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Two things became implicitly clear last Wednesday night; firstly that football needs to implement the omniscience of television replay and secondly that the World Cup means more than any other tournament in the game. By a mile.

Ireland, bullish and confident in the Stade de France, deserved more. They were the better side over two legs and probably should have sown up the tie before the end of 90 minutes – Robbie Keane and Damien Duff both had clear opportunities to force a French surrender – and negate any controversy. Even before Thierry’s trickery, Shay Given had survived a penalty scare that, from first viewing from my sofa, seemed a certain penalty but, upon reflection and more importantly television replay, appeared to be a dive. Verdict? No penalty (and also no booking for Anelka troublingly).

But what if the ref had pointed to the spot? We’ve certainly all seen them given, we’ve undoubtedly seen vociferous home crowds influence decisions before and we’ve definitely seen the ‘bigger’ teams favoured in qualifying games. Any doubts towards the governing bodies favouritism of the perennial footballing powers was allayed with the seeding of the playoffs, not on the teams qualifying record, but to their quasi-arbitrary FIFA world ranking. In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary, Come again?

All of which contributed to the glowing praise from commentators and fans for the referee’s performance through to the first final whistle, a regard only enhanced by his waving away of any French protests when Anelka raced through on goal and was sent flying – apparently by his own imagination rather than any contact.

Then the handball. Referee and linesman unsighted to one of the most blatant hand-to-ball incidents you could imagine – Henry not only handled, he caressed the ball to his foot as if placing it on a tee – and suddenly the ball was in the net, Gallas was veering away in celebration and half the Irish team turned murderous eyes and limbs to the referee.

The simple fact is, football executives have become acceptant that football is an imperfect game. The question of penalty decisions, handballs, added time, sending offs and the old favourite issue of whether the ball has crossed the line congest the airwaves for hours every weekend, detracting from the actual product we all adore so much…football in case you weren’t sure Mr. Blatter.

‘It all evens out over the course of a season.’ Not true. Ask Robbie Keane. Ask Shay Given. Ask Richard Dunne. And this is just one incident in the gross history of either poor or unaided officiating. Refs are better than ever, but the game is so fast, the stakes so high and the media so ferocious that a single error can cost a team millions, a manager his job, a town it’s wealth and a fan his health.

The answer? Well, how about TV replays just on penalty-box decisions? How about goal-line technology? How about the managerial ability to challenge a major decision twice a game, with reference to television evidence? There are numerous options but ostensibly little momentum for change. Football is the largest sport in the world, it should start acting like it.

Ok, rant over. To be fair I was actually quite lenient, should have caught me last week. Not pretty. Regardless, the unfortunate facts are that the soon-to-be-fabled hand of Henry denied Ireland in the extra period and they will not be amongst the 32 teams contesting the World Cup in South Africa. And nor will a number of other European middleweights. With all due respect to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Ecuador, the most missed teams at next summer’s spectacular are all on this continent; The Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and Croatia will all join the Irish as envious spectators and we all know how that feels. Doesn’t that list look like a perpetual list of major tournament dark horses? Just saying…

So no Ibrahimovic, no Modric, no Arshavin and no Keane. But here’s a few who will be there; Lampard, Gerrrard, Rooney, Terry, Cole…feels good doesn’t it?

But first, the pesky Champions League….

Debrecen v Liverpool

With Chelsea, United and Arsenal all either assured of qualification or as good as, Liverpool will be the focus of English eyes this week. Well, actually, one eye will be on events at the Ferenc Stadium the other on the Artemio Franchi where Fiorentina attempt to finish off the Reds with victory over Lyon.

Liverpool were comfortable winners over the Hungarians last time out but only managed a single goal, have scored just 3 in 4 games in the Champions League and are without Torres and Babel on Tuesday night. Steven Gerrard, still struggling with a groin injury, will likely play as Bentiez’ charges attempt to maintain their interest in the competition they won in 2005 and were losing finalists in 2007. Of course, they have performed the unlikely/impossible before.

Things are far from rosy for the Reds right now but they should hold up their end of the survival bargain and beat a plucky Debrecen. 2-1 to Liverpool ahead of the Merseyside derby this weekend.

