Things never run smoothly at West Ham. There's always something wrong, whether it's the club, the players, the fans or a mixture of all three, and followers of the club are very rarely content . I similarly am not a happy hammer.

And the worst part of it is, there is no sympathy at all from anywhere else. I recall a time when the East End side were the football man's second team, but since the Carlos Tevez saga, we're very much on football's death wish-list.

I also recall a time when the Hammers played exciting football, even if they did occasionally succumb to 5-0 and 7-1 defeats to the likes of Everton and Blackburn.

But that is what being a West Ham fan is about and at the moment it feels boring to be a West Ham fan. We couldn't have finished any more mid-table in 10th, which tells you something on its own. I actually think many fans would have preferred to have suffered near heart attacks in another relegation scrap than be bored witless by a consistently average campaign.

Fans are split at the moment. There are those in favour of Alan Curbishley and those who are not. Those in favour of the former Charlton boss say that the poor season was due to injuries. That the gaffer did well with what was available and should be remembered for saving us from relegation. The rest say that his football is tedious, like himself, and he will not take the club anywhere higher.

The board created this optimism when they stated their ambitions of Champions League football in coming years. This excited fans, and an apparent 'list' was made of players that the club wished to acquire. This was reportedly a factor behind Lucas Neil's decision to sign for the Londoners ahead of Liverpool, after he saw the names and wanted to be part of what he believed would be a bright future.

I personally am not a fan of Curbishley. I appreciate what he has done for the club, but I think now is the time to move on. The only problem being that he hasn't actually done anything worthy of sacking, so is it the wrong thing to do?

Many believe he will receive the chop if West Ham fail to impress in the opening stages of the season, and punters are already taking bets on where the Hammers will finish up next season.

I don't think Curbishley is right for us. His football is boring, and easy to work out (which happened numerous times last season). But most of all it's himself. He is not going to attract the players the the club wish to acquire.

Not only that, but he just doesn't seem to be trying to sign players. There has been hardly any transfer involvement so far in the window. we've been strongly linked with both Stephen Carr and James Harper- I needn't say any more.

Eidur Gudjohnson and Valon Behrami sounded slightly more promising, but Behrami's agent has laughed off reports that he would sign for West Ham and Gudjohnson has not played for about 10 years.

We have the likes of Keiron Dyer and Craig Bellamy fit again, but how far will they seriously take us? A UEFA Cup challenge? A domestic cup run? I don't know for sure, but I seriously doubt it. Head this way to place your stake on a potential cup-winning side.

I just want something to look forward to as a West Ham fan when the season starts again. Even Alan Pardew managed to raise some eyebrows with the bargain capture of Yossi Benayoun - Curbishley bought Nigel Quashie.

Who knows what will happen. Maybe the boss has something up his sleeve and will surprise everyone with something dramatic and out of the blue. But for now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll lose the opening 5 games of the season and appoint Slaven Bilic as manager... with Paolo Di Canio as his assistant of course.

The last ten years have been a roller-coaster ride for national giants France, but after an early exit in the group stages of the 2008 European Championships, could this be the end of an era?

Things looked promising after a triumph in the 1998 World Cup. The Zinedine Zidane years had taken the world by storm and, after a victorious Euro 2000, the nation became the first side since West Germany in 1974 to hold both the Jules Rimet and European Championship trophies at the same.

But this only made the following four years more painful. The side, still led by Roger Lemerre, failed to score at the World Cup in Japan and were KO'd in the group stages. French legend Jacques Santini succeeded Lemerre whose head was called for immediately after the finals, but Santini could only guide 'Les Bleus' through to the quarter finals of Euro 2004 before resigning.

This is where current coach Raymond Domenech came into the picture frame, though it is unlikely that the 56-year-old will have the title 'coach' for much longer.

Domenech hailed the 0-0 draw with Romania as the catalyst behind their downfall at the championships. Had his side got off to a better start, they may well have had the momentum to carry them through their following fixtures.

But it wasn't to be, and both Italy and Holland made the most of lethargic defending to send them out of the competition.

And with the nation calling for Domenech's head, it seems inevitable that it will indeed happen. Not that, at least in my opinion, he has done an awful lot wrong.

There is nothing more a coach can do than watch as his star player is brought off injured after 7 minutes before his centre-half - only playing because, shortly before kick-off, the 'captain' decided he wasn't in the right frame of mind to play - is sent off for a nudge on a 6ft 5 Italian brick wall who goes down like a sack of spuds.

And in my view, France did not play too badly given the circumstances. Yes, Italy deserved their win and yes, they could have had about 5 goals, but the French never gave up.

At least the nation can now concentrate on building their squad for the coming years. Personally, I think they need a clear out. Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele have announced their retirement from international football today, and several more should be encouraged to follow in their footsteps.

