Transfer deadline day has of course dominated the headlines today, and Roy Hodgson’s squad announcement is the other big England news of the week. But there’s been some other business ticking along too, and it’s only right that it all gets a mention. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.
We begin at The Guardian, where David Conn has been musing over the new Under-21 league and its combination with the Elite Player Performance Plan. Does he think this “youth revolution” will have the desired effect? “It remains uncertain.” So there.
Phil McNulty has been out and about, heading for Burton-upon-Trent and the new National Football Centre at St George’s Park. We all know by now what SGP is for and what the facilities are like, but McNulty’s article for BBC Sport sheds light on some of the little touches that make the centre a little bit special. I’d still like a tour, really. The Football Association will return my call soon, I’m sure.
With others moving or probably moving, it’s an unusual deadline day for Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Jermain Defoe. For once, he is not linked with a move to Portsmouth or Aston Villa because he has secured a new three-year deal at White Hart Lane. That keeps him there until the end of the 2014/15 season (in theory, naturally) and, as an England fan, I think that’s the right place for him at the moment. If Spurs are to do well, they’ll need goals from Defoe – I can see him stepping up to provide them.
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