WORLD CUP 2018

thoughts on ar r iv ing at Parkhead. He belted out: “****ing vultures.”

The embarrassment was clear and the scribes marked him down instantly as a man who wouldn’t get the benefit of the doubt when it came to handing out the player ratings.

One former Ki lmarnock assistant manager greeted the press post-match and was full of handshakes, best wishes and high fives.

He returned to the dressing room and I’m reliably informed by a Killie player he slaughtered each scribbler to a man.

He warned his men: “Watch what you say to those *******, they’re waiting to do you all in.”

BBC pu nd i t Danny Murphy was candid and correct when he gave his opinion of what footballers think about carrying out press duties.

He said: “Make no mistake, a lot of that going and mixing with the press is fake.

“You do it because you have to. You know the media will come for you as soon as you have a bad game.”

Sports reporters do what they do and it’s called doing their job.

The furore has created a few interesting stats.

Spain sit highest on a recent league table compiled to show the proportion of positive stories from media concerning their national team.

England came top for negative stories.

Every reporter has players and coaches they can genuinely call good friends. As a former player, I have more than most.

Certain confidences will never be broken. But it’s a two-way street. England’s rage at their Panama paper incident is either naive or wishful thinking.

A defeat today will only serve to give Southgate and his players a reality check. There’s no middle ground, success will bring the plaudits and fai lure wi l l i l lust rate that a geg - old fact – the pen will always prove mimigg ht iierer than the sword.