In our area of London, national flags have hung in shop windows, kids have worn team shirts 24/7 and, after a couple of Euro 2008 games, complete bedlam broke out.    

The main road was blocked by dancing crowds and horn-blowing cars raced around the side streets with youngsters hanging out of the windows. The parties have gone on almost until dawn.      

For England fans, watching our Turkish neighbours' unbelieving joy at their team's Houdini acts on the pitch has been as close as we've got to taking part in the tournament.

But I would bet that for most, this has been the most enjoyable European championship or World Cup since Euro 96 and that night we beat the Dutch.     

Jingoism and club loyalty have been put away for the duration and very cleansing it has been too. In the pubs, you hear fans talking about foreign teams and individual players in an overwhelmingly positive fashion, although Cristiano Ronaldo and Jens Lehmann could be the exceptions to that.       

Instead of sitting on the sofa debating the recovery rates of metatarsals, swearing at Sven's lack of daring and working out just when we would be knocked out on penalties, England fans have been able to watch most games dispassionately and marvel at the skills of the foreign players.     

We have been doing that for years, of course, in the Premier League. But Euro 2008 has shown up the shortcomings of the self-styled best league in the world and also explains why England never achieve any success.     

The speed at which the English game is played creates a great atmosphere but the speed of thought and deed displayed by teams like the Dutch and Russians, and Portugal in flashes, is rarely seen in the Premier League.

The passing angles and switching of the point of attack in some games were almost an epiphany to those brought up on Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard - to name the best rather than the worst.     

Touch and the ability to bring the ball under control whether it comes to you at chest height, to your midriff or straight to your feet is something most English players lack, and yet it is something German players, for instance, seem to be born with.     

And to return to the Turkish team, England's players just do not feel the same way about representing their country as those men did, and it shows on the pitch. The cream of English football talk the talk about their pride in pulling on the shirt, but do they really feel the same way about it as Fatih Terim's charges or Bastian Schweinsteiger?      

Club football is all that matters in England and even national coach Fabio Capello will find it hard to change that. 

Robert Woodward, London  

PHOTO: Spain's Daniel Guiza celebrates his goal during the Euro 2008 semi-final against Russia in Vienna, June 26. REUTERS/Robert Zolles

This thought is triggered by speculation that Jose Mourinho might be persuaded to take over the England job following Steve McClaren, and by Paul Sturrock's return to Plymouth Argyle.

Mourinho obviously has the necessary coaching credentials to manage England having won league titles in Portugal (Porto) and England (Chelsea), and his ability to change a game with an inspired substitution would be manna from heaven for England fans.

But Mourinho appears to have a low boredom threshold, does not suffer fools or criticism gladly, and often talks his way into trouble. Would he be able to deal with the great and good of the Football Association, the long gaps between internationals and the lack of preparation time with his squad?

He reminds me of Brian Clough, the unguided missile of the 1970s. Great manager, possibly the best in post-war English league soccer, but ignored by England much to many people's disgust. The FA mandarins knew Clough would be out of their control and, with hindsight, it is almost certain his appointment would have ended in tears.

Now to Sturrock who returned this week for his second spell in charge at the mighty Argyle. Sturrock is a maestro at inspiring English lower division clubs to promotion -- he took Plymouth up and then left them near the top of the third tier from where they clinched another promotion.

He led Sheffield Wednesday up to the Championship (second division) and then guided Swindon Town to promotion.

But the Scot failed spectacularly on his one attempt at Premier League management at Southampton. He was in charge for just 13 games and appeared to alienate the players, supporters and the club's chairman before being shown the door.

What does all this prove? Perhaps that a club or country needs to be sure their manager is a "good fit", something Newcastle United and Sam Allardyce might have considered before linking up.

Also, if a club find the right man, like Arsenal with Arsene Wenger and Manchester United have proved for 21 years with Alex Ferguson, they should stick with him through thick and thin.

