On Friday night, England put in their most hapless performance I can ever remember, Wayne Rooney turned on the fans and the lid was lifted on a hornet’s nest of camp disharmony.
As a fan of a lower league club, I often find it difficult to empathise with some of the more revered members of the England team. So the theory that they are struggling to perform because there is too much discipline built into the regime and that they are a bit bored has only heightened my disillusionment.
It’s the sort of criticism that might conceivably be levied at an overly officious Montessori nursery, but a squad of professional adults at an international tournament? Really?
However, England are not even world champions when it comes to petulance. That honour goes to the French who went on strike in support of Nicolas Anelka who was sent home following an argument with France coach Raymond Domenech at half-time during the defeat by Mexico last Thursday.
As a result, the huffy French players refused to train yesterday and further demeaned Domenech by making him read out their statement in front of the cameras beside an empty training ground.
That really is top class turmoil and England will have to go some way to better it ahead of their final group game on Wednesday. But I have every confidence they can.
