In the last few qualifiers and friendlies, England have acquired a balance that they have not had in a long time.

But there is still more work to do. The main thing for Capello is to find a way of playing all, or most of his best players  – mainly Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney – yet keep that balance.

As a central midfield partnership, Gerrard and Lampard don’t work. They both have strong attacking instincts and there’s no point trying to shoehorn them into roles they have proved, time and time again, they are reluctant to play.

Instead, Capello has played Gerrard in a free role from the left. It works, to an extent. It leaves the Liverpool skipper freedom to roam around the park and join in attacks, while Lampard can play his normal role from central midfield. But if England lose the ball in attack, it could leave left back Ashley Cole vulnerable to attacks, with no support from a left sided midfielder. Playing someone like the naturally left-sided Gareth Barry alongside Lampard could help that, but the better teams have always got an area they could exploit.

If Capello can make it work, it would be better to play Gerrard in, or more or less, the position he plays for Liverpool – in a free role ahead of midfield. These days for his club, Gerrard is more of a forward than a midfielder.  The trouble is, that is pretty much the role Rooney plays for England.

Capello could play Gerrard and Rooney as twin attackers, or with Rooney on the shoulder of the opposition defenders and Gerrard just behind. Rooney has lacked the discipline in the past to play this role. But for Liverpool, Gerrard dovetails expertly with Fernando Torres. Although Torres is the centre-forward, when he drops deep, Gerrard pushes up. Perhaps he could forge a similar partnership with Rooney for England. Both would have to be very disciplined. And stay in constant touch on the pitch. If it didn’t work you could imagine moments when Rooney popped up in the  right-back position to help defence, while Gerrard sat on the left wing.

But if it did work, England could have a lethal pairing combining the talents of two of the best players in the world. To make it work, I believe England would need pace on the wings, which would mean Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon or Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right – David Beckham on the bench – and either Stuart Downing or Ashley Young down the left. Sadly for Stoke fans, I doubt there’ll be a day when Potters winger Matthew Etherington answers the call.

In midfield would be either two holding midfielders - Barry and Michael Carrick – or one plus the more attacking Lampard.

England lack talent in attack, other than the potential Rooney/Gerrard combination, options are thin. Heskey is excellent, and has brought out the best in Rooney. But he’s over 30 and doesn’t score many goals. Michael Owen hasn’t been fit for over a year, former Crewe Alex striker Dean Ashton is another injury prone forward, Jermaine Defoe blows hot and cold, Gabby Agbonlahor isn’t a clinical finisher, neither is Carlton Cole, while at 30, James Beattie, in brilliant goalscoring form for Stoke, has missed his chance. 

Goalkeeper is another problem position. David James, at 39, is still error-prone when playing for the Three Lions, while Joe Hart and former Stoke keeper Ben Forster, don’t play regular football.

Still, while England are still a long way of the class of a team like Spain, there’s plenty of cause for optimism for the World Cup. As long as Capello can continue to find the right balance.

Obviously not the violent, predatory scumbag type, like Adam Swellings, from Crewe, who kicked to death father of three Garry Newlove, with a gang of his mates.

But the average teenager gets a pretty rough ride. The vast majority would be appalled that someone like Swellings could kick a man to death and wouldn’t dream of similar violence. Yet to an extent, they are all tarred with the same brush.

You could take a group of the nicest teenagers in the world, drop them in a high street to spend their time picking up litter and planting daisies and they’d still be intimidating to pensioners and other middle aged passers by.

There is nothing to do and nowhere to go for todays teenagers. You can’t play football in the street because of all the cars. Go to a park and police will probably slap a dispersal order on you once the neighbours start moaning. Wander the streets and the adults will soon feel threatened. Hang out around a shop and you’ll be deafened by the high pitched alarms, specifically designed to irritate children and youths – adults can’t hear the noise.

It’s no wonder hooded tops are so fashionable. Who wants to be seen when the liklihood is that Mavis from up the road will be straight on the phone to your parents to grass you up for daring to wander the streets in an aimless fashion.

Individuality seems to have left youth culture to a large extent. When I was growing up in the 1980s, there were many subcultures to choose from. For a while I sported a denim jacket with patches on the back declaring alegience to a variety of heavy metal bands; then I turned trendy with a full-on Rick Astley-style blazer, chinos and moccasins. Other mates were goths. Earlier in the decade there were New Romantics. Okay, so the fashions were terrible – as bad as the music - but at least there was a bit of variety.  The 90s were better with decent music and I found a more comfortable identity as an indie kid.

