Referees need appliance of science

I'M TRYING hard not to think which four teams I would prefer to see in the semi-finals. England, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Portugal, Argentina, Spain. They all deserve to go on to this stage.

Of the games played last week I liked the Argentina v Holland match best. Both teams had already qualified but despite a goalless draw they gave each other a good contest which was fun to watch. The Dutch defence were tremendous in taming Argentina's attacking force who are one of the most formidable at this World Cup.

The same with the Serbia v Ivory Coast game. Both teams lost chances to qualify but they showed great performances on the pitch. In the end I felt quite sorry they were not through to the last 16.

The Portugal v Mexico game was also interesting. Again in this match refereeing was a big issue. The referee first wanted to award Mexico a penalty but then suddenly changed his mind and red-carded the Mexican player. I keep wondering why it should always go to such extremes? A penalty for one side or red card for another. There was no deliberate dive in that situation. No penalty? OK, but no red card either. The rest of the game was destroyed. That was unnerving: before that episode both teams played really well.

Penalties, red cards, goals unnoticed by the referees, dubious offsides - all this is a tragedy for some teams and has spoiled some games for fans. But there is a solution. I believe that in future technical innovations like microchips in balls and players' boots may well solve at least part of the problem. Sooner or later football will borrow some of the methods used in ice hockey where there's a special referee behind each goal with a specific remit to watch if the puck crossed the line or not. In the most complicated cases the referee watches the action again on a replay.

There have been suggestions, too, that penalties in football should be taken from 17 not 11 metres which would turn them from 'capital punishments' into just very good scoring chances.

Despite all this, I still believe that the negatives in football - like strange refereeing (and I sadly missed Graham Poll's blunder), suspicious results and the like, as we have seen alleged in Italy - do not affect football as much as some people believe. Trying to bribe referees or fix matches may only slightly help those who use such shady tricks but it will also denigrate them forever. In the end, the stronger team will always prevail. And luck will be on the stronger team's side.

Watching the best teams in the world I keep thinking what I could bring from their performance into Hearts' mode of playing. First of all, modern football is fast and physical fitness dominates the everything. A player can't show all his skill if he's not physically ready give his all to a game. Football has changed a lot in the last 10 years. It used to be slower and demanded much less energy.

And now look how teams, especially those from Africa, are rushing into attack with almost all players participating. On many occasions it's a goalkeeper who starts the attack and the ball is delivered to the opponents' box without the slightest delay in midfield.

Then I expected much tougher play with more bad tackles. It's significant because at the World Cup most matches are quite emotional. Yet we haven't seen a single fist fight. That's really surprising. I hope to see this trend continued in the Scottish Premier League.

But most of all the games at the World Cup teach us about high-spirited football and how to fight to the end and win. I didn't quite manage to watch all the games last week (I was on a trip to the far north of Russia). I must also admit that I've failed to fall in love with a single team which I could definitely name as the certain future world champions.

England seem to have a very promising squad this time and I hope they come through - at least to the final. Michael Owen's injury is a setback but not a decisive one since Wayne Rooney is rapidly coming to his best form. I also have some special feelings towards such teams as Ukraine - in the past part of the USSR, my former country - and the Czech Republic because we have four players from that country at Hearts.

But teams from Eastern Europe haven't achieved much at this World Cup. I think football is exceptionally hard work and in the end the teams from the Czech Republic and Serbia weren't prepared for it. Yet you can only achieve something if your hard work is inspired. Only inspiration gives players the power to play creative and strong football for all 90 minutes of the game. From my point of view that was missing for the Czechs and Serbs and it turned out to be crucial.

Andrei Shevchenko is certainly a big star whatever the Ukraine team's final place will be. To me, he did the right thing in moving to Chelsea. He's close to the end of his professional career and deserved to be given another good chance to finish it in a different premier league, in fact wherever he wants to.

I generally think that for each player there's a moment when it's time for them to go. I heard an opinion that Milan only allowed his move because Shevchenko isn't all that great any more. But my feeling is that in his new team he'll shine again as he used to in Italy. For him it means new challenges, new ambitions, and new football ideas. It's possible that we'll see a new Shevchenko.

There are also players at the World Cup who've attracted my attention as possible reinforcements and signings for Hearts. But don't ask me to give their names.

I'll keep that one a secret until I actually sign them.

Taken from the Scotsman