Tonight's Match

International friendlies are normally something that most club fans are at least wary of, with them being often seen as a waste of time and simply a chance for your team's star player to inevitable pick up a long term injury. However, I feel that tonight is different for several reasons.

Firstly the opposition, Brazil, the most successful and probably most consistently exciting national side ever, and this is a Brazil side returning to it's roots. Dunga's functional Brazil of the 2010 world cup seems a distant memory and there is a return to the traditional flair and panache that you expect from Brazil, lead by Neymar, but also illustrated by the re-inclusion of a previously haplessly unfit Ronaldinho. I for one hope they put on a spectacle tonight and really turn on the style.

Secondly I feel this is a very important friendly for Roy Hodgson. Too often I feel that England managers have used friendlies simply to have a look at as many players on the pitch as possible, and personally I feel this is wrong. The rest of the season is the time for observation, given that sparse nature of international matches I want a manager to play what the perceive to be their 1st XI so that they can at least get a chance to play together in what might be an unfamiliar system before, without the pressure of it being during a tournament.

Roy has now has now had over half a season and a major tournament to observe the players, and set out how he wants to take England forward, and his grace period is dwindling. Tonight can be a chance to put down a marker, where he sets out his England having had the preparation time that was not there before the Euros.

Finally from an Arsenal fan's perspective I can't wait to see Jack back in an England shirt. Of course it was his last England match that led to his unfortunate injury and caused him to miss the last year, but he has returned seemingly unscathed, and I believe with the character that he possess he will be able to replicate his club form while performing for his country as many of the golden generation seemed so unable to do.

Anyway, hope the game's a cracker