More great sportswriting from our friends in England

Italy may traditionally be the suave sophisticates of world football, bestriding the scene with an imperious elegance and in a suit so sharp that it should be illegal, yet when it comes to the World Cup they have a peculiar habit of creating a huge wet patch around the business area of their £4000 cotton slacks.

That's from this blog post from Rob Smyth of The Guardian.

And how about this from Henry Winter of The Telegraph:

(Fabio) Capello's poor grasp of the psyche of the English pro, particularly when removed from his comforting domestic habitat, has caused tension and the Football Association should beware an Anglo-Italian split in the camp.

England's manager has gone from safe hands to butter fingers in a month, the first whiff of cordite blowing in with the ill-conceived Capello Index, but an Italian with a distinguished history in management and playing cannot be held culpable for the deep flaws that scar the landscape of English football.

This is self-indulgent, I'm sure, but I could read this stuff all day.