Micky coming up on the rails

The focus for last night's England friendly against France in Paris may have been on some bloke from Leytonstone winning his 100th cap, but it's perhaps worth pointing out that our very own Michael Owen is now just 12 caps short of achieving the same feat. Of course, there's a little way to go - it all depends on him avoiding injury and staying in Fabio Capello's thoughts, neither of which are certainties - but he did at least get a half last night and has a few years left in his little legs yet.

As for the game itself, a return to the disappointing and tedious days of Steve McLaren, by the sounds of it - I didn't see it, having sensibly opted for being depressed in a far more entertaining fashion by Malcolm Middleton. Perhaps his failed bid for the Christmas #1, 'We're All Going To Die', would make a good choice of song for the Newcastle team to run out to - the implication being "Life is short, you only live once, go out and give it your all". But knowing our lot, they'd probably take one listen and conclude that the futility of human existence meant a poxy game of football was even less worth bothering about...