again.

In the future, they will hope to be the team dominating matches of this magnitude rather than defending for their lives, but for the time being, this is the way they have to play to win.

Di Matteo, Drogba, Cole et al deserved their moment. Surely the greatest moment they will ever have in their careers.

Their name was on the cup. This was their destiny.

Now Abramovich needs to reward the men who delivered it.

Di Matteo and Drogba have surely earned at least another season.

Roy Hodgson fails to impress with first England squad

Roy Hodgson has been criticised in some quarters for his Euro 2012 squad selection

Every time an England squad is announced for a major tournament, you can be sure an outcry is not far away.

All fans have their favourites and the 23-man squad is obviously not big enough to include them all, but even so Roy Hodgson has made some major gaffes in his first selection.

He had an opportunity to silence a few doubters and name a bold squad for Euro 2012, but all he has succeeded in doing is turning more people against him before he has even taken charge of a game.

Some of the criticism of his squad has been completely over the top - just as was the reaction to his appointment in the first place - but he could live to regret a number of his decisions.

The presence of John Terry in the squad is sure to be divisive.

Hodgson insists he omitted Rio Ferdinand for purely footballing reasons and not because of Terry's upcoming trial for allegedly racially abusing Rio's brother, Anton (an allegation he denies).

That may well be true, but there are sure to be many allies of Ferdinand in the squad who believe he hasn't been selected because of Terry's inclusion and the assertion they can't be in the same squad.

This could lead to a major split in the England camp and that is the last thing Hodgson needs.

The sensible thing would have been to leave Terry at home.

He proved in the 2010 World Cup he can't cope without being captain. During the tournament, he said: "Since I lost the armband, nothing's ever changed for me. Off the training field, in the camp, in the dressing room, I'll still be the same. No one will take that away from me. I was born to do stuff like that."

Hodgson has confirmed Gerrard will be his captain but he was undermined by Terry in South Africa and the Chelsea skipper's inclusion means there is a serious risk a similar situation will play out in the summer.

Gerrard is a good choice as captain, although he has played a similar amount of games for England as Ferdinand in recent times, and Hodgson cited Ferdinand's lack of international game-time as a key reason in his decision to leave him out.

As for some of Hodgson's other selections, it's baffling Stewart Downing will be on the plane to Poland and Ukraine.

Downing's selection appears strange to say the least

He has been woeful for Liverpool all season and his record of no goals and no assists throughout the entire campaign - as a winger - is embarrassing.

Adam Johnson has been left on the standby list and although he has found game-time limited at Manchester City this season, he would have been a much more exciting and potent choice than Downing, as would Aaron Lennon.

Downing couldn't have been any worse this season so it's hard to see what he could have done to not be selected.

His Anfield team-mate Jordan Henderson has been named on the standby list and that is laughable.

Downing and Henderson have been the epitome of mediocrity for Liverpool this season yet have somehow found themselves in Hodgson's reckoning.

One thing's for sure: Hodgson must not have watched many Liverpool games this season.

He has also chosen Glen Johnson as the squad's only natural right-back, despite his own struggles this year.

Kyle Walker's toe injury robbed Hodgson of the chance to select England's outstanding right-back, but there were still a number of alternatives to compete with Johnson.

The player to feel most aggrieved should be Micah Richards, who has been outstanding for Manchester City this season despite being overlooked for the closing weeks of the campaign in favour of Pablo Zabaleta.

Roberto Mancini and Fabio Capello have both questioned Richards' tactical discipline in the past, but he should surely have been selected for the squad, even if he was just to be a back-up.

Michael Carrick must be wondering what he has to do to make an England squad.

Sir Alex Ferguson rates him extremely highly and he is clearly one of the top passers in the country, yet always seems to be overlooked by his country.

Carrick's presence in Manchester United's team helped bring the best out of Paul Scholes after he reversed his decision to retire, yet he finds himself behind the likes of Henderson in the England pecking order.

Adam Lallana of Southampton would have been a better player to have on the standby list than Henderson.

He still has to prove himself in the Premier League, of course, but he would certainly go into this summer in much better form than Henderson.

Other than all of that though, the squad is pretty much as expected.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is an encouraging choice as he represents the future for England and proved in his performance for Arsenal against AC Milan earlier this season that he is good enough to mix it with the best.

