Spot Kick: Arsenal win overshadows the Derby

Dream on: We are a long step nearer to having Trevor Brooking as England's team manager? Something I myself have wanted ever since, last season, he so successfully took over West Ham United and almost saved them from relegation.

This season, he guided them efficiently in their first few games until standing down for Alan Pardew.

Last week, meanwhile, Trevor, who refused the chance of permanently managing the Hammers, was appointed very close indeed to the post of England's manager. At the same time, the FA offered a renewed contract till 2008 at a reported £3.5 million a year to the present incumbent, Sven Goran Eriksson.

Why? The recently appointed, already controversial chief FA executive, Mark Palios, had the impertinance to compare Eriksson with Alf Ramsey, who will probably be the only man ever to win the World Cup with England.

Eriksson declared Palios, inexplicably, "has already contributed enormously to the reputation of England in Europe and around the world." Words which might have had some meaning had the Swede tactfully resigned after that glorious 5-1 win over Germany in Munich.

But he didn't, and in the event England struggled to qualify in top group place for the World Cup, desperately lucky to save their last game against Greece with a David Beckham free kick which should never have been awarded.

In Japan, they reached the quarter final, but couldn't even hold a Brazilian team reduced to 10 men for the last half hour. An England defender remarked that at half time, "We needed Winston Churchill and we got Ian Duncan Smith."

But here we have the old familiar story. England managers mistrust the maverick. "Ball players are important because they create unorthodox situations," was what little George Raynor, so outstanding a manager of Sweden's international team, used to tell me, when he coached Lazio, in Rome. But Eriksson, when he does give Cole a chance, usually as a sub, continues to damn him with faint praise.

Last week, Cole was loudly applauded off the field by Chelsea fans when substituted late in the European home game against Sparta Prague. Frankly, Sunday's supposed clash of the Titans at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Manchester United was overshadowed, first by Chelsea's dull display, and then Arsenal's amazing 5-1 win in San Siro against Inter.

Inter's goal was a total freak, sulky Bobo Vieria's shot deflected over Jens Lehmann's hapless head for the equaliser.