"Why In The Name of Hod Hasn't He Been Picked?" by John May of the Southampton ECHO

BERMUDA, Barbados, or even good old Benidorm. All places Matthew Le Tissier could be heading
for to spend his summer holidays.

Because you can bet one place he won't want to be anywhere near is France.

Yesterday's decision by Glenn Hoddle to leave Le Tissier out of the squad for the friendly against
Saudi Arabia and the Hassan II International Cup matches with Morocco (May 27) and Belgium (May
29) was as clear a message as you can get that The Weaver will not be casting his spells over the
World Cup.

It turned out that the so-called Special Relationship between Le Tissier and England boss Glenn
Hoddle was about as special as that between a fox and a hen.

The England boss is a man who has found his God but won't be forgiven by Saints supporters for
forsaking theirs.

Not surprisingly a number were straight on the telephone to The Daily Echo yesterday reacting with
anger and disbelief at the news.

For them, the World Cup won't seem quite the same. Three Lions on the Shirt won't quite mean the
same for Saints fans now that Hoddle has shown the courage of a pussy cat in leaving their hero
behind.

It now looks as though that there-cent B International, in which Le Tissier scored a hat-trick against
Russia, was another part of Hoddle's Mata Hart act, a deceptive piece of tokenism designed to string
Le Tissier along into thinking he had a hope, when all along Hoddle's mind was already made up.

As long as people go to football matches, debate will rage over Le Tissier, whose treble for England
B only last month and improved club form had propelled him back into the national limelight.

Just as it does over Paul Gascoigne - a player Hoddle admitted on TV two nights ago is still having
personal problems.

So who is the bigger risk? A player who is often chided for an apparent lack of physical cidut, or one
who we now discover puffs 20 gaspers a day? A great example to kids and ideal preparation for the
gruelling latter stages of a sapping tournament.

No footballer engenders more debate than Le Tisser and the contributors to it divide starkly into two
camps.

What is sure is that a little bit of football romance died in the national team yesterday.

It slammed the front door to the Finals soundly shut in Le Tissier's face. Now only the back door
route of possible injury or suspension to one of his chief rivals remains ajar.

It's a sad day when there's no room for skills sublime and silky in an England team. And that from a
manager who knows more than most what it's like to possess sumptuous talents which were often
not appreciated by the national team manager.

Still, we can always look to the likes of David Batty and Dion Dublin to provide the insight, vision and
locksmith's skill to unpick the world's tightest defences.

Who knows what might have happened had The Weaver listened to Michel Platini's siren call to
share their common ancestry a few years back?

Then again, France have contrived to leave out David Ginola.

Le Tissier's not the type to throw bad eggs and wherever he's sunning the soles of his feet he'll be
cheering for England. But you must excuse him a wry little chuckle if England lose out to Germany
because somebody can't stick away a penalty.

England squad:

Seaman (Arsenal), Walker (Tottenham), Martyn (Leeds), Flowers (Blackburn), G Neville (Man Ltd), P
Neville (Man Ltd), Southgate (Aston Villa), Adams (Arsenal), Keown (Arsenal), Campbell
(Tottenham), Le Saux (Chelsea), Hinchcliffe (Sheff Wed), R Ferdinand (West Ham), Beckham (Man
Ltd), Ince (Liverpool), Lee (Newcastle), Gascoigne (Middlesbrough), Batty (Newcastle), Butt (Man
Ltd), Redknapp (Liver-pool), Scholes (Man Ltd), Anderton (Tottenham), Merson (Middlesbrough),
McManaman (Liverpool), Shearer (Newcastle), Sheringham (Man Ltd), Owen (Liverpool), Dublin
(Coventry), Wright (Arsenal), L Ferdinand (Spurs).