Oxlade-Chamberlain is a good wildcard selection by Hodgson

He is an excellent player with a good temperament and Hodgson can feel confident about involving him this summer.

Theo Walcott will also get the chance to prove himself at a major international tournament and this is an opportunity he has earned through some excellent late-season form for Arsenal.

The selection of Andy Carroll does seem to be based on his very short-term recent form, but the way he terrorised John Terry in the FA Cup final showed he is approaching his best form and will be a handful for any defence.

Personally, I don't think he's done enough to be worthy of a place in Hodgson's starting 11 but he will certainly be an excellent option to come on off the bench.

Danny Welbeck is likely to lead the line in England's first two group games in the absence of the suspended Wayne Rooney, while Jermain Defoe is another player with a proven record of delivering from the bench.

As for those strikers to miss out, it is no real surprise Peter Crouch and Grant Holt have been overlooked.

Both have had excellent seasons and were worthy of a mention, but neither represents the future and the selection of either would have been seen as a backward step.

Daniel Sturridge can count himself unlucky to only be on the standby list, but he has been played out on the left-wing by Chelsea and has not done enough there to warrant a place in the squad.

The goalkeeping situation is not ideal, with Joe Hart so far ahead of his 'competitors' its embarrassing, but Hodgson has made the right call in including Norwich's John Ruddy.

Ruddy has had a fine season and should be a member of the squad for years to come.

Rob Green is the other 'keeper in the squad, while young Jack Butland is the standby.

19-year-old Birmingham 'keeper Butland is said to be interesting the likes of Arsenal

Butland is highly-rated and could go on to challenge Hart in the long-term, so if he is eventually called up due to an injury to one of the first three choices, it would give him some valuable experience and ensure he is not overly nervous in the future when he is selected for tournament squads.

The only other real issue is whether Hodgson should have called up another striker to cover for Rooney's two-game absence, but in Ashley Young, Theo Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain he has versatile players who could fill the gap if needed.

Other versatile players in the squad include Phil Jones and James Milner and they could be crucial in Poland and Ukraine.

With the inclusion of Downing and Terry in his squad, along with Henderson on the standby list, Hodgson has opened himself up for criticism.

Overall, the squad is not in a terrible state and should have a chance of at least reaching the knockout stages.

Now the squad has been picked, it is time to get behind Hodgson and the players and give them a chance.

For me, despite a couple of disappointing selections, Hodgson remains the best man for the England job and the ideal manager to help the side succeed on the biggest stages.

I wouldn't have picked Terry in the squad, but now he is in there, he has to play.

Here is how I'd line up for the first two group fixtures, while Rooney is suspended: Hart; Jones, Terry, Cahill, Cole; Walcott, Gerrard, Parker, Milner, Young; Welbeck.

And when he is back, Hodgson should line up his team like this: Hart; Jones, Terry, Cahill, Cole; Walcott, Gerrard, Parker, Young; Rooney, Welbeck.

Oxlade-Chamberlain must be used though and not taken as merely an accessory, while Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard will also have big roles to play.

Hodgson has made a number of big decisions and fronted up well in the press conference.

In reality though, Fabio Capello's squad is unlikely to have been much different had he remained in charge.

Hodgson must be backed though and given the benefit of the doubt until the tournament is over.

Now its time for his 23-man squad (below), to deliver.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Rob Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich).

Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton).

Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City).

Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man United), Danny Welbeck (Man United), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham).

Standby players: Jack Butland (Birmingham City), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea).

Manchester City's incredible title win sums up breathtaking Premier League season

Manchester City's captain fantastic Vincent Kompany holds the Premier League trophy aloft

The Premier League has delivered some dramatic moments over the years.

Many of them have been celebrated in the '20 Seasons Awards' which have been voted for recently.

However, it appears those votes may have been cast a little too early.

For the best match in Premier League history, look no further than this one. Manchester City 3 Queens Park Rangers 2.

The bare facts of the game do not do it justice.

It was packed with drama, excitement, drama, goals, drama, nerves and more drama.

City scored two goals in stoppage time to snatch the title - their first since 1968 - away from neighbours United.

The late delirium which swept the Etihad Stadium replaced the seat-kicking agony of a set of supporters who have become accustomed to failure.

However, this City is different. Failure is not in their dictionary.

They couldn't have done it without Sheikh Mansour's billions, of course, but it is now clear that money has been spent very wisely and City is a club ready to dominate.