Maybe I’m missing something, but walk around Stoke-on-Trent in the 21st century and every single teenager you see will be wearing a shell suit. Maybe coupled with a baseball cap and a hoodie. Its amazing there are not more fires from all the synthetic material rubbing together. Certainly the sound of all that rustling can be heard above the traffic for miles around.

But with everything against them, is it any wonder they all want to look anonymous? The whole ‘chav’ fashion seems designed to hide identity. Plus, knowing how hated the look is among middle-England, the look also serves as a two-fingered salute to the Daily Mail readers.

Personally, I think it is a terrible look. But then I expected to be taken seriously in a blazer and moccasins.

A lifetime of boring pop songs, when there are so many more deserving bands out there.

I know a lot of people like the Pet Shop Boys, but I just don’t get it. I don’t see them as remotely important, and I was surprised to see Brandon Flowers from the infinitely better Killers gushing about them.

I was much, much happier to see Elbow win best band. Well deserved, Elbow have got better with age. There last two albums have been their best and they have been consistently excellent. They write quality songs, are all excellent musicians, and Guy Garvey has one of the best voices in British rock.

Personally, I think they would have been a good shout for best album and best live act too. After all, The Seldom Seen Kid won the Mercury.  I’ve seen Elbow live a number of times and they are brilliant. Guy is a funny and engaging front man, and Elbow’s soaring riffs and melodies were meant to be played live. When I saw them at the V Festival in Weston Park, near Stafford, I was blown away. Songs off the first two albums, which I liked, but didn’t think were stand out, sounded fantastic live.

As for Paul Weller winning best British male, not sure about that. I’ve not heard his album, or any new tracks from him. By all accounts he was excellent at the Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent, as he was at Delamere Forest in Cheshire.

But then who is the alternative? Ian Brown hasn’t released anything in a while and other than that: James Blunt I would cheerfully kill, for reasons too numerous to go into here; likewise James Morrison. And who else is there?

As for the rest of the Brits, it all seemed a bit polished yet dull and corporate. The sight of music-criminal Louis Walsh grooving away to the Pet Shop Boys pretty much summed it up.

After years of dull, uninspiring performances under previous managers Sven Goran Eriksson and the woeful Steve McLaren, there is reason for optimism.

Under Eriksson, the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ pretty much ran England. You knew the team would be a straight forward 4-4-2, with Gerrard and Lampard in the middle, Owen and Rooney up front, Beckham on the right, eventually, Joe Cole on the left. And that was it. There was no real way of changing tactics when things went wrong, other than bung on the lanky Peter Crouch and hoof the ball up to him.

Under McLaren it was worst. He briefly found a balance, when injury led to him playing Gerrard and Gareth Barry in central midfield, and he was right to recall Emile Heskey to play with with Owen in attack. But he made far too many mistakes, like alienating Jamie Carragher so he retired from international football. Or giving Scott Carson his debut in goal in the must win match against Croatia, in the rain and the glare of media spotlight, with even more pressure because he was replacing error-prone former number 1 Paul Robinson. That decision set him back years.

Under Fabio Capello, the side suddenly have balance. They work hard. And he has plenty of options. It is no longer Gerrard and Lampard in the middle. There’s more than enough evidence to show they are not effective together. It is one of them, plus either Barry or Michael Carrick. Or even Barry and Carrick with two attacking wingers. Theo Walcott suddenly looks international class. Stuart Downing, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Glen Johnson and Matthew Upson have all proved themselves, at last, on the international stage. And the sheer pace, energy and skill of players like Gabby Agbonlahor and Ashley Young give England plenty of options from the bench. England have the players to switch from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3, 4-5-1, or 4-2-3-1.

But then again, I’m an optimist. And I’ve built up England many times in the past only to be disappointed.

While most premier league clubs anxiously wait to see if any of their players pick up an injury on international duty, most of the Stoke City players will just get a break. James Beatie and Dave Kitson are miles away from an England call-up, although new signing Steve Kelly and Noel Whelan could be in action for the Republic of Ireland.

As for Crewe Alex, my home town club, I don’t think there’s an international side desperate enough for any of their under-performing players.

But, at least in the past, there has generally been an ex-Crewe player in the England team to cheer, like David Platt, Rob Jones, or Danny Murphy. And but for injury, Dean Ashton could be lining up for the Three Lions.

