Remember why poppies grew

Smalling, out on the line to dry. It was the Scot who, addressing the Harvard Business School almost five years ago, warned against such practice.

“You can’t ever lose control,” he said. “Not when you are dealing with 30 top professionals who are all millionaires.

“If anyone steps out of my control, that’s them dead.”

Conte has dealt with the cream of the crop at Juventus and Italy. Judging by what is happening on the pitch, he has repeated the trick in London.

Mourinho bristled at suggestions that 16 years of successful management had been called into question following an indifferent start to the season.

Hammering the group after the defeat to Fenerbahce, however justified, only leads to more eyebrow raising.

So, one manager has a set of players who will walk barefoot over broken glass to achieve a result. Mourinho, obviously, doesn’t.

And however true the tag of the Special One was at the time, he needs a way to build a few bridges.

Because when you make that connection – as Conte has – great things can happen. FIFA allowed England and Scotland to wear poppies during an international fixture five years ago.

Both countries wanted to pay their respects again the week before last.

The Irish commemorated the 1916 Easter Rising with a logo on their jerseys and others now want to publicly mark dates of remembrance too. FIFA see that they have opened a can of worms and need to back-track.

The English and Scottish associations believe precedent makes any legal challenge rock solid. But they have been charged anyway – as have the Irish.

The outcome will be a mild slap on the wrist. The FA won’t do it again. FIFA will have made their point, and the issue will go away.

Except in the eyes of those who are trying to keep the spirit of remembrance alive – in case more lessons of history are not learnt...