They looked set to throw the title away when they fell 2-1 behind to relegation-threatened 10-man QPR, and to lose the championship in those circumstances would have taken some recovering from for Roberto Mancini, his players and the fans.

However, all the despair anyone of a sky blue persuasion must have been feeling going into five minutes of stoppage time was quickly turned into unbridled joy.

Even the most optimistic City supporter couldn't have believed it was possible.

QPR had been stubborn defensively and performed admirably despite the sending off of their disgraceful captain Joey Barton, who elbowed Carlos Tevez before kicking out at Sergio Aguero and head-butting Vincent Kompany on his way off, as well as attempting to pick a fight with Mario Balotelli.

Barton is an embarrassment to football but on this, the most dramatic day the Premier League has surely ever seen, it is important to concentrate on the positives.

Edin Dzeko's 92nd-minute equaliser gave City a glimmer of hope, but even then the title looked destined for Old Trafford.

Then came the moment of the season. In fact, the moment of any season.

In the fourth minute of five added on, Aguero combined with Balotelli - who played a decisive pass despite being on the floor - before skipping past the despairing Taye Taiwo and rifling a shot past Paddy Kenny.

The Etihad Stadium erupted, Aguero went on a shirt-twirling, delighted run and Mancini did a victory sprint on the touchline.

City's players, staff and fans erupted after Aguero's incredible winner

The natural pessimists among the City support were probably looking for an offside flag, waiting for the referee to blow for a foul or fearing the ball had not crossed the line, but there was nothing to deny them this time.

It was an emphatic goal to end an unbelievable season.

The tears of anguish in the stands quickly turned into tears of joy and the ticker-tape began falling from the sky.

This was the moment City fans had waited decades for. All their years of hurt must have seemed worth it for that one swing of Aguero's right foot.

If there was one player City would have wanted that last-gasp chance to go to it would be Aguero.

QPR's defending wasn't the best in that instance but you can't take anything away from the Argentinian.

After he skipped past Taiwo, a stadium held its breath. A nation held its breath. A sport held its breath.

There will never be a moment quite like it again.

Aguero's goal is likely to become one of the most famous in football history and the spine-tingling moment - along with Martin Tyler's phenomenal commentary - will be replayed for decades to come.

It was typical City to do it the hard way but, looking back, it was probably the best possible way to win a title, with almost the last kick of the season to snatch the title away from their city rivals on goal difference.

It seemed fitting the Premier League season ended in this crazy fashion after a campaign which was voted the best in the competition's 20-year history even before the last day drama.

If some doubted whether the season was worthy of that award, they have surely changed their minds now.

This was not only the most dramatic end to a season in the last 20 years, it was the most dramatic end to a season ever.

And what a season it has been. Crazy, but brilliant.

The quality of defending may have declined (understatement) in recent years, but that has led to thrilling matches, unbelievable goals and unbearable drama.

This has been a campaign which is impossible to explain. We will still be scratching our heads about it for years to come.

Did Arsenal really concede eight at Old Trafford? City scored six at the same venue against their arch rivals? Two goals in stoppage time won City the title?

Despite scorelines like this one, Man United still lost the title on goal difference

And that's just scratching the surface.

We've seen the brilliance and madness of Balotelli, the unlikely renaissance of Newcastle, the incredible survival of Wigan, the soap operas of Blackburn and Wolves, Chelsea upsetting all the odds to beat Barcelona and reach the Champions League final, Liverpool finishing down in eighth, all three promoted teams surviving, England losing their manager and captain just months before a major tournament and Paul Scholes and Thierry Henry giving hope to every 30-something former great.

That's before we even have time to mention the truly dark moments: the deaths of Gary Speed, Socrates, Piermario Morosini and Gary Ablett.

There were also the horrific scenes at White Hart Lane as Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest (from which he has made a remarkable and uplifting recovery).

We can't forget the race rows, too, which marred the middle of the season.

But, in football terms alone, this has been a remarkable and thrilling season.

There have been numerous goals which would have won goal of the season in most other years, with Papiss Cisse, Peter Crouch, Luis Suarez, Hatem Ben Arfa and Robin van Persie all scoring crackers.

The race for Champions League football and Premier League survival went to the final day of the season, while the title race provided the most exhilarating climax.

City's late, late triumph led to incredible contrasting emotions on two halves of a city.

