Eurovision

European football. The Holy Grail for many who invest in football clubs, the upwardly mobile type. The kind of clubs who think they have the top flight sussed and are ready to hire Steve Bruce to take them to the next level. England is ready to send an unusual type of club into the second tier of Europe's 'elite' to represent what Manchester City would no doubt term - their brand. Quite honestly - it would be better to send Jedward!

The Premier League has become akin to an accountants balance sheet which can be broken into by brute force. Fair to say that there are no easy matches, but that does not mean that the bar has been raised in terms of the skill level.

Stoke, Newcastle, Bolton and Blackburn have built a house on the physical, the intimidation of not so strong officials who are willing to 'let things go' in favour of letting the game flow - making the rules up as they go along to please TV and press.

It is fair to say that without such liberal officiating it there would be a handful of red cards in every game and England's product would lack the punch, perhaps literally, that the watching public has come to expect.

Now that the season has ended we see that Stoke City and Birmingham City (relegated) will be England's representatives in the Europa League alongside Tottenham, who are unlikely to play their strongest team because of Premier League ambitions.

In the meantime - those who had pushed the top sides to the limit at the higher end of the table (Liverpool and Everton in this case) go unrewarded.

Peter Scudamore made the headlines this week in the Daily Mail when floating the idea of a Champions League playoff for such sides. Not the worst idea in the world - but lets just get the basics right. If you allow a system that rewards the best - keep it consistent. Reward the building of a team and a club - not a lottery winner (in the case of Fulham/Blackpool) or those who staked more than they should in terms of a cup run.

Elitist so it may seem, football appears to change the rules the lower down the leagues you go. The Europa League can withstand the cup-winner (or bizarrely the runner -up) while the Champions League must be held sacred. The Championship can withstand the 7th place team taking the glory of the 3rd place team - while the Premier League is held sacred.

There needs to be a table that rewards the best football. Not just the passing sides - but those who have the balance. Perhaps the idea of a Super League is not so wide of the mark. Football changes its rules when it feels it necessary. Maybe it is time to look deeper at who achieves what and who deserves to represent the so-called top-flight.

In the final analysis of the results of the top seven teams in the Premier League when they have played each other this season, you find that Everton were in second place behind Man Utd in an imaginary mini-league.

At the other end of the table, Blackpool having only been in the bottom 3 for 22 days this season were relegated, but have given a lot of pleasure to a lot of football supporters this season with their gung-ho mentality.

Ian Holloway's side came as close to revolutionising football as any team can. Giving hope to footballers everywhere went unrewarded. Perhaps teams like Blackpool should be allowed years to cultivate their brand of football club - to be give hope to the English game that only one year ago was 'determined' to do things differently.

Perhaps the Championship play-offs should include those Premier League sides finishing 17th, 18th and 19th to allow some kind of continuity. The options are limitless.

A country that worships a frantic-adrenalin-rush-instant-gratification product will forever be doomed at international level.

Mike Tyson recently referred to himself, Sonny Liston and Jack Dempsey as great champions who are dinosaurs in the modern era. He claimed that the new breed of boxers are too smart and would destroy them. So it goes for England's chances at a World Cup until it champions its real football and drives out the military-style pro-zone fanatics who will be just as outdated as last year's Apple product as the next big tournament comes around.