England are to passing what Poland are to stadium roof closing.

Wayne Rooney looks average at international level and seems unlikely to improve as he gets older.

Jagielka and Lescott are an accident waiting to happen.

If Michael Carrick is – as the commentator hopefully eulogised – “one of the best passers in the country” then heaven help us.

The bottom line is that we have a very average crop of players and are lucky to be drawn in a weak qualifying group.

And it’s becoming obvious that our players look good every Saturday because they have better foreign team mates to pass to.

Roy Hodgson is a decent tactician but he’ll have to be an alchemist to turn this lot into anything more than a side which bores its way into a plucky quarter final defeat.

But enough about our international woes – let’s get back to the real business of how we can play up our cash made from successfully predicting the Poland draw.

One price jumps out at me from the Championship and that’s Leicester at 13/10 to beat Birmingham at St Andrews.

The Foxes should be even shorter for this.

They are on a five game winning streak compared to the Blues who are in turmoil having won only one of the last four including a 5-0 home humiliation by Barnsley

The Premier League fixtures look a pretty tight bunch this weekend but there could be a bit of value at 8/5 on Spurs to see off Chelsea at White Hart Lane.

Andre Villas Boas has braved out the early season wobbles and seems to have the squad on side playing to his system.

Tottenham seem a team on the up while Chelsea have been flattered a bit so far with a series of scrappy wins.

Fernando Torres has certainly picked-up the English technique in his time here and now looks like a man who needs six chances to score one.

Gareth Bale is on fire at the moment and I can see him tipping the balance in this one so two singles and a double it is then on Spurs and Birmingham.

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Running Total for all 2012 bets to a £10 stake:   +£241.00