Manchester United deserve credit for the way they have handled the disappointment, as they must have felt the title was theirs after winning at Sunderland while the City game was still ticking towards its dramatic conclusion.

But this season was City's.

Mancini and his staff must have thought the title had eluded them heading into stoppage time

It may have taken them until almost the last kick of the campaign to clinch the title, but they deserved it.

Nobody gave them a prayer after they went eight points behind United with a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal, but Mancini believed. Kompany believed. Joe Hart believed. Yaya Toure believed. Aguero believed.

Others in the team have starred, too, but it is the four aforementioned players - the spine of the team - plus Mancini who have proved pivotal.

They will win more championships but never one quite like this.

The season could not have had a more dramatic climax if it had been written, and Manchester City head into the summer break as champions when it looked like they would be remembered as chokers.

They should now go from strength to strength and pick up many more trophies in the coming years, but none of them will be as special as this one.

There will never be a campaign quite like this again. It has been a privilege to watch.

Season 2011/12 was rightfully voted the best ever in the Premier League.

2012/13 has some living up to do.

Manchester City's key trio destined for greatness

Manchester City's players celebrate with match-winner Yaya Toure at Newcastle

Manchester City's likely title triumph is nothing more than they deserve.

City may have wobbled at times this season but yesterday's hard-fought 2-0 win at Newcastle was a performance of champions and a result which takes them within a whisker of their first championship since 1968.

They have deservedly beaten Manchester United home and away while they have consistently played the best football in the country, and there have been no end of fantastic performers throughout the campaign.

Sergio Aguero has had a superb first season in English football, with his 22 league goals and energetic all-round performances a key reason behind City's success.

David Silva has also been terrific - particularly in the first half of the campaign - while Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko have had their moments and Carlos Tevez has made a big impact since returning from his self-imposed exile.

However, three players have epitomised everything City have been about this season and are well on their way to becoming legends at the club - if they are not already.

They are Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure, with the latter proving to be the match-winner in yesterday's crucial win on Tyneside.

Toure was mocked when he first arrived at City due to his huge salary and because many saw him as merely a one-dimensional defensive midfielder, but he has proved over the last two years he is so much more than that.

He started in defensive midfield at St James' Park and did a good job of shackling the likes of Yohan Cabaye, but he has shown time and again just what a colossus he is going forward and this was demonstrated as the game went on.

This is where his manager, Roberto Mancini, came in.

The Italian has been criticised at times this season for negative tactics, his faith in Balotelli and for the mind games he has recently experimented with, but his decision to bring Nigel De Jong on for Samir Nasri was a masterstroke.

With the score at 0-0, it looked like a negative move but it in fact freed up Toure, who then wreaked havoc in Newcastle's defence.

His powerful runs were too much to cope with and he could have grabbed himself four goals, but his brace was more than enough.

His first, on 70 minutes, was a simply superb placed shot from outside the area, one which gave home goalkeeper Tim Krul no chance.

Toure has consistently been City's driving force over the last two seasons

It was fitting Toure was the man to find the breakthrough, as he has developed a knack of scoring crucial goals.

It was, of course, his strike against Manchester United which sealed City a place in last season's FA Cup final and he also scored the winner in the final against Stoke to take the club to their first trophy win in 35 years.

Toure is a simply superb player who very rarely has a bad game, which brings us to City's next crucial individual: Vincent Kompany.

Kompany has been City's rock at the back for a number of years and took over the captain's armband for this season, and it is very hard to remember a mistake from him in recent times.

The Belgian wasn't a high-profile signing - in fact, he was brought in before the days of Sheikh Mansour's ownership for a fee of just £6million - but has established himself as City's most consistent and reliable performer.

It is a travesty he was not even one of the six nominees for PFA Player of the Year - for me, he should have won the award.

Kompany does everything right in defence, which he again underlined at Newcastle by keeping the potent strike-force of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse quiet.

He is also a real threat from set-pieces, and City fans will remember his headed winner against Manchester United last week for decades to come.

Kompany was superb yet again for City yesterday

Mancini has in the past stated Kompany could eventually be the best defender in the world.

He is certainly the best defender currently playing in this country and it is likely his stock will continue to rise in the years to come as City become an established force in European football.

And then there is Joe Hart.

He is England's number one by a clear distance - in fact, he is so much better than his rivals it is embarrassing.

