Hodgson's opening statement

This afternoon brought with it the announcement of England's squad of 23 players for the European Championships next month. It was also a first chance for new manager Roy Hodgson to put his stamp on the job. Would he call up players overlooked by his predecessor? Would he go for form over reputation? How would he solve the conundrums of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, Rooney's two-game ban, and the centre of England's midfield?

His squad looks like this:

Goalkeepers - Joe Hart, Robert Green, John Ruddy.

Defenders - Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott, John Terry.

Midfielders - Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Ashley Young.

Strikers - Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck.

Standby - Jack Butland, Phil Jagielka, Jordan Henderson, Adam Johnson, Daniel Sturridge.

The headline selection was of Terry but not Ferdinand, a decision that dominated his press conference shortly after the squad announcement. Hodgson claims the decisions he has made are purely for football reasons, and whilst I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt here due to the respect I have for him, I find this an odd explanation. Ferdinand has been in good form, has played regularly despite suggestions he is incapable of doing so because of injury issues, and has been a key part of the second best Premier League defence this season, one that has been robbed of Nemanja Vidic almost throughout. On the flipside, Terry has been in patchy form in the worst Chelsea defence, in terms of goals conceded, in years. Though I did not watch the recent league game against Liverpool, from all reports he was extremely poor. There is also the small matter of his red card against Barcelona when his team needed him most. I have actually always been a fan of Terry as a defender, in sharp contrast to my views on him as a human being (saying that, the only story I have heard of him that didn't come from the media actually painted him in a positive light), but I have not been particularly impressed with him on the pitch of late. If the Ferdinand-Terry situation did not exist, I would actually still have Terry in my squad despite his form alongside Ferdinand, but I would not have him ahead of Ferdinand. Hodgson's assertion that Ferdinand has hardly featured for England in the last couple of years is true, and his claim that he wants to largely stick with the players involved in qualifying is honourable, yet it doesn't completely hold up when you look at some of the other players to be either selected or not selected.

England look a little short in defence, with just seven picked which mirrors the World Cup two years ago when Jamie Carragher surprisingly got a call up which had him covering both centre-back and right-back. Phil Jones is in that role this time, but whilst I think he has great potential, he has not looked very assured since a bright start to the season. Micah Richards, who has been excluded from the squad much like he was time and again by Fabio Capello, offers the same versatility and has been an impressive part of Manchester City's title winning squad, but perhaps he has paid for not featuring so much in the last weeks of the season due to Pablo Zabaleta's form. Hodgson said he had planned to take Kyle Walker before his injury, and was then left with a choice between Jones and Richards, with Jones the ultimate winner. Gary Cahill is definitely a part of England's future post-Ferdinand and Terry, but is he really a better candidate in 2012 than Ferdinand? Is he really better than Phil Jagielka who is only on the standby list? In his favour is the fact he now trains, and sometimes plays, with Terry at Chelsea, as well as his rather impressive ability as an attacking threat. The left-back selections were obvious, with Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines two of the best around.

Hodgson has packed his squad with midfielders, explaining that he believes the likes of Ashley Young, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are capable of playing as second strikers or even out-and-out forwards. There are two main points of contention with the midfielders that have been selected: firstly, Michael Carrick has been the pick of English central midfielders for many observers this season yet he is not even on the standby list should Scott Parker fail his fitness bid; secondly, why is Stewart Downing in the squad after an awful season for Liverpool that, if the statistic I read is accurate, did not even see him provide an assist for a goal let alone score one himself? Adam Johnson is on the standby list, probably because he has not featured much for Manchester City lately, but he is potentially a much bigger threat than Downing and has looked quite impressive previously in an England shirt. Downing is about as uninspiring a winger as can be imagined, and there must surely be better options than him out there. Maybe Downing looked good when Liverpool played West Brom this season. I can think of few other explanations. The other strange decision on a similar theme is Downing's Liverpool clubmate Jordan Henderson making the standby list, as he has been just as poor as Downing and done nothing to justify his big money move last summer which was based on little more than a decent six months for Sunderland.

