Yesterday, I received by email (like many official England fans) a “message” from Steve McClaren. The first sentence read as follows:

Make no mistake the players, staff and myself are, like you, all hurting today.

Really?

I made a decision after the miserable performance in Germany not to travel abroad following England for the forseeable future. Up until then, I had attended the last three tournaments and qualifying games in the rather pitiful hope that the team might just play to its purported ‘potential’. After Wednesday’s performance, my decision is fast becoming a shrewd one. We did not lose on Wednesday solely because of the system. Performances on and off the pitch were sub-standard. The players and particularly the manager were quite simply not good enough. Who are we to blame?

Firstly, the team needs an injection of new blood. Sadly, Frank Lampard’s performances since Christmas have not warranted a continued place in the team. The irony is, that based on international form, David Beckham has a stronger claim than Lampard for team inclusion.

Secondly, the manager needs replacing. Where did the FA get the idea that he was the right choice? From Scolari to McClaren? These two completely different men could not have been on the same list drawn up by any self-respecting headhunter. What were the requirements of the role? Personally, I always wanted Martin O’Neill. Where are Aston Villa now?