Starting XI

I don't know why you say that. Carragher has been one of the most accomplished and consistent central defenders in the Premier League for the past 10 years. Given Ledley King's tendency to be less than 100% fit, I would say that Carragher is nailed on to partner Terry.

Also, Barry has definitely been ruled out of the first game by Fabio and Carrick seems the likely starter in that role.

Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluca Zambrotta....Fabio Cannavari....Giorgio Chiellini....Fabio Grosso

Mauro Campanesi....Danieli De Rossi....Gennaro Gatuso....Antonio Di Natale

Giuseppe Rossi....Giampaolo Pazzini

First up Paraguay in Cape Town tomorrow week. Managed by the only man to have led both World Cup and European Champions Cup winners Marcelli Lippi a slow start to the tournament is almost inevitable but followed only four weeks later by an appearance in the final.

Forget the stuttering form going into the finals and the poor performance in the FIFA Confederations Cup, you can never write off the Azzuri who have won the World Cup more times than any other European country and one more win would put them level with Brazil.

Forza Italia

I watched the first 30 minutes of that game in a bar in San Gimignano (Tuscany) and listened to the rest of it on the coach radio as I escorted our guests back to the town of Passignano on Lake Trasimeno in Umbria. The socceroos did sound to be a little unlucky, although I was more worried about the animated actions of our coach driver Luca as the minutes ticked away at 0-0!

Do you not think that the unrest behind the scenes at Liverpool may have a lot to do with that ? Gerrard has hardly been at his best for the past year either, and good players don't suddenly become mediocre.

Also, the fact remains that Carragher is not a full back and never has been. The difference between his style of play and Johnson's was very evident in the Japan game, as Carragher doesn't have the pace or knowledge of the position to excel there.

For the past decade, he has been one of the outstanding central defenders in England, and yet whenever he was selected by Taylor and then Eriksson, it was at full back while players like Keown, Woodgate and even Wes Brown were chosen in the middle.

No wonder he got fed up and withdrew from international football, and it's a testament to Capello's personality and powers of persuasion that he has decided to return. But he has to play at centre back or not at all, particularly now that Ferdinand has sadly been ruled out.

Yes a beautiful spot and I spent four very happy summers living in Passignano whilst working in tourism. It was great waking up in the morning in a spacious apartment overlooking an olive grove rolling down towards the lake, with views of two of the three islands and over to the only other town of any size Castiglione.

I know the roads you mention well as I had my own car with me (my own transport was essential as my company Inghams used hotels in Passignano, Castiglione, and in the hills above the lake at Castel Rigone). Having my own car was also great when I got some free time which was normally on a Thursday but sometimes if it was a quiet week and there were insufficient numbers to run an excursion. I explored the whole of Umbria and a lot of Tuscany, the Marche, and Lazio, visiting not only the main towns but also the many tiny little villages and hamlets where you are welcomed but often looked at with curiosity. I agree completely about the roads, pot holed and there are two sections heading South past Perugia towards Assisi where if you are not familiar with the area it is easy to be in the wrong lane and suddenly find yourself heading in completely the wrong direction!

Lake Trasimeno is the fourth largest lake in Italy and is very unusual as it does not have a river running either into or out of the lake. It is in effect a big puddle, filled by rain water and the melting snow in the winter (this area does experience very cold winters). Consequently the depth of the lake varies from year to year but it is always very shallow, the deepest point out near the Island of Maggiore being only about six to seven metres.

I have been dreaming about the area a lot recently which has motivated me to plan my next visit, and my first since I was working there, for late August / early September. Easyjet flight from Bristol to Pisa, bus to Florence, then train to Passignano for a touch of La Dolce Vita ;D

Do you think we can enjoy a World Cup without resorting to racial or cultural intolerance?

Mixing with, and adapting to foreign cultures to our own are what international tournaments are all about. If you can't take that simple pricipal on board then taking an interest in it is about as ridiculous as trying to eat soup with chopsticks.

Have you ever taken part in a tournament with participants from other cultures Aus, because if you had been at some of the ones I have taken part in you would have been thrown out pronto for that sort of remark.

Yes, yes, yes; we all know the Germans roll about a bit, the Dutch scream out in pain when fouled and the Argentinians will try every sinister trick in the book to win over the referee, but that's what they are: Germans, not Krauts, Dutch not whatever insulting name you want to dream up; and Argentinians not Argies.

Us English are perceived as over physical bullies, with poor technique masked by a never say die resistance to defeat; incapable of winning on penalties and supported by beer swilling bigots and idiots.

We have to live with that through the actions and failures of others in the past, we have to turn that negative perception of us to our advantage out there on the field where and when it really matters; but let's not resort to calling people "dirty cheating Spicks" eh?