Stadium

As implausible as it seems, what’s the betting we may actually do quite well this summer?

It would be easy to think the current furore around the England football team is a rather elaborate ruse to ensure there is already an in-built excuse by the time the first ball is kicked in anger at this summer’s Euro 2012 tournament for our failure.

It isn’t after all, proving to be a build-up constructed around a strong team spirit, a mood of national optimism or even a squad reeking of untapped talent.

Instead, we have rather the opposite.

Only recently the England captain discovered a line of FA big-wigs tugging roughly at the armband until it came pinging off all over the front and back pages of the national newspapers.

What is more, John Terry – for, inevitably it is he – will be looking on with more than a hint of jealousy when discussion in the dressing room turns to where his team-mates are spending their summer holidays.

After a sojourn to the exotic hinterlands of Poland and the Ukraine for the aforementioned tournamet, Terry has the excitement of a court case immediately afterwards during which he can unwind away from the media circus that surrounds his normal day to day life. Oh hang on…

And if that wasn’t bad enough, then we have Fabio Capello mouthing off at the actions of his employers as he gleefully rings up his local language tutor to cancel any more English lessons (he didn’t really enjoy them anyway – or listen all that much it would appear) and start pondering what high-paid job he should move to next.

It’s enough, you could argue, for eyes not only so much to come off the ball, but to not even remember a ball is rather a key ingredient to the dog’s dinner we’re looking likely to serve up this summer.

Yet despite all that. Despite the fact so many of the England players now are so far removed from the lifestyles and attitudes of the fans there is barely a connection to be made, you can’t but help ponder that it’s the sort of shambolic mess which England may just emerge from, somehow, triumphant.

After all, England don’t need to win the thing to be hailed heroes. As the squad of Italia 90 or Euro 96 will vouch for, you only have to reach the last four to ensure that Heathrow is packed when you fly back in with cheering crowds and a misplaced sense that we are world beaters.

So if we somehow stagger through the opening group stage and fluke a win into the latter stages of the tournament at the knock-out stage, suddenly Fabio will be revered as some sort of management genius and John Terry – if indeed he is actually selected for the finals – all that is good about the game and our heroic ‘lion’.

That is how quickly things could change. Laughable really.

But for anyone who remembers Italia 90 (team and boss Bobby Robson left fuming after tabloid treatment, Robson already with a job lined up when the final whistle sounded, opening group stages dull, lifeless affairs), it only takes the God of Good Fortune to smile upon you and suddenly you may acquire legendary status.

The only question today is whether we can any longer find it within ourselves to hail them as heroes. Even if they do well.