View from St Gallen

The sunshine is excruciating.

I'm sat here up in the stands of the brand-spanking new AFG Arena in St Gallen watching 20-odd blokes in red T-shirts and navy blue shorts running about on lush green grass.

I'm sweating cobs in the press box. God only knows how they arer coping in the sweltering heat.

The AFG I suppose best resembles Coventry City's Ricoh Arena, although it probably holds around 20,000 rather than closer to 30,000.

The line of executive boxes along the main stand are impressive.

A shopping mall is underneath, and a casino. I wonder how many of these players have spotted the staircase behind the goal to my left with "Grand Casino" in big letters?

Marlon Harewood and John Carew have taken off their shirts to reveal boxers' physiques.

They are in a foursome with Craig Gardner and Moustapha Salifou in a passing drill watched closely by Seamus McDonagh.

In fact all the senior pros are split into groups of four with the younger lads on the far side of the pitch doing some stretching exercises under the scrutiny of Martin O'Neill, who looks to be the only man in the stadium wearing tracksuit bottoms, and John Roberston.

We're 45 minutes in and the players are now taking a well-earned drinks break.

The cones are being collected. Wayne Routledge and Ashley Young are joined by Harewood in a game of keepy-uppy. Salifou is doing some stomach exercises. As if his washboard isn't flat enough?

Routledge yelps like anm excited puppy. I think one of the other two has dropped the ball.

Stiliyan Petrov has the best idea. He's sat down a yard or two away topping up his tan.

With a game tomorrow afternoon in Zurich and a swimming pool session booked this afternoon, the session is brought to an end.

I've got a relatively free afternoon then. Just have to file a couple of tales for the Saturday Mail garnered from last ngiht's 6-0 win in Wil.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it.