The striker was signed from Tottenham by Liverpool for over £20m, despite loud protests from the Spurs camp. Before a ball had been kicked he was being heralded as the buy of the season.

Now, just six months on, he has been sold back to Tottenham for the princely sum of £12m, only £8m less than he was worth in August.
Its obvious his face didn’t fit at Anfield. Rafa Benitez didn’t pick him even when Fernando Torres was injured. When he did play, he was largely ineffectual, played out of position. But when he did start scoring he was dumped out of the squad completely.

Now struggling Spurs have got a quality striker, to go alongside the other quality striker they bought back in January – Jermaine Defoe.

Meanwhile Liverpool will continue their title challenge with just Torres, who has been injured most of the season, up front. Although they do have Dirk Kujt and Ryan Babel, both are usually deployed on the wings by Benitez. Kujt, although he works hard and has played well this season, is not a goalscorer. Rafa doesn’t seem to trust Babel through the middle, or much on the wing for that matter. From what I’ve seen of David Ngog, he’s clearly not ready for a Premiership campaign.

And Liverpool either failed, or refused, to buy a replacement. Which raises question marks about the club’s American owners, and how much they can afford to spend. Are they to become a selling club?

Or is Keane a pawn in Benitez’s battle with Rick Parry for control of the club’s transfer policy?

In contrast Stoke City, a club with sparse resources in comparison with Liverpool – you would expect – have done well out of the transfer window.

They kept their existing squad together and signed Matthew Etherington from West Ham – a Premiership regular before his much publicised gambling problems. He’s already done a good job filling the problematic left wing berth. James Beattie has scored two in three games, including the winner against Manchester City on Saturday. Henri Camara, on loan from Wigan, will give Stoke something different up front, a pacy striker with the ability to run at defenders who should give the Potters an outlet in away games.

Chelsea’s loan signing of Queresmo from Inter Milan, shows, perhaps, that billionaire owner Roman Abramovitch has lost interest. Instead of competing for Kaka and Lionel Messi, they sign Portugal’s third or fourth choice winger, when he’s clearly surplus to requirements at Milan. Charity from Jose Mourinho towards his old club?

Deadline day buys won’t have any effect on the title race. They could well play a big part in the relegation battle. And the deadline day sale of Robbie Keane could end up halting Liverpool’s challenge.

It’s true. A few years ago I got together with two mates, put out a few adverts and got a band together in Crewe, my home town. Originally called Voodoo Shoes (which is pretty awful) we then played our first at the Limelight Club in Crewe gig called Mantis (even worst). We needed a better name and so Chris, the guitarist, suggested McFly, after the character in the Back To The Future movies. I agreed, but we were eventually outvoted and settled on Gorski.

When the cheeky chart-topping popsters McFly appeared to replace Busted, a year or so later, I was relieved. After watching them on Top of the PopsI couldn’t associate the name with anything other than a teenybop band for children.

My opinion of McFly hasn’t altered much over the years. I never paid them much attention. They don’t play the shows I watch or appear anywhere near any of the bands I listen to – The Libertines, White Stripes, Strokes, Kings of Leon, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, etc etc etc. There is no way you would get me anywhere near the Victoria Hall in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent when McFly appeared there a year or so ago. Or at Pop in the Park in Nantwich last year.

So I was more than a little surprised by McFly’s performance on the return of Top of the Pops over Christmas. Among the array of bland R&B and X-Factor winners McFly stepped on stage, looked as teeny-bopper as ever….And then ripped into a song that sounded more akin with Green Day than McFly/Busted. They were energetic, musically tight and passionate about what they were singing. What is more, the lyrics were actually quite cutting.

McFly have apparently left their record label after becoming disillusioned. The song sticks it to The Man: “So here’s to the liars who dream and conspire
Against the admired, we hope you drop dead”

Fair play McFly. The song is a typically catchy, poppy McFly song, but with deeper, dirgy guitars, and the cutting, cynical lyrics. “So here’s another song for the radio”, indeed.

I’ve spoken in favour of McFly at work, and since been abused and castigated for my troubles. I am NOT a McFly fan, as I have repeated many times since watching them on Top of the Pops.

But, as the band says: “Don’t pretend you hate us when you sing our songs!”

Receivers have moved in after the company racked up debts of almost £400 million, after six years of loss making.