Fiorentina v Lyon

What will Lyon do? Already qualified, the French side sit will be keen to impress after only winning once in their past 5 outings and slipping to third in Ligue 1. In Europe, Lisandro’s late equaliser at home to Liverpool ensured qualification but they will need a result to ensure they remain top of the group entering the final round of games and, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Sevilla, Inter and A.C Milan as current group leaders and possible opponents for a second placed team (Bordeaux lead Group A but would not face Lyon in the knockout stages due to their shared nationality), Lyon would be well served in retaining their top rank.

Fiorentina, beaten 1-0 at the Stade Gerland on match day 1, have been inconsistent as of late, beaten 3-2 at home by a resurgent Parma side at the weekend and out of a coveted Champions League qualifying spot. Victory, and with it qualification, for them would be a real fillip ahead of games against both Milan teams over the coming weeks.

La Viola will be tough to beat at home – Sporting Lisbon managed a 1-1 draw there in the qualifying round but Fiorentina have handsomely beaten Liverpool and Debrecen since – but will be feeling the pressures to perform. Lyon, fairly dire against Liverpool, should play better and have much more experience in Europe. I say they keep interesting and hold Fiorentina to a score draw, 1-1.

Barcelona v Inter Milan

Arguably the biggest game of the midweek fixtures as Barca and Inter meet in the Catalan capital with the loser in serious jeopardy of joining the likes of Bayern Munich and Liverpool on the European scrap heap known as the Europa League. Ok, so that’s unconfirmed, but it would be stunning to see 3 of the favourites fall at the formality of the group stage.

The pair drew in Milan but its Barcelona’s defeat at the Nou Camp to Rubin Kazan that makes their position so desperate. Kazan, recently crowned Russian champions, know that victory at home to Dinamo Kiev, themselves still very much in this group, would mean they only need a point in the San Siro on match day 6 to qualify and, in doing so, knock out one of Europe’s super heavyweights.

Inter, very, very late victors in the Ukraine, sit top of Serie A and are in typical Mourinho-driven form; powerful, tactically aware and suffocating. In spite of that, their usual defensive strength has been somewhat suspect as of late. For Barca, they remain unbeaten domestically yet still trail rivals Real by a point. In Europe, their usual free-scoring potency has eluded them; just 3 goals in 4 games and just one in two games against Russian debutants Kazan. And the latest news is that Leo Messi may well miss the game and El Clasico against Real on Sunday night. Could be a bad week for the reigning European Champions.

A draw right? Hmmm probably, but I’d quite like to see Barca steal it and set up a fascinating final group of fixtures in Group F. 1-0 to Barca.

Sometimes even the most definitive of results fail to answer the important questions. The death of Robert Enke, the German International goalkeeper that committed suicide on Tuesday, has posed more questions amongst the footballing community than it answered. The temptation here would be to trivialise the passing of a man in order to make the following set of fixtures related and tie up this weeks column in a neat and complete literary manner; I’ll pass thanks.

As a society, we are fairly ignorant to the dangers of depression, as suffered by Enke. The common consideration is that depression is a commonplace and short-term complaint that riddles all our lives when things aren’t going our way, or a soft, modern mask to hide behind when we’re demotivated. There may be some truth in that. People will always view there personal issues as the grandest, most severe of disorders. And why wouldn’t they? We are all trapped in our own realm of perspective and understanding. Indeed, in Darwinist terms, a selfish, narcissistic and conceited view of ourselves has probably got us this far as a species but now, in the contemporary world that is over-stocked with erudite media on just about every subject, it appears that this insularity is more of a fallibility of humanity than a strength.

Clinical depression, a medical moniker that depicts a life devoid of joy in every sense and can incorporate such disorders as insomnia and psychosis, is a less accepted term. In the United States, 3.4% of people diagnosed with clinical depression commit suicide.

It can be difficult for us to believe that a professional footballer, a man with fame and fortune and the prospect of playing in a World Cup in a few months – a dream of any football fan – could want to end his own life. What problems does he have? Seriously? The worst day in his life must be better than the best of mine right? Well, that’s not how the brain works. Our problems are all relative to our own experiences – my best day probably felt about as fantastic as yours, my worst just as painful – and, when under the influence of the constant cloud of depression, hope, the bastion of human emotions, can seem forever lost, irrespective of the comforts of everyday life.