Robert Woodward, London.  A proud Argyle fan

PHOTO: Jose Mourinho while Chelsea boss REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Those looking for clues about who will succeed Alex Ferguson when his fist is finally prised from the Old Trafford tiller should keep a close watch on Mark Hughes this Sunday.
 
Hughes's Blackburn Rovers side travel to play Manchester United lying sixth, having lost just once this season. That is the same number of defeats as second-placed United and Rovers have conceded as few goals as league leaders Arsenal - nine.
 
Hughes is 9-2 favourite to take over from Ferguson who celebrated 21 years in charge of United during the week. William Hill have former United captain and Sunderland manager Roy Keane and Fergie's assistant Carlos Queiroz as 11-2 second favourites.
 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill, until recently strongly fancied to take over from Ferguson, is 8-1. 
 
In three years under Hughes, Blackburn have become one of those sides no Premier League opponents want to visit. In many ways there are a mirror of Hughes as a player - tough, direct and with a never-say-die spirit.
 
Hughes had two lengthy spells at United, the latter under Ferguson, when they won two league titles and two FA Cups, and the former striker remains a favourite of the Old Trafford crowd despite "defecting" to Chelsea in 1995.
 
But there is so much more to being United manager than ticking a few boxes. The directors believe their club is the biggest in the world and Bobby Charlton, for one, can remember what a long time the club needed to clean up the mess that followed Matt Busby's departure.

So how does Hughes match up against Fergie?
 
Would he command respect from the players? Certainly, and this respect would be enhanced by his success as a player. Look at how well Robbie Savage has behaved this season at Blackburn.
 
Is he tough enough to take on the prima donnas of modern football? As with Ferguson, Hughes is not one to take insubordination lightly. Take a look at those eyes.
 
Has he got the football brain to keep United at the top?
Probably. He has constructed a decent side at Blackburn with several astute purchases and he can spot a good player - David Bentley being a prime example. But Ferguson was already successful at Aberdeen and Hughes has yet to take that step up.
 
Has he got the temperament to run United? One of the most impressive aspects of Hughes as a manager is how the player they knew as "Sparky" has controlled his temper. He wears both success and failure well.
 
Lastly, would he be able to avoid the tabloid pitfalls that have done for so many managers? Yes. Hughes's feet seem firmly planted on the ground and his private life is just that, private.
 
So, there you have it, Hughes for United -- if Roy Keane doesn't get there first, of course.

Robert Woodward, London

PHOTO:Blackburn Rovers' coach Mark Hughes gestures during their English Premier League match against Arsenal, Aug. 19 REUTERS/Nigel Roddis

A visit to Liverpool on Sunday is followed by a home game against champions Manchester United on November 3 and if Arsenal take four or more points, talk of a 14th league title will be hard to avoid in north London.

Twelve wins on the trot is never to be sniffed at and Arsene Wenger's skilful young side have played through, round and over opponents at exceptional pace this season to score 39 goals in all competitions and concede just six.

But they have yet to meet one of English soccer's traditional powers and Liverpool, pragmatic rather than pretty, will show whether the new Arsenal have the stuff of which champions are made.

If you had earned a pound for every time Arsene Wenger had talked about Arsenal's mental strength over the past 2-3 years, you might be able to afford one of the flash new flats at the Emirates Stadium.

For much of that period the Frenchman seemed to be talking more in hope than expectation. This season, the obvious pleasure the team gets from gutting the opposition has been matched by their self-belief and physical toughness.

No one picks on midfield fulcrum Cesc Fabregas any more and, just like the Liverpool side in the 1980s and Manchester United in the 1990s, the Gunners have developed the knack of winning games with late goals.

Fulham (2-1 after being 1-0 down until the 83rd minute),  Manchester City (1-0 with a goal in the 80th), Tottenham 3-1 (goals in the 81st and 90th minutes), Newcastle 2-0 (goals in the 83rd and 89th minutes) and Sunderland 3-2 (a winner in the 81st minute) were all victories that show Arsenal are developing the killer instinct.