The likes of Ben Foster and Paul Robinson know that and that is why they retired from international football - as they know Hart should occupy the position for the next 15 years.

He is such a calming influence in goal and it is extremely rare to see him make a mistake.

His only slight error at Newcastle was one poor goal kick but other than that his performance was flawless.

Like Kompany, Hart could become the best in his position in the world and he is clearly the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.

Hart has grown in stature since becoming City's first choice goalkeeper in 2010

He has saved City points on numerous occasions this season and the frightening thing is he is only going to get better.

Toure, Kompany and Hart look every inch like champions, while the likes of Aguero, Silva and Tevez add the flair to make this City team great.

They still have one more job to do though, and that is to beat Queens Park Rangers at home.

City mustn't fall into the trap of thinking the title is theirs yet as QPR will go to the Etihad Stadium with their Premier League status on the line and Mark Hughes would love nothing more than to spoil his old club's party.

However, City have dropped just two points at home all season and everything points towards a win over QPR, which would surely seal the title barring an avalanche of goals for Man United at Sunderland.

Just a few weeks ago, after City lost at Arsenal, the prospect of Mancini's men winning the title looked almost impossible but they kept the belief and have been rewarded.

Mancini deserves so much praise for the turnaround, but so do the magnificent spine of the team: Hart, Kompany and Toure. The men.

They are the ones who dragged the team off the floor and back into title contention and it has been their contributions in recent weeks which has put City in the position they find themselves now.

You could sense the delight of the City fans in the heavens at St James' Park yesterday after the first goal and the final whistle, as they know their club stands on the brink of history.

There will be some out there who begrudge them this triumph due to the money they have spent, but their emergence as a force should be welcomed.

After all, the dominance of Man United, Chelsea and Arsenal in English football has become tiring so it is nice to see a new name among them and shaking it up.

Those fans who followed the club in the dark days deserve this moment. They could surely have never imagined this when battling with the likes of Macclesfield in the third tier.

City's players and fans were given generous applause after yesterday's win by Newcastle supporters, who recognise the similarities between the clubs and realised the importance of the win to all those associated with the club.

City fans repaid the gesture by applauding Newcastle's squad as they did their lap of honour following a superb season, and both clubs can reflect on a magnificent campaign.

For City, it has been an incredible and historic one which will be remembered forever, providing they finish it off next week.

It will be made all the sweeter by the fact they have beaten their bitter rivals after they had been in an almost unassailable position, so their fans will be ready for one massive party on Sunday.

Last Monday's 1-0 win over Man United put City in pole position ahead of their final two games

The skills and brilliance of Aguero and Silva et al has been key to their success, but the leadership skills and consistency of Hart, Kompany and Toure has been the real driving force.

They are three players who should form the backbone of City's side for a number of years, which should ensure a period of dominance at the Etihad Stadium.

When you look at the great sides of the past there is always players like them among the ranks: champions in every sense of the word.

City's turnaround in recent weeks would not have been possible without them and while all around them seemed to lose their heads at crucial points in the season, they kept theirs.

They have been the on-field warriors for Mancini and Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford must wish he had players like them.

If Ferguson could take three players from City, he would surely choose those three - just ahead of Silva - as his side has certainly lacked bite this season.

In the past, he has had the likes of Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic and Roy Keane to play those roles but two of those have now left and Vidic has missed much of the campaign with injury.

City's trio will only be more imposing next season with the experience of a title win under their belts, and that will be a prospect to strike fear into their opposition.

To produce performances of champions like City did yesterday, a team needs a spine of champions.

And Manchester City certainly has that. Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure. If you add Sergio Aguero to that, City have as effective and frightening a spine as any team could wish for. That is why they are the champions elect.

What next for Wolves after Premier League relegation?

Wolves have picked up just 24 league points so far this season

Whichever way you look at at, this has been a woeful season for Wolverhampton Wanderers, on and off the pitch.

Not only have the club been relegated from the Premier League with a whimper, they were also embarrassed by the way the board treated former manager Mick McCarthy and fumbled around for a replacement.

Terry Connor has looked out of his depth throughout his short tenure as interim boss, and it appears highly unlikely he will be handed the reins on a permanent basis in the summer.

However, despite all the negativity this season has brought, there should still be much optimism among Wolves supporters.

While the board failed miserably by firing McCarthy without having a replacement lined up, they have run the club well over the years and this should stand them in good stead to come back up at the first time of asking.

