ENGLAND'S failure to beat Italy in the men's Euro final last Sunday thwarted what would have been an immediate bullseye for the Football Association. The English governing body recently launched a national strategy making it a target for their men's and women's national teams to win a major tournament within the next six years.

Close, but no Toscano cigar amidst a backdrop of chaotic, violent scenes inside and outside Wembley seven nights ago. Logically the next target should be the women's Euros next summer – with England again enjoying home advantage.

But, no. As previously mentioned here, Baroness Campbell of Loughborough, the FA's director of women's football, regards the Olympics as fair game for the strategy as well. The tournament gets underway for Team FA on Wednesday when Chile are the opponents in Saporro, ahead of Friday's opening ceremony in Tokyo.

The Baroness made it crystal clear at a press conference earlier this year that Olympic gold would tick the FA's box of winning a major tournament. This despite any success being achieved with the help of two Scottish players and one from Wales.

To keep the absurd pretence alive that this is “Team GB” as opposed to Team FA, two of the three – Kim Little and Sophie Ingle – have been named as captains along with Steph Houghton. When three players are chosen to wear the armband, the FA really are scraping the barrel to convince the gullible of the charade that will be played out in Japan's empty stadiums.

They are also, in their arrogance, trolling other European nations and players. Neither Scotland nor Wales qualified for the Olympics, yet players from these countries have been handed high-profile roles.

The double-standard of the four home nations competing in their own right at World Cups and Euros, yet also choosing to morph into “Great Britain” for the Olympics, is breathtaking. It can only be a matter of time before it is called out.

Security arrangements, meanwhile, for next summer's Euros are presumably being hastily reappraised following Sunday's ugly scenes in London. For sure, there will be a much more civilised audience at the women's games, but equally the appetite of the racist English football hooligan to cause mayhem can never be underestimated.

It can also be assumed that England's bid to host the 2030 men's World Cup is now nestling on the seabed alongside what remains of the Titanic.

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THERE could be as many as four female head coaches in Scotland's top flight next season.

Aberdeen's promotion has elevated Emma Hunter into SWPL1 to join the league's longest-standing head coach, Spartans' Debbi McCulloch.

They will now, assuming a work permit is granted, be joined by Spaniard Eva Olid. Hearts put out a statement to that effect last Sunday, but Brexit has made the process more complicated than it would otherwise have been.

To say that Olid will arrive in Scotland under the radar is putting it mildly. She has a Uefa pro licence, but has largely been involved with low profile sides in Catalonia and the United States.

Hearts' sporting director, Joe Savage, acknowledged that Olid's brief involvement with Houston Dynamo was not at first team level, but said: “She was unbelievable in her (Zoom) interview and the presentation she put forward.

“How she got the footage I don't know, but she had analysed two of our games against Motherwell last season – one in November and one in May. The detail was absolutely brilliant.

“She's a Uefa pro licence coach, so she's got the highest qualification in football. I think she'll be a breath of fresh air.”

Savage, who said the position had attracted many high calibre candidates, believes more female head coaches should be employed at a top level. That is echoed at Glasgow City.

Scott Booth departs for Birmingham City on July 27, which means the Scottish champions are likely to start the new season with a very experienced interim (male) head coach. But chief executive Laura Mongomery has stated that the club's target is to bring a female in as the permanent solution.

Booth's predecessor Eddie Wolecki Black, meanwhile, is the new Forfar Farmington head coach – the fourth SWPL1 club he has managed.

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YET another unwanted milestone passed on Monday when it became 200 days since Scotland had a permanent head coach. It is now 206, but I understand that – finally – there is likely to be an appointment this week.

The long-running saga, I also believe, has taken another twist. The senior players have been informed that the expected outcome is now unlikely to happen.