The desire to score the perfect goal, personified by Thierry Henry before his close season departure, is still evident but might have been satisfied in the second half against Prague.

"We will not always have five or six chances in the big games for one goal. In the big games you need ‘one chance, one goal' or ‘two chances, one goal'," Wenger said this week.

Liverpool will do extremely well to limit this Arsenal side to just two chances.

PHOTO: Cesc Fabregas celebrates after scoring against Slavia Prague during Arsenal's Champions League Group H match at the Emirates Stadium, October 23, 2007. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Six months ago, Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said appointing Sammy Lee to replace Sam Allardyce was a case of taking a key man out of the team and replacing him with someone better.

That always looked like a rose-spectacled view of Big Sam's departure and on Wednesday Lee left the club by mutual consent.
 
From Bolton's first game this season, a 3-1 home defeat by Newcastle, the bloody-minded team spirit and defensive nous developed under Allardyce was missing, and Lee has struggled to explain how he was going to improve matters.
 
Like Phil Neal and Brian Kidd before him, perhaps Lee should have stayed an assistant as he was to Graeme Souness at Liverpool and Sven-Goran Eriksson with England.

An industrious midfielder with more than his fair share of skill in the great Liverpool side of the 1980s, Lee had plenty to offer younger players on the training field.

But Sammy found it hard to move from "do what I do" to "do what I say" when he took over as manager and it appeared Gary Speed was one of those who had given up listening.

To make matters worse, the move from tracksuit to suit did not help Lee. With his tie jammed under his chin, the youthful manager too often looked like a teenager heading for his first prom and on the touchline he cut an unconvincing figure. 

Bolton are second from bottom of the Premier League with just one victory in nine games and a second win was long-odds at leaders Arsenal this weekend.

As Who Ate All the Pies put it:

"It's not just poor results that have led to the manager's demise -- he's struggled to give Bolton a new game plan, argued with senior players like Nolan and suffered a mutiny among coaching staff with Gary Speed stepping down from his role at the weekend."

Who will Bolton go for as a replacement? At The Wanderer, the early favourite is Paul Jewell ("assuming Mourinho or Capello don't fancy the job", as one poster put it). Whoever it is, the new coach may find it just as hard to persuade players like Nicolas Anelka that Bolton are a club going places post-Big Sam.

Robert Woodward, London

PHOTO: Sammy Lee reacts during Bolton's Premier League match against West Ham at Upton Park, May 5, 2007. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Following the 3-2 defeat of Sunderland on Sunday, Wenger looked ahead to the 10-day international break involving about 15 of his multi-national squad. "They will come back after playing two games with a lot of pressure on because many countries now play decisive games.
"Then when you come back, you play straight away in the championship and the Champions League again. It is too much."

Too much pressure, Arsene? It is only October, your boys are top of the Premier League, playing wonderful football, scoring at will and are as happy as ever, except for injured German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, of course.

After winning their first two Champions League games, Arsenal know they will have to implode spectacularly not to qualify for the knock-out stages so there's not much to worry about on that front until next year.

Sure, some of them will be playing in important European Championship qualifiers in the next seven days. But on the plus side most of them have been living abroad so long that flying home and being able to speak their own language should give them a real boost. And if they have young kids, the peace and quiet will come in pretty handy too.

Personally, I think Wenger was worried about the reception his five French players were likely to get from Thierry Henry ahead of the Faroes Islands and Lithuania qualifiers. Henry's departure has plainly liberated players like Mathieu Flamini and Dutchman Robin van Persie, and has allowed Arsenal to develop other routes to goal.

The striker would not be human if he didn't hope Arsenal would miss him so he'll probably have Flamini, Abou Diaby and Bakary Sagna carrying his kit and cleaning his boots, just so they don't forget the man who used to be king.

Robert Woodward, London

PHOTO: Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas celebrates with Mathieu Flamini after scoring against Sevilla in the Champions League, Sep 19 REUTERS/Dylan Martinez