The issue of replacing Rooney was alluded to in the selection of midfielders that can also play in attack, and Hodgson has also opted to take Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll and Jermain Defoe. Welbeck was largely expected to be in the squad, although it is surprising that Daniel Sturridge, who has enjoyed a similar profile to Welbeck, has only made the standby list. I suspect that is mostly due to his backseat role under Roberto Di Matteo's stewardship at Chelsea as a few months ago he would have been a shoe in. Carroll makes the plane for two reasons: he has the potential to be a battering ram should England need a more direct approach, and in recent weeks he has looked like regaining the form from late 2010 that saw Liverpool shell out for him. In form, I am a fan of Carroll, and thought he was going to be the answer to England's striking issues when he first appeared in the national side. He has endured a difficult year and a bit at Anfield, but I commend Hodgson for taking him. Defoe is something of a surprise in that he has barely started for Tottenham, but he has still scored 17 goals in all competitions this season which is impressive, and he probably has benefited from Darren Bent's lack of match action and fitness as he is the closest option to the goals-and-little-else Bent. What disappoints me is that Hodgson has not taken a punt on the strikers in the best form this season. I'm talking primarily about Grant Holt, and to a lesser extent Danny Graham, but I had hoped that Hodgson coming from working with mid-table players at West Brom may have been brave enough to reward the form players who aren't at glamour clubs. There are of course arguments against the likes of Holt, offered up by pundits such as Alan Shearer who should know a bit about strikers, which say that Holt has no experience of international football so is too risky in a major tournament, but I believe that a striker in form and full of confidence is not a major gamble. If you can score against Premier League defences, you shouldn't have trouble against many international defences as they are made up of the same players.

The other interesting selections were the two uncapped players in the party. Whilst there was no room for the aforementioned Holt or various other untried players, there was room for Oxlade-Chamberlain and Norwich keeper John Ruddy. Oxlade-Chamberlain has impressed in the limited outings he has had for Arsenal, and in a squad of 23 with at most six games to be played, it is not a major risk to include him. He could well be the wildcard that England need, looking as assured and mature as he has done for the Gunners. He is certainly a better selection than Walcott was in 2006. Ruddy is a welcome addition to England's limited goalkeeping resources, and in all honesty is unlikely to get a game as third choice keeper so his merits hardly need discussing. What is probably more noteworthy is the inclusion on the standby list of young Birmingham keeper Jack Butland, who I am reliably informed has been very impressive on loan at Cheltenham this season. Whilst Butland has little chance of making it to the finals, and no chance of making it on to the pitch, it is curious to note that a youngster who has been playing in League Two is higher up the list than the likes of Scott Carson. Then again, Joe Hart started off at a similar level with Shrewsbury so maybe potential is more important than experience.

Overall, the England squad looks solid, and my nitpicking article overlooks the fact that nearly every player in the squad has a strong case for being there. It is only really Downing, and possibly his clubmate Glen Johnson, that I would strongly object to making the 23, and it perhaps highlights a surprising strength in depth in English football that there are many excluded players you could make a case for selecting. I would be disappointed if this was the squad for Hodgson's first World Cup qualifier in the autumn, as I believe this should be the last big tournament cycle for some of England's elder statesmen, but we at least have a solid if unspectacular squad to take to Ukraine and Poland with us. Hodgson will no doubt come in for far more stick than I have given him for some of his selections, as you can never please everybody, but I am prepared to give time for him and his selections to prove themselves.

The incredible finale (part two)

With QPR losing in such dramatic style, the door would have been opened up for Bolton to achieve Premier League survival. However, by that point, full time had blown at the Britannia with the Trotters only earning a draw away to Stoke, a result that meant they were relegated, whatever happened at the Etihad. How Bolton must have been kicking themselves once they got the news of the late swing in City's favour. Had Bolton managed one more goal, they would have been safe. The relegation fight took almost as many swings as the battle for the title, with Bolton coming back from a goal down to lead at half time. Coupled with QPR being a goal down at the break, Bolton had moved out of the bottom three. It was then Rangers' turn to look like staying up as they drew level after the interval, before stunningly taking the lead over City. Bolton were now looking doomed, whatever their result, and the final nail in their coffin was hammered when Stoke earned and scored a debatable penalty. With the fans and players surely aware of events elsewhere, perhaps the belief needed to go out and regain their lead had vanished from Bolton, and they had to settle for a solitary point that confirmed their relegation. News of the Bolton result will have reached QPR fans around the time that they saw their lead overturned, and so watching their side concede two late goals will not have been the massive blow it otherwise could have been. It is therefore goodbye from the Premier League to Bolton after eleven seasons. It is a shame to see them go down under Owen Coyle who has revamped their playing style which had previously still been an ugly hangover from the days of Allardyce-ball. Unfortunately, the reduction in their direct tactics has also proved less effective, and they have suffered from poor home form, with only 16 points taken at the Reebok. Coyle was unhappy with the decision for Stoke’s opener to be allowed after what looked a clear foul on his keeper Adam Bogdan, but then QPR were similarly unhappy when they had a goal ruled out earlier in the season against Bolton when Bogdan clawed the ball out from behind the line. What goes around comes around.

