French letters

Whatever the training the French team get at the supposedly second to none Clarefonatine complex we used to hear so much about is, media training presumably isn't part of it, as evidenced by the slightly straw-clutching way French players have sought to, as the Sun would put it, "turn up the psychological heat on England ahead of Sunday's battle". First Lilian Thuram claimed Wayne Rooney "lacks international experience", Michael Owen "was a far better player on his debut for the England team" and Rooney "is no Pele". Well, cheers for that. Now Robert Pires claims the Premiership is shit really. Yes, Arsenal, he's talking about you as well. As well as being the kind of attitude a season unbeaten foists upon you, not to mention one guaranteed to bring every football journo in the national press out into "see? We told you all this!", it's not even a great slagging off. Apparently Premiership football is more end to end, while Sven is more tactical. Ah, that explains it. We particularly admire his line about how the top clubs mix British and international players while "clubs like Portsmouth do not have that luxury". Portsmouth, the club kept up by the strike partnership of Lomano Lua-Lua and Yakubu Ayegbeni.