Some players will surely leave in the summer but Wolves should still have a core of players more than good enough for the Championship.

Parachute payments from the Premier League should also soften the blow of relegation, while the club seems to be progressing, with the new stand at Molineux just the first step in their stadium redevelopment.

The key decision to be made by Steve Morgan and Jez Moxey this summer will be who should be the man to lead the club to what should be a promotion push next season.

The obvious choice to many - ignoring past links - would be McCarthy, but there seems more chance of Pep Guardiola rocking up at Molineux than the Yorkshireman.

After all, how stupid would Wolves' board look if, after sacking McCarthy, failing to replace him, appointing his assistant as manager and being relegated, they went back to the man they had in the first place?

However, there are few with the credentials of McCarthy that will be available to Wolves in the summer.

If they don't take him, it is likely one of their Championship rivals will as he has a proven track record in the division with both Wolves and Sunderland.

Having twice led Wolves to Premier League safety, too, it is now becoming ever more apparent just what an excellent job he did at Molineux.

His successor this summer will face the monumental task of at least emulating McCarthy, with a promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking a must.

The new boss won't be Connor, but he deserves to be given a job in some capacity at Molineux due to his honesty and efforts during his time as interim manager and because of the sheer love and loyalty he clearly has for Wolves.

As for who will take the reins, Steve Bruce should be a major contender.

Bruce should be in the frame to take over at Molineux

At the moment, he only seems to be remembered for the tail end of his spell at Sunderland, where the Black Cats slipped into the relegation zone and looked a shadow of the side they have been under Martin O'Neill.

However, he has had a very decent managerial career to date and does not deserve to be ignored.

Bruce twice won promotion to the Premier League with Birmingham City and led Wigan to a comfortable mid-table finish in the top flight, so this is someone whose credentials deserve to be considered.

His experience of both the Championship and the Premier League should make him almost an ideal candidate for Wolves, who should be looking for someone to not only help them win promotion but also take them to the next level when they get there.

Wolves' board clearly didn't think McCarthy had that ability but Bruce has led Birmingham, Wigan and Sunderland to mid-table Premier League finishes so he could be the man to revive their fortunes.

Bruce reportedly turned down the chance to replace McCarthy in February, so there has to be a question over whether he would welcome the chance for more talks or whether the club would consider him again, but they could do a lot worse than appointing him.

Another who will surely be considered by the Wolves board is Alan Curbishley, but the former Charlton and West Ham boss seems to think he warrants a job in the Premier League and sees the Championship as beneath him. More fool him. He'll find it extremely difficult to continue his managerial career with an attitude like that.

In most cases, promotion-chasing clubs seeking a new manager go for experience, but there has been proof recently that this is not necessarily needed.

Southampton's Nigel Adkins, Reading's Brian McDermott, Norwich's Paul Lambert and Swansea's Brendan Rodgers have all led their sides to the top flight in recent years having never managed there themselves, while the likes of Chris Hughton, Ian Holloway and Roberto Di Matteo all did the same with Newcastle, Blackpool and West Brom recently.

If Wolves do make the bold move to appoint an inexperienced manager, there would be no shortage of candidates.

Perhaps the outstanding one would be Lee Clark, who was harshly sacked by Huddersfield earlier this season.

Clark will be looking for a swift return to management

Clark is young, hungry and widely regarded as one of the top young managers in the game, while he would surely jump at the chance to take the reins at Molineux.

Other brave yet exciting appointments could be Gus Poyet, who has done such a terrific job at Brighton, Paul Ince, who had a successful spell with Wolves as a player, Dougie Freedman, who has done well with Crystal Palace, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who recently led Molde to the Norwegian title and Karl Robinson, the MK Dons manager who has them punching above their weight in the upper echelons of League One.

There are a number of outstanding candidates among them, while the likes of Billy Davies would also stand a good chance of success at Molineux.

There should be an endless list of out-of-work - and in-work - managers interested in taking over at Wolves, as it is a terrific club with a good fanbase, some excellent players and a strong chance of returning to the Premier League quickly.

The squad have underperformed this campaign, but there are signs many of the current players could be the key to their promotion bid next season.

While Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher have proved themselves at the top level and are likely to move on in the summer, Wolves should be able to keep the bulk of their squad.

Michael Kightly is an excellent winger who has been extremely unlucky with injuries, and was arguably the catalyst behind Wolves' promotion in 2009.