The third set of twists and turns came in the battle for third place and the final guaranteed Champions League place. With Chelsea contesting the Champions League final on Saturday, the usual fourth placed qualification spot is not a certainty, making finishing third all the more important. Usually third is the last spot that guarantees a place in the group stage, with fourth needing to go through a preliminary round, but this time it is the last spot that guarantees being in the competition at all. Newcastle had an outside shot, but realistically it was a straight fight between Arsenal and Tottenham, with the Gunners having a point advantage going in to the games. It took less than two minutes for Spurs to strike the first blow and move in to third, thanks to Emannuel Adebayor's early goal at home to Fulham. However, it took only that amount of time again for Arsenal to reclaim their spot as Yossi Benayoun took advantage of a howler from West Brom keeper Marton Fulop who was making his first league appearance for the Baggies because of an injury to Ben Foster. Ironically, Fulop endured a frustrating period as a Tottenham player a few years ago, not making a single appearance, and he did his best to frustrate his former employers with a shocking performance against their big rivals. West Brom struck back twice to lead 2-1 and put Spurs back in to third place, before Andre Santos beat Fulop at his near post from outside the box to give the Gunners hope. It would be harsh to put all the blame on Fulop for this goal, but he will feel he could have been better. It was Fulop who was involved again as Arsenal scored their winning goal to seal third, his poor punch gifting Laurent Koscielny an open goal. The victory for Arsenal meant that Jermain Defoe doubling Tottenham's lead was irrelevant, with Spurs staying in the fourth place in which they had started the day. What was quite amusing was seeing the celebrations of the Arsenal contingent, which were at a similar level to those witnessed at the Etihad. Perhaps this is a sign of just how huge the Champions League has grown; perhaps it is a sign of how Arsenal's ambitions have lowered from their Premier League winning days.

Newcastle finish a very credible fifth after an excellent season that surpassed all expectations, and which could have seen them qualify for the Champions League had they not run out of steam with defeats in their last two games to Manchester City and Everton. Whether they can keep hold of their star players this summer remains to be seen, but either way they will have to cope with the Thursday-Sunday schedule brought on by Europa League qualification. The same schedule awaits Liverpool thanks to their Carling Cup win, the one positive - FA Cup final defeats aren't really positive surely? - from a poor season for the Reds. They ended the campaign on another low note, losing 1-0 at Swansea. For the Swans it has been a tremendous first season in the top flight since the early 1980s, and they deserve their 11th place finish after being a breath of fresh air with their passing game. Fellow newly-promoted side Norwich also deserve much praise after finishing 12th, with just goal difference separating them from Swansea after a routine victory over hapless Aston Villa. It looks increasingly likely that Alex McLeish will leave his job as Villa manager, hardly surprising as he was never wanted, even before a poor, poor season. I should probably give positive mentions to Fulham and West Brom, who despite finishing with defeats have deserved their places in the top half of the table. It will be interesting to see who the Baggies bring in to replace England-bound Roy Hodgson and whether the new man can match the relative success Hodgson has achieved. The top half was rounded out by 7th placed Everton, who finished four points clear of neighbours Liverpool, although manager David Moyes refused to describe the achievement as something worth celebrating.

The final day action was rounded out by the last Premier League games for at least a year for Wolves and Blackburn. It was party time at the DW Stadium where Wigan hosted Wolves, with the home team and their fans celebrating having retained their Premier League status for yet another year. Wolves threatened to spoil the party with an excellent strike from Matt Jarvis, one of their better performers this season. However, it did not take long before the Latics hit back, and they ran out 3-2 winners. If Wigan can keep hold of Roberto Martinez and learn how to perform over the course of a season then they could well be clear of the relegation battle next season. Their form in recent weeks has been superb, and they were only four points off the top half in the end, with relegation a whole seven points away. Why they always leave it so late to get their act together, I don't know. That left Blackburn who went down 2-1 to a Chelsea side for whom team selection clearly had the Champions League final in mind. Champions League glory may await Chelsea, but Championship football definitely awaits Rovers.

The incredible finale (part one)

An incredible end to an incredible Premier League season, one that went right down to the wire in the most dramatic of styles. Forgetting for now the other issues to be decided, namely Champions League qualification and relegation, the battle for the title was a rollercoaster of emotions for fans of both Manchester sides. United supporters would have held far more hope than belief at 3pm when the games kicked off that QPR could do them a favour, the Hoops having a dire away record and City an imperious home record. What hope did exist came from the possibility that QPR needed a result to avoid relegation, depending on what happened elsewhere in Bolton's game at Stoke. If you're reading this, you probably already know what happened so I'll avoid a blow by blow account. However, it is pretty safe to say that no one would have written the script the way it happened. Once City had taken the lead, it looked a near certainty that they would go on and take the title with some ease. I was watching the United game, seeing if they could at least stick to their side of the bargain by winning at Sunderland, but at half time I decided to switch over and watch the City game. I figured that I would watch until City scored a second to seal the win, then go back to watching United without the tension that was previously there. I had the score updates on the BBC red button service, with a slight delay so it was not ahead of my SkyGo live feed, and my ears pricked up every time a goal was announced, or the words Etihad Stadium were mentioned. In the second half, I barely noticed the BBC, such was the drama going on at City.

