Matthew Brown on player power, principles and racism in the modern game

Suddenly player-power seems to be all the rage. But the England squad weren’t the first footballers this season to stand up to their employers on a matter of principle. Just a few weeks earlier, former Chelsea striker Mark Stein and two of his team-mates declared they would never play for Dagenham & Redbridge again following allegations of racism against the Daggers manager Garry Hill and the club chairman Dave Andrews’ instant and unequivocal backing for his man.

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Neville Hadsley bemoans the problems which mean Coventry still play at Highfield Road

When I was a kid, nothing could get me to leave the room faster than those dire Norman Wisdom films – the ones where everything went wrong and it all col­lapsed into high farce. The embarrassment was all too much for me.

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Terry Staunton investigates the changing of the guard at Pride Park

Having spent the best part of two years reading stories with more than a hint of obituary about them, fans of Derby may not appreciate the irony that the club’s new chairman is more used to presiding over inquests.

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David Wylie explores what lies ahead for Northern Ireland

Quitting the international game to re­turn to club management is in vogue. If speculation is to be believed, Sven-Göran Eriksson is considering the lure of Abramovich’s millions at Chelsea. Meanwhile, emphasising the worlds between them, Sammy McIlroy has resigned from the Northern Ireland post to become the boss of Stockport County. Eriksson has just delivered qualification. Sammy Mac, on the other hand, has pre­sided over the worst spell in his country’s footballing history. Yet amaz­ingly, he wasn’t sacked; indeed the opposite. Believe it or not, only a short time before leading NI to a dismal three points, no wins and no goals from our latest campaign, Mc­Ilroy signed a new two-year deal.

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Who will replace Sven?

England’s qualification for Euro 2004, in all probability delaying the mooted departure of Sven-Göran Eriksson to Stamford Bridge until next summer at the earliest, reduces the urgency of some particularly troubling questions without diminishing their importance: where are all the great English managers? Or even half-decent ones, especially among those with international playing experience? Was there something in the water at Spain 82, Mexico 86 and Italia 90 that en­­sured an entire generation would strug­­gle to achieve mediocrity?

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