Wedgwood has a proud tradition. 2009 marks its 250th year in business, the 1,000 strong workforce should be celebrating. Not preparing for the hardship on the dole.

The bulk of Wedgwood’s problems can be traced back to two take-over bids. Back in 1986, the company merged with Irish crystal giants Waterford, becoming Waterford Wedgwood. For years Waterford sucked dry the profits Wedgwood was making simply to stay in business. Then, just as Waterford turned a corner, profits at Wedgwood dried up due to a decline in global demand for pottery, difficult trading conditions, which were exacerbated by 9/11, and the rise in fuel costs.

Waterford Wedgwood’s decision to buy Wedgwood’s former rival, Royal Doulton has turned out to be a mistake too, saddling the company with yet more debt.

The once mighty pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent has been decimated over the last few years, with Spode and Royal Doulton also falling. Wedgwood was the largest, perhaps the greatest and the company with the proudest tradition. It has perhaps taken the harder fall.

There is still hope. Buyers are circling. Wedgwood – former pottery makers to the crown – has a proud tradition and a strong brand name. Perhaps a buyer will step in. Perhaps Wedgwood’s skilled workforce will be retained. Perhaps, if it is freed from the constraints of Waterford, Wedgwood  can move back into profitability. Or the company’s assets could be stripped, and its work and brand name outsourced to Indonesia, where Labour is much cheaper than at its current base in Barlaston.

Stoke-on-Trent – The Potteries – was once home to all the industry greats, as well as Spode, Royal Doulton and Wedgwood, there was Minton, Beswick, and Carlton Ware. Now just Portmeirion, Dudson, Churchill and Steelite

The fact he has now been charged doesn’t look good, but I’d be very surprised indeed if it turns out he is guilty of assaults.

The papers have varying accounts, with one suggesting the DJ was struck with a bottle or glass, after refusing to play the songs Gerrard’s party requested. If the Guardian is to be believed, Gerrard’s favourite CD is Phil Collins’ greatest hits. Personally, I find that even more horrifying than the revelation that Gerrard had been arrested. The DJ was clearly well within his rights to refuse to play Against All Odds, I Can’t Dance, In The Air Tonight, or whatever other god awful, sickly-sweet, boring ballad they wanted.

Gerrard certainly seems guilty in having a criminal record collection – but then he is a footballer, and lets face it, not many players have good music taste. I remember as a child getting Shoot! every week and in the player profiles, ‘favourite music’ was always Luther Vandross,  Phil Collins, Genesis or Alexander O’Neil.

Then, away from nightclubs, we had the bizarre sight of Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller slapping his own team captain, Andy Griffin, followed by Griffin virtually applauding the ref’s decision to send him off.

The last thing Stoke needs is a dressing room bust-up, not when the bulk of their survival plan is built around team work. Fuller does have the occasional bust-up. And unless Tony Pulis signs a quality forward in January (not very likely) or if Dave Kitson breaks his duck and starts scoring regularly (less likely), Fuller has got to stay in the first team.

It needs sorting out. But you have to question the sort of respect Griffin commands, if Fuller is happy to slap him in front of the TV cameras – although the  rest of the side seemed to stand up for him.

Still, it has knocked Stoke’s survival chances just a little, just like having a captain worried about a forthcoming court appearance will harm Liverpool’s title chances.

For me, Jeff Buckleydid the definitive version, an achingly beautiful song – originally written by Leonard Cohen – brought to life by Buckley’s haunting and melancholy voice.

I can’t imagine some manufactured talent show winner giving the song the same depth.

To be honest, I’ve not heard Alexandra sing. I’m told she’s very good. But the thought of Simon Cowell making another million off a song which meant something to a lot of people before he got his grasping hands on it, is too much.

I hate the X Factor. I already hated Louie Walsh for giving the world Boyzone and the awful Westlife, so why did he have to go and make me hate him even more by appearing on my TV. How many times will that insincere tos*er tell some nomark karaoke singer, ‘you made it your own’. No you didn’t Leon/Steve/Eughan, you whined your way through an average rendition packed with fake emotion.

I really hated Sharon, couldn’t stand that fake Mother Earth act she puts on. Especially when she was such a bit*h on the quiet.

And Simon, smug, smug Simon. I actually don’t mind him on the show, but look at what the tw*t has done to music. The amount of bland, boring artists who last two minutes, just enough to get him a new ivory back scratcher.

I even hate the mentally ill people who mistakenly think they can sing who get trawled out to entertain us at the start.

