IT WAS one of those moments where you hold your breath and fear for the life of a colleague.

I expect this one to be settled by the narrowest of margins, what Giovanni Trapattoni – no stranger himself to footballing sub-atomic particles – likes to call the “leetle details”

OVER the past couple of days, it’s been hard to avoid those doleful images of Tony Mowbray, head in hands while the rain sheeted down, barely able to watch as mighty St Mirren ran riot against his battered Bhoys.

ON THE face of it, to lose by the odd goal in three at the home of the champions is no disgrace but, for Liverpool, yesterday’s defeat at Old Trafford can’t be interpreted as anything other than another nail in the coffin of the Rafa Benitez era.

IF YOU don’t want to know the results of the Champions’ League quarter-finals, look away now...

SO what was your gut reaction when you heard the England team hotel had been bugged last week?

SO what did we learn from our little trip to London?

SO in London on Tuesday, it’s the boys in green versus the boys who will be going green.

AS Fergie might have said, and as Arsenal as well as Ireland now know to their cost: ye cannae win anything with Hanssons.

IT’S reassuring to see that, as usual, England’s preparations for a big tournament are going swimmingly.