Including Thierry Henry, who, after a less than impressive season at Barcelona, again failed to produce anything close to what he showed in the Premiership.

And perhaps it was Domenech's squad selection that ultimately led him down. I think this is the only thing that I would criticise the man for, but of course it is a highly important aspect for any competition.

His decision to take the injured Patrick Viera to Austria and Switzerland is indeed a mystery. The Inter Milan midfielder failed to make an appearance while a perfectly fit Mathieu Flamini, after a fantastic season at Arsena, probably sat at home and watched.

Along with Philippe Mexes, star Roma defender, who will have been laughing at Eric Abidal and Jean-Alain Boumsong as they produced defensive errors that Titus Bramble would be proud of.

But if the next manager plays his cards right, France could go on to capture their old form in time for World Cup 2010. The nation has rising stars in the likes of Jeremy Menez, Hatem Ben Arfa and Jimmy Briand.

And if Samir Nasri, widely regarded as 'the next Zinedine Zidane', can reach anywhere near the potential that his label says he can, he could be the one to lead them forward.

But for now, it is time for some of the senior members of the squad to ask themselves if they are really up to the task of playing international football.

After the match at the Hawthorns this evening there will be just the one game left for each side in the Coca-Cola Football League Championship and with the automatic and play-off places still very much up for grabs, it looks like it will go right down to the wire. But who will secure their place in the top flight of English football for next season, and how will they fare against some of the best players and teams in the world?

It is a typical assumption that the sides
promoted from the old 'Division One' will be high contenders for relegation the following season. Pundits will forever be proved wrong, but looking at the current top eight in the Championship I cannot see much hope for the optimistic contenders wishing to be part of the 2008/09 Premiership campaign.

West Brom look set to secure promotion with a win in tonight's clash with Southamption and the betting odds are firmly stacked in their favour. Tony Pulis' Stoke are the favourites in the race with Hull to acquire the remaining automatic spot with their final match at home to struggling Leicester, while the next six teams will be left to fight it out in the nerve-racking play-offs. Hull and Bristol City have both secured places and will be favourites to succeed in the mini-competition, while the final two places will be fought out between Watford, Crystal Palace and Wolves - though Ipswich and Sheffield United do have an outside chance.

And while chasing and securing promotion is very exciting, not to mention the massive increase in finance from TV rights, I think it will all be doom and gloom for these sides next season. The winner of the play-offs will no doubt be favourites to finish in the bottom three next season, and I should imagine the other promoted side besides West Brom (probably Stoke) will be a close second. Tony Mowbray's side, I feel, are the most appealing side to prove to be an exception to the rule. However, I still cannot see them mirroring the likes of West Ham and Reading, both of whom looked Premiership quality in their first season back in the top flight (though both indeed found it difficult in their second).

Of course, each manager will have the chance to strengthen his squad during the summer and I'd expect them all to be striving to find that '20-goal-a-season-striker'. That is unless West Brom already think they have that in 34-year-old Kevin Phillips who only scored four goals for Aston Villa last season and, let's face it, isn't really that good anyway. The problem the sides will face, however, is that players may not be particularly excited by the prospect of a relegation scrap all season.

But there is always hope for newly promoted sides, though I think they will have to pin it on their fellow strugglers performing worse than themselves. Under Gary Megson, I cannot see Bolton finding the form they hit under Big Sam and I firmly believe they will be in the thick of things at the bottom next season. The only other sides who my money would be on to struggle next season would be Middlesbrough - though given a couple of signings could quite easily rise to a safe mid-table side - and Fulham, but they look set to drop divisions this season.

You can never quite say what will happen next season and we will have a much better indication after the summer transfer window when the season is underway, but for now I'm sticking to Isaac Newton's hypothesis that "Whatever goes up must come down".

In just 79 days time, the European Championships will be underway with joint hosts Switzerland taking on the Czech Republic. The continent will stop - or maybe just 'sky plus it' - and it looks set to be a magnificent spectacle. But who is your money on to lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy? I took a look at Spain, a side renowned for not fulfilling it's potential, and why they could well be on course for their gold medal in over 40 years.

They have become infamous for prematurely exiting major competitions, but this summer I think La Furia are going to put the record straight. Many will have grown tired of pundits saying this before every competition, and though they are led by controversial character Luis Aragonés, the Spanish national team must not be underestimated. Particularly with the squad consisting of such Premiership stars as Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas and the deadly Fernando Torres,

In saying that, I do not think for one minute that their fellow members of Group D (Greece, Russia and Sweden) will misjudge their ability. I do, however, think that their recent performances could mislead their opponents into a false sense of security.

Because really; could any side that concedes three goals against Northern Ireland actually pose a threat to Italy, the current holders of the famous trophy?

In this case, I think so. Why? Because no matter how many they concede, Spain can score more than any other side in the tournament.