Barely had I begun watching the City game, and QPR were level. Joleon Lescott's poor attempt at a headed clearance let in Djibril Cisse and the Frenchman buried home an equaliser. On a side note, it was unfortunate timing by Lescott ahead of the Euros as he has had his most convincing season in terms of being worthy of a place in the England team. Errors like that do not help his cause, particularly with the question marks in his position over taking both Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, but he has probably on balance done enough this season to be considered a decent option. Within minutes of drawing level, Rangers were down to ten men after one of the most astonishing pieces of idiocy I have seen on a football field. For once, it was not Mario Balotelli surpassing himself; instead it was that never-to-be-fully-reformed sad act Joey Barton landing himself in the hottest of waters. His decision to throw an elbow in the face of Carlos Tevez off the ball was bad enough, and whilst there is some truth in his Tweeted argument that Tevez lashed out at him first, Barton is old enough and pretentiously pious enough to know that he shouldn't retaliate. The retaliation is what was spotted by the linesman and Barton rightfully ended up with a red card. What happened next was just insane. Barton walked up behind Sergio Aguero, whose crime in Barton's eyes I cannot decipher, and kneed him hard in the hamstring. With City players reacting, he then attempted to headbutt Vincent Kompany, before escaping the clutches of calming influence Micah Richards to try and square up to Balotelli. Having already been sent off this season, Barton will face an automatic four game ban for the red card, but that tally must surely grow several fold for the incidents with Aguero and Kompany. I would not be surprised to see double figures in terms of games he is banned for.

Without their departed captain - and I laugh at the thought that such an idiot has been entrusted the captaincy, not one of Mark Hughes' finer decisions - QPR battled on with heart and guts and even went ahead through Jamie Mackie, an underrated player who played a big part in their promotion a year ago. City were on the rocks. The body language of Roberto Mancini said it all; so did the images of the crowd. As the clock wore down, I decided to wait til the last moment to turn over to watch United celebrate the championship, fearing jinxing it in that way that only football fans do - it is funny how so many of us think that out of the thousands and thousands watching, it is our lone actions that will have the effect on fate. It was around about 90 minutes on the clock in both games when I let myself switch over, and the time was nearly up at the Stadium of Light when the BBC, as well as the commentators on Sky, informed me City had drawn level. Full time went for United, a nervous wait ensued before the fans and players could celebrate... and then news arrived that City had scored again. Incredible. United fans may hurt to see their formerly inferior neighbours take their crown, and they may hurt at how close their own team came to winning the title before it was snatched away. However, they can have few complaints that City have done so in such dramatic fashion, because had the boot been on the other foot they would have loved it, loved it, loved it. City won the league in the fashion that United have become famous for, keeping going until the last moment and doing it with late goals and late drama. This is how Bayern Munich fans must have felt in '99, winning the Champions League going in to stoppage time and having lost it moments later. United had been out-United-ed, to make up words and phrases, by City. 

You would have to say on balance that City deserve the title. Anyone who is top after 38 games, when every team has played home and away against every other team, deserves their title. This is a City side who for most of the season have played attractive attacking football, a world away from last season's negative catenaccio-inspired dross that few wanted to watch. It is incredible to think though that but for a last gasp winner against QPR, or for several other moments in the season that you could argue earned City points, United would have been champions. If United had won the title, you would have to say too that they deserved it. Such fine margins can change definitions of who is deserving; after all, only goal difference split the teams this season, the tightest margin ever. To me, despite having my loyalties firmly in the red camp, the blue half of Manchester are rightful winners because of their record in matches against United, winning both and with the stunning 6-1 triumph at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign resulting in the goal difference margin that won the title. At the same time, it also means that United's record against the other 18 clubs is better than City's - you could make so many different arguments for who the best team were that it is fairest to just let the table speak for itself. United will rue the recent loss to Wigan, the late concession of two goals to Everton to turn a 4-2 lead in to a 4-4 draw. Most of all, United will rue Kompany's winning header two weeks ago and the concession of three late goals in that 6-1; had United settled for a 3-1 defeat instead of going gung-ho and leaving themselves open at the back, the goal difference would have been just two rather than eight going in to the final games, and that would have been achievable considering how close United came to winning more than 1-0 against Sunderland.

So, the bottom line is this: congratulations City on a deserved title, and commiserations to United who deservedly finished within the tightest of margins of the eventual champions. An incredible season with an incredible ending.

Part two to follow later, looking at the rest of the last day action.