That was Sheffield United’s best performance this season he said

“That was Sheffield United’s best performance this season,” he said. “And the Nottingham Forest I saw lose 4-1 to Coventry on Saturday wasn’t the one that drew at our place. But I’m five-and-a-half weeks into this job; Neil [Warnock] is five-and-a-half years into his time at Bramall Lane.”Blackwell, who first served Warnock as a goalkeeper with Scarborough 17 years ago and was his coach before decamping to Elland Road before the start of last season, added portentously that the Leeds board now had “a decision to make” with regard to raising money to strengthen his squad.”I’ve got a lot of youngsters and free-transfer players with no funding, but there’s no one available now that will come for nothing,” Blackwell said. “Anyone we sign must have that edge, because this is a magnificent club.

That wasn’t good enough for Leeds United.” His priority is an experienced midfielder, though he is also painfully aware that in six League and cup games, no Leeds striker has scored.The master confirmed the apprentice’s judgement, agreeing that “everybody wants to beat the relegated clubs” and admitting his team had played better than for 15 months. Megson’s Law, which was previously known as Curbishley’s theorem, states that clubs relegated from the Premiership are odds-on favourites to return, funded by parachute payments and stronger for the experience, at the first attempt. Heskey, who has won 43 caps, the vast majority under the Swede, appears to have been usurped by Alan Smith’s fine start to his Manchester United career.Eriksson later moved to reassure Heskey, who has been capped 43 times for England. “The door is not closed for Emile Heskey, but I’ve seen a lot of Alan Smith and Jermain Defoe recently and they deserve their chance this time,” Eriksson told the FA’s website, .With Wayne Rooney injured Tottenham’s Defoe retains his place but Phil Neville is again omitted.

Also absent from the 23-man squad are the Chelsea defender Glen Johnson, who drops back to the Under-21 and Liverpool’s Chris Kirkland who is injured again Robert Green, of Norwich City, replaces him. “But I would love to be going to Nottingham with a winners medal around my neck. It was disappointing to be left out after Bangladesh but I have gone away and thought about my cricket. In the past I got carried away with making the most of the first 15 overs but now I have started to look beyond this and aim to make big scores.”If Solanki were to repeat this performance at Lord’s next Sunday against India, and England were to win, the painful memory of Saturday’s defeat would quickly be forgotten..

Joe Cole was recalled to the England squad last night, but unless Sven Goran Eriksson adopts a major change in policy his prospects of a competitive start for England remain as distant as ever. Worcestershire’s bowlers never looked capable of restricting Gloucestershire’s batsmen but they were not helped by an ordinary fielding display.But it was disappointing to see more than 4,000 empty seats. The main reason is the volume of international cricket being played.Without Solanki the day would have been a non-event. The 28-year-old looked on helplessly as Lewis found the outside edge of the bats of Stephen Moore, Graeme Hick and Ben Smith.