And it isn't just the likes of Torres and David Villa who will be tormenting the opposition defences. Dani Guiza of RCD Mallorca currently sits second top goalscorer in La Liga while seventeen-year-old Bojan Krkic has featured on a regular basis for F.C Barcelona this season making 26 appearances, though he has not yet won a cap for the national side. These four have conjured 71 goals between themselves since the start of the 2007/08 campaign and don't rule legendary Real Madrid striker Raúl out of the equation either. The frontman may be celebrating his 31st birthday in late June, but he has found his old form again for  Los Merengues this year and has looked unstoppable at times.

Goals, therefore, will be the key to Spain's success. Never mind this tactical 4-5-1 business; Luis Aragonés should go all out attack.

But Luis, as he is known in his home country, is the only thing stopping the side from looking unstoppable. The coach has not won a major trophy since lifting the 'Copa del Rey' with Atlético Madrid back in 1992 and only won 6 others in a 30 year managerial spell in the Spanish league (1974-2004).

However, the 69-year-old is set to be replaced as national manager after the European Championships and there is no doubt in my mind that he will want to go out with a bang. He has been in the game for over 50 years and, given his age, may not go on to coach another side. So he has everything to play for, and will surely be motivating his side to do their best for him - providing he finds his false teeth and isn't suffering from alzheimer's.

So, Spain look strong. But that isn't the only reason I'm backing them for success. Their rivals do not look up to much; France did not look overly impressive against England in a friendly back in March and Italy's squad average age is about 42! Germany, odds on favourites in the Euro 2008 betting, do look like strong contenders for the trophy however, and they have my backing to reach the final.

But it will be Iker Casillas to lift the trophy in Vienna on June the 29th if my prediction is correct, and in the meantime let's hope he and his team-mates can make the Englandless European Championships worth watching.

Martin O'Neill has always been praised as one of the top managers in British football, but does he get the credit he deserves? I took a look into his track record at current side Aston Villa to find out what he's doing right, and why the Midlands side could be one of the teams to watch out for in the future of English football.

Since finishing runners-up to Manchester United in the inaugural Premiership season 16 years ago, The Villans hovered in mid-table anonymity under the stewardship of much maligned former chairman Doug Ellis. However, with the motivational O'Neill at the helm and his backing from the new board, I think the club may well be on the verge of adding to their proud history.

Upon appointment, O'Neill admitted that 'Trying to restore it [Aston Villa] to its days of former glory seems a long way away' but also added 'why not try?' Followers of the club were optimistic, and the former Celtic boss hasn't disappointed. He may not have picked up any silverware during his 20 month spell, but I think he has got the club right where he wants it.

Despite fairly strong finishes in the top flight under the likes of John Gregory and David O'Leary, Villa were a side that clubs looked forward to playing against. But I believe O'Neill has changed this, and there are not many teams that go to Villa Park expecting to come away with anything. The mental aspect of football is very well documented in the modern game, and the man seems to be something of an expert in the matter. For example, his ability to produce a team that is greater than the sum of it's parts stands out against the free-spending habits of his contemporaries. This was evident in his five-year reign at Leicester and this season in steering his thin squad on the road to a UEFA Cup qualifying place.

Villa are now recognised as one of the top teams in the game and football fans are beginning to take note of their progress. So much so that England boss Fabio Capello will travel to Birmingham in order check the progress of some of his stars.

Their push for a UEFA Cup spot is still very much alive after an emphatic win in the Birmingham Derby today, and this should help them in the up-coming transfer market. O'Neill's phone will surely already be ringing with agents offering their clients to the club should they secure the European berth.

The summer is a time where chairman Randy Lerner needs to splash the cash in order to match O'Neill's and Gareth Barry's ambitions, and they should think big. Barry may be excited by the prospect of Liverpool's Peter Crouch, but also less inspired by the prospect of West Ham's John Pantsil, both of whom have been linked. Last year the gaffer attracted such quality as John Carew and Ashley Young to the club, but this time around he needs to go one step further.  He is the right man to do this, and given a few big signings,  I would certainly advise checking the betting odds on a top-five finish for his side next season.

Fans of other dark-horses Everton and Portsmouth may disagree, but I do not see Moyes and Redknapp being able to keep up with the pace of O'Neill. They, along with the other remaining Premiership clubs, should take note of Aston Villa's motto. They should be 'Prepared'.

The Villa faithful are thankful that the F.A overlooked O'Neill for the England job and they have become rapturous in their praise for what he has done for the club. Only Manchester United have scored more goals at home in the Premiership and no team has scored more away. Few who looked at the small roster of players on the squad page for the pre-season friendly against Inter Milan would have believed they would reach such dizzy heights. But producing teams that overachieve is the hallmark of O'Neill's career to date and with the promise of more quality and depth amongst the personnel, Villa's fans have every reason to be optimistic.