Few people in this country may have heard of Robert Enke before his death. Few might remember more than the fact that he jumped in front of a train but, just as with the revelations from Andre Agassi over the past weeks, his loss reveals a much mismanaged and obscured danger within sport and society at large

Robert Enke (1977 -2009) played for, amongst others, Barcelona, Benfica, Fenerbahce and Hannover 96. He was capped 8 times for his country and was part of the German side that lost in the EURO 2008 Final.

Germany’s friendly against Chile this weekend has been cancelled but the weekend is stocked with other sporting highlights:

Football: England v Brazil

The real theatre takes place thousands of miles from Qatar, where a depleted England side face the eternal Champions-in-waiting Brazil. In Greece, Portugal, Russia and Ireland, 8 teams begin to vie for 4 remaining European qualifying spots at next summer’s World Cup with the culmination of almost 18 months of games coming in Ukraine, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia and France on Wednesday night.

As for the Three Lions, Frank Lampard is the latest member of the original squad to pull out, joining regulars Ferdinand, Gerrard, Ashley Cole, Emile Heskey and David Beckham on the sidelines. Brazil, the favourites for the horizon’s largest spectacle, have seen a couple of withdrawals themselves but still boast as formidable an attacking team as there is in world football. Kaka, Robinho, Luis Fabiano….ring any bells? No Pato but Hulk, the formidable Porto forward, is in line for his first cap.

If there were any doubts as to the value of friendlies, a match-up against arguably the world’s best in foreign climes can only be a positive experience, especially in light of the confidence-building victory over Argentina in Geneva ahead of the 2006 tournament. My money’s on Brazil this time, when it matters not. 2-1.

Rugby Union: England v Argentina

England host the Pumas, twice winners in their last three trips to Twickenham and 3^rd place finishers at the 2007 World Cup, in their penultimate International – they face the Kiwis next weekend – before the start of the 2010 Six nations in February. England, directed by Martin Johnson, have not won the Northern Hemisphere’s premier tournament since 2003 – their longest drought since winning the competition in 1991 after a barren run during the 1980’s – and have looked every part their no. 8 World Ranking in recent fixtures.

Against Australia, a strong defensive performance and stand-out games from Lewis Moody and the returning Jonny Wilkinson couldn’t conceal the lack of ingenuity and creativity from the former World Champions.

The response? Four changes: The marauding no. 8 James Haskell, 35-year old Duncan Bell, Dylan Hartley and Paul Hodgson come in to the side. England’s scrum, without several of it’s integral players, will face a tough challenge against one of the World’s best. They might lose that battle but they win the war, 24-17.

Boxing: Manny Pacquiao v Miguel Cotto

With the fabulous Floyd Mayweather still a large and looming prospect in the pound-for-pound argument, the winner of the winter’s marquee fight will still have to wait for a celebrated confirmation of their ’undisputed’ status. Cotto, the Puerto Rican underdog with his WBO Welterweight title on the line, would struggle to convince in the role of pound-for-pound king; victories over the dangerous Joshua Clottey, the speedy Michael Jennings and modern masters Zab Judah and Shane Mosley, all at Welterweight, have revealed his chin, drive, endurance and persistent power. However, his sole defeat, at the hands of the since disgraced Antonio Margarito, along with his gruelling points win over Clottey, have raised doubts about his pace, consistency and elite status.

Pacquiao, the most exciting and likeable fighter on the planet, can cement his place as the interim p4p champ with a win, another in a succession of fine results following victories over Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Marquez, Oscar de la Hoya and, most recently, Ricky Hatton. He is quicker, more dynamic and in better form than his opponent, and should survive his latest test this Saturday night. Pacquiao to win on points, probably by 3 or 4 rounds, and set up a fight with Mayweather in May or June next year.

So it’s late. I’m watching High Fidelity. You know, the John Cusack ‘finding yourself’ adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel that is probably most notable for Jack Black’s devilishly demonic dancing. It’s good. You’ve seen it but probably don’t remember it or read it and smile at the reference.

Anyway, anyway, anyway…the story revolves around, well, music, but more importantly the perspective of the past, future and present, or as we mortals tend to call it, life. The uncertainties, the insecurities, the mistakes and the moments that fill our weeks, months and years are acutely displayed to the extent that it strikes a chord in the viewer. But this isn’t a movie review. No. Well, it kinda is so far but, like most things in my life, it got me thinking about sport. Sad but true. It’s a curse really.

