Tottenham Hotspur 2 Fulham 0

Where there's life there's hope. The presence of Fabrice Muamba, muffled against the spring chill in a huge Puffa jacket on the pitch last night, and occasionally leaping from his seat and placing hands to his face as he urged his side on, revealed that much.

As is so often the case in any debate over the future of England's national football team, the real point of the Hodgson-or-Redknapp argument has been cast so far out into a sea of drivel we can only regret that someone hasn't written it down and put it in a bottle. Then, who knows? The penny might at least drop on some distant desert island.

A tabloid newspaper that came under fire for publishing a front page headline playing on new England manager Roy Hodgson's manner of speech has accused its critics of "a sense of humour failure".

Bolton Wanderers 1 Tottenham Hotspur 4

Which Englishman in recent years has produced the most exhilarating football? Not Hodgson, for all his virtues

So there it is, Harry old boy, you didn't win enough of your last few games. You didn't keep your place at the top of the popularity parade. Another unhelpful factor, let's face it, was that after all that money spent on Il Capo, you were shaping up just a shade pricey.

Following the news that West Brom boss Roy Hodgson is in talks with the FA to take over as manager of England, players and pundits throughout the country have had their say on the decision.

World Cup legend Sir Geoff Hurst has claimed England are capable of reaching the Euro 2012 semi-finals with or without Roy Hodgson as their new manager.

Harry Redknapp insists he holds no grudges against Roy Hodgson, even though the West Brom boss is set to inherit the England role he craved.

Alan Curbishley has warned Roy Hodgson will have to overcome the fact he is not the popular choice if he becomes the new England manager.

The news that Pep Guardiola is leaving Barcelona doesn't surprise me; and I will not be shocked if he turns up at Stamford Bridge. He may just be taking a break, but I was told at the start of the season, by a very well-connected football man, that Guardiola was being lined up to take over at Chelsea next season.

England caretaker manager Stuart Pearce insists "everything is in place" for whoever leads the team to the Euro 2012 finals this summer.

Firefighters are tackling a blaze on an island owned by a multi-millionaire.