Swedes face ‘Home’ team

IN bygone days, a staple motivational technique for a football manager would be to pin newspaper clippings to a dressing-room wall.

An article derogatory to his team, perhaps, or one where the imminent opposition appeared a little boastful.

The swarm of videos doing the rounds on social media, suggesting ‘It’s Coming Home’, are amusing.

The Friends one is a personal favourite, followed by the one of Russian President Vladimir Putin playing the piano (above). England star Jesse Lingard has got into the spirit of things with a tweet showing him on the phone.

His caption read: “No mum, I’m not coming home. It’s…”

All great fun, but all grist to the mill for Janne Andersson.

Let’s put it this way. The Sweden manager does not need to go to the trouble of taking scissors to newspaper.

Just tell his players to turn on their phones.

DIEGO MARADONA’S assertion that England’s win over Colombia was ‘monumental theft’ has been described as ‘entirely inappropriate and unfounded’ by FIFA.

True.

Maradona, a confirmed footballing cheat, is being paid £10,000 a game by FIFA to be one of their ambassadors at this World Cup.

Now THAT is what you call monumental theft.