So let’s complete this rather rambling segue; life is only as good as the last few seconds we have had the pleasure or displeasure of experiencing. Fact. When its bad, all the great occasions that have littered our lives are painful reminders of better days. When it’s good, the most regrettable nadirs of our existence are forgotten or even trivialised. One minute we feel like we are worthless, the next, we are rock stars. Oh the fragility of humanity…

So that’s the psychoanalysis, here’s the basic sports translation…what have you done for me lately?

The marriage of the 24/7 media and the corporate nature of modern, professional sports means that the spotlight is so aggressive, so fierce, so blinding that a individual or team can be horrific or heroic all in the space of a single game. Indeed, one bad performance can render the portfolio of prior work virtually worthless – ask the renaissance man himself David Beckham, or current pariah Rio Ferdinand, just don’t ask Michael Owen, he must be pretty sick of it right now.

And the next few days will provide a few more prime examples of the theory that has managers working part-time and lawyers working over-time. Don’t believe me? Read on dear viewer. Come on. If you got past ‘John Cusack’ you can make it to the finish.

In honour of High Fidelity, which is winding to a close, the top 5 sportsmen with something to prove this weekend: David Haye (more to come on that), Joey Porter (It’s an NFL thing), James Hook (starting at full back as the Welsh try to beat New Zealand for the first time in 56 years), Manuel Pellegrino (If Real lose to cross-town rivals Atletico he could be out of a job) and, naturally, Rafa Benitez.

The fixtures:

David Haye v Nikolay Valuev

The former Cruiserweight, current loquacious and aspiring future Heavyweight champion of the world – or ‘David’ – meets the former circus attraction, current WBA Heavyweight title holder and aspiring actor (seriously) – or ‘Goliath’ – in Germany on Saturday night with Haye trying to become the first British heavyweight champ since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.

Standing in his way, and while doing so probably blocking out the sun, is the 7 foot tall, 22 stone leviathan that makes anyone called ‘big’ John look much more like ‘little’ John. The Russian giant has only ever lost once, a close points defeat to Ruslan Chagaev in 2007, but looked susceptible in beating the 46-year old unretiree Evander Holyfield in Zurich in his last fight.

Haye, a venerable KO specialist, enters the bout as the favourite and has talked a good fight to this point. He has heavy hands but has questionable stamina, can be overaggressive and has been floored a number of times in his career. His opponent – who really should have his name in capitals or something to explain how big he is…VALUEV…there we go – has never been on the floor.

It should be close, it should be brief and there should be a new champion come the final bell. Haye to win by KO in round 4.

Chelsea v Man Utd

United have suffered a dearth of positive results at the home of their main foes over the last couple of years and come into this game 2 points adrift of their Chelsea and with apparent defensive frailties. The Blues have been unstoppable at the Bridge, the class of a seemingly equalized division – not even Portsmouth are as bad as we first thought and the top-4 is as instable as it has been in almost 5 years – and not lost to United at home since 2002. They’ve won every home game to date under Ancelloti while conceding just one goal, in their opening game of the year.

The key to the match? The battle between Didier Drogba and Nemanja Vidic. Vidic has not been the same player since being torched by Fernando Torres at Old Trafford last term, is without mainstay partner Rio Ferdinand and faces arguably the most in-form, dangerous forward in Europe right now.

I like Drogba to win that battle and lead Chelsea to victory. 2-1.

Liverpool v Birmingham

While watching Liverpool’s disheartening and probably disastrous draw in France on Wednesday night, it became clear that Liverpool are three things; A. still a very good team, B. a side devoid of luck and C. the contemporary embodiment of the ‘what have you done for me lately’ culture. Rafa has lead the Reds to 2 Champions League finals (the same as United and one more than Chelsea and Arsenal during the decade), 2^nd place in the Premiership (and only Chelsea and United have won the league during the Spaniard’s tenure) and back into realm of significance of elite world football.

In sport, as in life, a memory is a double edged sword. For now, for this team, a look back at the past should quell the doubters. It wont of course, but it should.November

Liverpool win and, for now, the head-on collision of ‘crisis’ talk in averted. 3-1.