Hello again.

This past week has revolved around England’s must-win qualifier against Andorra in Barcelona. Having covered the historic Under 21s game versus Italy at the new Wembley last Saturday, I flew early the following morning to Spain.

I was excited by the trip, and not just because this was my first visit to the beautiful Catalan capital. What had originally seemed a rather predictable banker against one of world football’s minnows had now become a game of huge importance for England. They had to win, and win well, to convince the fans, and relieve some of the pressure after the disappointing result in Tel Aviv.

Having checked in, I met up with a local cameraman, and returned to Barcelona airport, hoping to film the England squad as they flew in from Tel Aviv. Usually, the players avoid the glare of the media when they arrive at airports, but here in Spain, the word was that England would come through Arrivals with other passengers. Unfortunately, as the assembled media waited intently with their lenses focused firmly towards the doors, behind us, outside the terminal, we sensed a commotion. To our dismay, the England coach, along with a police escort, was calmly driving by, having slipped through a more discreet exit.

“Follow that coach” we shouted at the bemused Catalan cabbie, as England’s cavalcade disappeared into the sunset. Having been hindered by a taxi with a maximum speed of 50 kmh, and some unlucky traffic lights, we eventually caught England up, just as they arrived at their hotel.

Our race through Barcelona was worth it in the end. Within an hour we were feeding the pictures of the squad’s arrival back to London via satellite from a Spanish TV channel. This meant that Sky Sports News had the first fresh shots of the team since the disappointing draw to Israel 24 hours earlier. It was then time to meet up with my colleagues who’d just arrived from Tel Aviv; producer Alan Myers, reporter Nick Collins, and cameramen Simon Seager and Ben Bregman.

The following morning, having aborted a plan to travel into the Pyrenees for some filming in Andorra, Simon and I went to the Olympic Stadium where the game would be played. Home to La Liga side Espanyol, the ground sits high on a hilltop above the city. An imposing 55,000 seater arena, the stadium staged much of the 1992 Olympics. In fact, the running track on which Linford Christie won Olympic Gold for Great Britain in the 100m was still there. The stadium may have a rich sporting heritage, as emphasised by the Olympic torch which proudly sits high above one of the stands, but it has a strange feel to it. Scaffolding covers much of the exterior, and there are signs of wear and tear wherever you look.

A large part of my role in the Catalan capital would be to cover the story of England’s fans. A large contingent was expected in Barcelona for the game, around 16,000, so it was important we spoke to them before and after the match. I interviewed several supporters who’d come for a sneak preview of the ground, and filed two reports, one for the evening, the other for the next morning, on how the fans were feeling ahead of the match.

An important part of my remit in international weeks is to cover the opposition. Usually this is relatively straight-forward. Most countries’football federations have dedicated media departments, willing to help you set up interviews with their star players, and give you information on their team. With Andorra it wasn’t quite so easy. Ranked 163rd in the world alongside the Solomon Islands, football is strictly part-time in the Pyrenees. Having spent several weeks trying to establish communication with their press office, I finally met up with the team as they arrived in Barcelona after a 3 hour drive from the mountains.

Having attended England training at the Olympic stadium, and a press conference by Steven Gerrard and John Terry, I then went to the Andorran training session, and secured an exclusive interview with Oscar Sonejee, the country’s most capped player. The Indian-born defender, who by day works as an insurance clerk, told me he believed his team could cause one of football’s greatest upsets against England. He also said he wished the game could be played at their tiny home ground back in Andorra, but that it was the right decision to agree to switch it to neutral territory given the amount of fans expected from England.

It was hard not to like the Andorrans. All of them were amateur players. Even the coach David Rodrigo, had to make ends meet by running the national women’s team on the side. This was a different universe to the one inhabited by most international players, and they knew it. There were no pretensions. They realised they’d almost certainly be beaten. After all, they’d played 22 Euro qualifiers in their history and lost every one! And yet they were fiercely proud of their small country, and intent on giving it their best.

The day of the game had arrived, and Barcelona was awash with England fans, all desperate to see goals and lots of them. England had put five past Andorra in one match in September. Now Steve McClaren’s men had scored just one goal in five matches, so the pressure was on.

Having spent a few hours interviewing supporters in the city centre, we travelled up to the stadium for the match. There was a strange atmosphere inside, with the ground half-full, and almost no opposition fans. The Andorrans had brought just a few family and friends, and both ends of the stadium were empty. I’d been on neutral territory before for England games; the match against Argentina in Geneva in 2005, and the World Cup campaign last year in Germany, but this felt different.

After a dismal first 45 minutes, three second half goals meant England had done the job they had to, but after speaking to fans after the match, it was clear they’d expected and wanted more from their team. We aim to give the supporters a chance to express their views, even when they’re not happy, and so the following morning I was back on Las Ramblas, alongside Sky News' correspondent Chris Skudder and his team, interviewing fans live about the game, and our qualification prospects.

England had come away from Spain with three goals, and three points, but have now slipped to fourth in Group E, with bigger battles to come. Next up is Estonia in Tallin, and we do it all again!