His assists and goals will be vital next season as Wolves battle with the likes of Leicester, Middlesbrough and Leeds, along with the other relegated clubs and those who miss out in the play-offs, next season in what is sure to be an extremely competitive campaign in the Championship.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake won the second tier's golden boot in the 2008-09 season with 25 goals, and despite struggling to live up to those figures in the Premier League he should be crucial again for Wolves.

Ebanks-Blake could lead the line for Wolves next season

The Championship seems to be his level and Wolves' drop back to that level may do him good, but if they are looking to the long-term and a potential future in the Premier League, Ebanks-Blake is unlikely to be the man to help them progress beyond the second tier.

Stephen Hunt is unlikely to warrant a transfer back to a Premier League club so his experience should come in handy for Wolves next season, while the likes of Wayne Hennessey, David Edwards, Karl Henry and Christophe Berra should also be on hand as Wolves look to bounce back to the Premier League.

Jamie O'Hara could well find himself a new club, while it is unlikely Sebastien Bassong will stay beyond his loan spell, but the new Wolves manager should only lose around four of five key players at most in the summer and so they should have the core of a good squad to choose from.

There are also a number of quality youngsters at Molineux, including David Davis, Sam Vokes and Adam Hammill.

If those players are added to with intelligent, experienced additions, an immediate promotion should be more than achievable for Wolves.

It feels like this is a club just waiting to be a force in the Premier League and merely needs to be guided in the right direction.

Wolves' final two fixtures this season, against Everton and Wigan, will see them wave goodbye to the Premier League but they shouldn't be away for long.

This summer's managerial appointment will be crucial and it will be interesting to see the way the board go.

Do they decide to appoint someone with experience, like Bruce or Curbishley, or go for a more inexperienced man - something which has worked out for many clubs recently - like Clark, Freedman or Poyet?

The board have had plenty of time to think about it and need to get it right.

Wolves should be a Premier League club and their fans deserve just that, but this appointment holds the key to how quickly their potential will be realised.

Wolves fans, who would you like to see as your new manager and what chance do you feel the club has of winning promotion at the first time of asking next season? Please leave your views below.

Why Roy Hodgson IS the right man for England

Roy Hodgson has signed a four-year contract as England manager

The Harry Redknapp love-in has become nauseating in recent days.

Large sections of the national media are aghast that 'Arry was not so much as interviewed by the FA for the post of England manager and was overlooked in favour of Roy Hodgson.

However, Hodgson deserves much better than that.

This is a man of enormous dignity who has had to work tirelessly for what he has achieved.

After all, what other English manager would so much as consider taking on the manager's job of countries like Switzerland, Finland and UAE?

Hodgson is unique in that he is an English manager who is experienced in international football. He knows what to expect and what tactics work.

Many would scoff his international record with those three countries as they are clearly not among the most glittering names in world football, but the experience he would have gained would have been invaluable.

He is a student of the game, not afraid to get his hands dirty and take on roles many would see as undesirable.

He took Switzerland to third in the world rankings, for goodness sake!

Hodgson's playing style is also ideally suited to European and international football.

He proved this at Fulham in the 2009-10 season when he incredibly led them to the Europa League final.

Hodgson is well-respected by his counterparts, including Sir Alex Ferguson

Some are underwhelmed at his appointment as England manager.

Part of this is because he is the manager of West Brom, a mid-table Premier League side.

However, he has worked wonders at the Hawthorns.

Before his arrival mid-way through last season, the Baggies were hurtling towards the relegation zone but he turned their fortunes around and led them comfortably to survival.

This season, for the first time in the club's history, he has ensured West Brom will spend a third consecutive season in the Premier League and they haven't looked remotely in trouble at any point in the campaign.

Another part of the 'public disapproval' is down to his time in charge at Liverpool, which ended prematurely and disastrously.

Hodgson struggled immensely at Anfield, but it is easy to forget the circumstances he inherited.

He took charge during a time of huge unrest, when it was clear the American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett were not going to be in charge for much longer.

The ownership uncertainty dragged on into the season and was eventually resolved in October, when negativity had already seeped in and he had no chance to enhance the squad.

It is true most of his signings flopped - such as Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic and Christian Poulsen - but he had his hands tied and the fans always wanted Kenny Dalglish to take over.

