It's time to cut the Premiership

I don't offer this opinion lightly because I was a player at Crystal Palace the season they decided to relegate four clubs and we finished fourth from bottom.

I just believe it would help ease the problem of too many matches, which definitely puts us at a disadvantage when we are going into international tournaments such as the one this summer in Japan and South Korea.

Look at this weekend as an example. After we've finished tonight we rejoin our clubs and go straight into the Easter programme, which traditionally means two Premiership matches in the space of 48 hours, a tough schedule which is completely unnecessary.

The plus point for the England coaching team this time is that they should have all the necessary information about players' fatigue levels.

All the squad had blood tests yesterday and the results should be exhaustive. We had similar tests last month and the Swedish doctor who administered them will be able to see any difference in levels of minerals, nutrients, protein, and carbohydrates.

The printouts we all received last time were incredibly thorough and this time the expert eye will be able to see if there are any patterns emerging and if so, what to do.

I'm sure though, that all the players selected for tonight's match will be raring to go.

Hopefully I will have the chance to play up against one of Europe's top strikers, Christian Vieri.

It won't be the first time I've played against him though because we were in opposition when England played a World Cup qualifier in Rome and twice more when I was in the Aston Villa side and he was playing for Atletico Madrid and we met in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

He is a very good player, like an oldfashioned centre forward - big, strong, athletic - and he scores lots of goals.

A lot has been made of the situation between Sol Campbell and myself, that we are perhaps competing for one place. But I have to say that, while we all want to play, there is no particular rivalry between the two of us.

I think that all the places at the back are up for grabs and that nothing has been ruled in or out.

All the defenders get on well and those that are not playing do their bit to help those that are. One outstanding young defender, Jonathan Woodgate, has been at the centre of another debate this week and it can't have been an easy decision for the coach to leave him out.

Whatever the outcome he was going to be criticised but perhaps the decision he has made will enable the rest of the squad to concentrate just on the football between now and the beginning of June.

If the decision had gone the other way and Jonathan had been picked it is inevitable he would have been under an intense spotlight.

Perhaps this way he can concentrate on getting back to the top of his game at Leeds and start afresh with England next season.