If you look at the contestants, they’re pretty much the same every year. You get the desperate ones, who always seem on the brink of a breakdown, crying all the way through as they edge through the rounds, probably just so they can cry on another show. You get the extrovert, cocky ones, who think they are the best thing to happen to British music since, well ever. And some cute kid, usually armed with a hard luck story. They all churn out the same phrases. It’s my dream. I REALLY want it. More than the others.

Half of them just want the fame, the music doesn’t really come into it. They think they deserve it, they are special, if we just give them a chance they will prove what a star they are. Then why not do it properly – write your on songs, start playing pubs and clubs – put in a bit of effort rather than expecting a TV show to just hand you a career as a celebrity.

Most of all, I hate the X Factor winners and the brief moment in the spotlight they enjoy before being cruelly cast aside. Okay, Leona had talent, so did Will Young. But who else has survived X Factor, after Simon has got bored of them?

It’s so phoney. I’m making an assumption, but had Alexandra heard of Hallelujah before she was told to sing it? I doubt it. Has she brought her own interpretation to it? Probably not. Probably she’s been told to sing it a certain way. She’s been told how to pretend to feel as she sings it. I’m being unfair about Alexandra, a performer I know nothing about, but the whole X Factor thing sickens me a bit.

Christmas is now a massive money spinner for Mr Cowell and the ghouls at BMG. He’s pretty much guaranteed the Christmas number 1. And, most years, it will be forgotten within weeks.

But then, the last  thing X Factor is about is music, it’s about TV. It’s the ‘journey’ made by the contestants. Every time I hear one of them sing its like they are just saying over and over again: ‘like me, please like me.’

Personally, I’d rather go to the Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent, or down one of the pubs to watch a live band. There’s a great music scene in the Potteriesat the moment, but you won’t here the music of This Is Seb Clarke or The Novellos played alongside Leona Lewis on Radio 1, you have to seek it out.

But its real, its bands doing what they believe in, writing and performing their own material. None of it manufactured, none of it fake.

On Friday, I’ll go to the Box in Crewe to the Volume Christmas party,  featuring bands including Sgt Wolfbanger. It’ll be a lot better than watching Simon Cowell count his money.

If so, will it be enveloped in the realms of high culture, in the same way classical music has?

Back in the 18th century when some deaf bloke called Beethoven began composing symphanies, people obviously liked the tunes he crafted. I suppose he achieved the same fame, fortune and acclaim that someone like Noel Gallagher did almost 300 years later.

Mozart’s music has survived to this day because people liked it, and played it to their children. They liked it and played it to their children. And so on, down the ages. Until eventually, some scholar decided it was clasic, high culture for high society.

So where does that leave David Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Stones. My dad may have preferred Elaine Paige and Tijauna brass, but I like the rock of the time, and obviously many of his contemporaries did. Rare Led Zeppelin, The Who and Pink Floyd gigs sell out in minutes, and I’m damn sure the  crowds are not entirely made up of over 50s. I like Led Zeppelin and I’m sure I’ll play that music to my children. Whether they like it or not.

So, if this trend continues, people are still going to be listening to this music and the better bands of today, well into the next century. By then, perhaps it will be a new form of classical music, with its own pompous title. Maybe people will try to prove how intelligent they are by blasting out Smoke On The Water at full blast.

So which bands of today will go on to be classic artists of the next century? My money is on people like The White Stipes, Nirvana, Radiohead, The Strokes, Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, probably Amy Winehouse and Oasis. Although it seems bizarre to think that the same sort of audience which today glories in analysing the sequence of notes used to create the ambient mood of Barbers Overture, would turn the same critical eye on Arctic Monkeys’ Mardy Bum, or Oasis’ Cigarettes and Alcohol.

Sad to say, I don’t think Stoke’s own Robbie Williams will make the leap to a classical artist. He’s an entertainer, but I can’t see his songs lasting for generations, except perhaps Angels.

It would be nice to think Stoke-on-Trent’s thriving indie scene would survive though. At the moment, bands like This Is Seb Clarke, The Novellos and The Title, have only made an impact on the indie charts. But there is enough quality coming out of the Potteries to make something special.

As to whether it will survive even into the next decade, let alone for 100-years, only time will tell. 

Sadly (for me at least), my old band Gorski, is dead, so I doubt if songs like Get A Haircut and Something New will survive. Shame, they’re quite good, even if I do say so myself.