Which brings us to the next reason for some peoples' disapproval to his appointment as England boss: that he's not Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp was overlooked in favour of Hodgson

Redknapp is always going to be in the background, they say.

Redknapp was the public's choice, say others.

Is this really true?

Is good old 'Arry really as well-loved as some would have us believe?

From my own experiences, I do not personally know a single person who wanted Redknapp to be appointed England manager.

Yet it's being represented as though there isn't a single person in the country who feels Hodgson is a better choice than Redknapp.

It's a myth.

Why was Redknapp such a shoo-in for the role for so many?

He has won one major trophy in his entire managerial career and took charge of his first 'big club' in just 2008.

Hodgson, meanwhile, has won 13 major trophies, picked up in a variety of countries where he learned many different languages.

He has managed clubs like Inter Milan, Liverpool, Malmo, Udinese and FC Copenhagen, along with the three international posts.

Hodgson is still well-respected at Inter

There surely cannot be a more suitable candidate to take charge of England.

He may not have Redknapp's charisma, but he more than makes up for that in pedigree and intelligence.

Redknapp's tactics have been naive to say the least in recent months at Spurs and this would be highlighted even more at international level.

Some have said it was disrespectful from the FA not to even interview Redknapp.

However, if they knew Hodgson was their man, why should they interview Redknapp? They'd only be wasting his time (and whipping the national media into an unnecessary frenzy).

The FA are not obliged to talk to southern media darlings - they have to choose who they believe is the right man for the job. That man is clearly Hodgson.

Hodgson has taken an extremely unfair battering in the national newspapers since his appointment as England manager, culminating in today's despicable front-page headline in the Sun: 'Bwing on the Euwos!'

They got it horribly wrong with that headline and have been rightly condemned for making light of Hodgson's speech impediment.

Hodgson has done nothing to deserve this type of treatment and English media and fans should count themselves lucky someone of his standing in the game wants to be England manager.

If he was any other nationality, he'd be lauded in his homeland for his achievements.

It says it all about the ignorance of some in English football that they'd barely heard of Hodgson before he turned up at Fulham.

Fair enough, the league titles in countries like Sweden and Denmark may not be as prestigious as the Premier League, but none of the other English candidates had got near a league title at home - never mind trying abroad.

England will be Hodgson's 20th managerial role and he is largely respected wherever he has been, so it's time to get behind him and cut out all the unnecessary treatment.

We should see it as a blessing to have someone with his experience and level of respect in charge of the national side and he should be able to get on with the job without the 'spectre' of Redknapp looming large.

It is to be assumed Hodgson will buy into the FA's plans with St George's Park in Burton and be willing to live near the base, whereas Redknapp was understood to be unwilling to relocate from his Bournemouth home.

Hodgson is described as a 'blazer man' - another thing he has been mocked for - but this is no bad thing.

So what if the England manager is seen as intelligent and is respected around the world? So what if he is able to mingle naturally with the bigwigs from FIFA and UEFA? Surely it can't be a bad thing.

Hodgson also seems to be a very similar character to FA chairman David Bernstein. A 'perfect match' is how they've been described.

Bernstein has insisted Hodgson was the only man the FA considered for the role

Again, this has been represented as a negative but how is that the case?

It has to be imperative the chairman and manager get on well and are comfortable in each other's company.

Some people are determined to turn positives like this into negatives and derail Hodgson's England reign before it has even started.

He deserves so much better than the start he has been afforded.

He may not be the most exciting or charismatic man but that doesn't mean he is not the right man to lead the country.

All that matters is his ability to win football matches and he has proved throughout his career he is more than adept at doing that.

His time at Liverpool didn't go well, but the sheer fact he was given that job proves how respected he is in the game and what an accomplished career he has had.

Now he has the biggest job imaginable and faces the unenviable task of winning round his doubters.

There is only one way he can do that and that is by winning games, starting with the European Championships this summer.

However, if England do fail this summer and perhaps even crash out in the group stages, it is to be hoped Hodgson is given the time by everyone to turn things around.

This summer's championships have had the worst possible preparation for England and a bad tournament seems inevitable, so Hodgson shouldn't be judged until after the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign at least.

The man needs to be given a chance and deserves that at the very least.

Talk of Redknapp must now stop. England have their man. England have the right man.

Let's just hope everyone realises that before the negativity derails any chance Hodgson has of getting it right.