Why England should not go to Qatar

I’m often accused of agreeing with everything Posh co-owner Darragh MacAnthony says. Probably because it’s true, although I did draw a line under his apparent support for Donald Trump.

The Posh chief ’s popular weekly ‘Hard Truth’ podcast is essential listening, as long as you have access to a swear filter.

MacAnthony was certainly bang on the money when discussing the recent spate of footballer protests about the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

Despite non-stop stories in the national newspaper of my choice, some high-profile players have only just seemed to notice that the treatment of a largely migrant workforce employed to build the stadia in a country with no football history has been appalling.

Norway’s international players led the way with a ‘T shirt’ protest and were quickly followed by the powerhouse nations of Germany and the Netherlands.

MacAnthony said, and obviously I agree with him: “It’s all been just virtue signalling so far. Do the players actually have a solution?

“I do. Slogans on ‘T’ shirts won’t change anything. Just like taking the knee didn’t change anything either.

“Why don’t the nations get together and tell FIFA and Qatar there are 10 things that need to change or the best 10 players in the world won’t be going to the tournament?”

There’s no chance of that happening. There’s more chance of Wycombe Wanderers ever establishing themselves in the Championship, but it doesn’t make MacAnthony’s plan wrong.

Taking the World Cup to Qatar was a joke of a decision in the first place.

But money is virtually the sole motivational factor in professional football.

FIFA had a chance to clean up its act when Sepp Blatter was forced out, but his replacement Gianni Infantino is no better.

“Qatar was able to continue to advance during the last six months, while the world stood still, from infrastructure preparations to important developments such as the recent labour reforms announced by the government,” Infantino said without mentioning the 6,500 or so workers who are believed to have died constructing some admittedly impressive stadia (right).

That figure alone should have led to a World Cup boycott.

It’s too easy for high profile players, managers and autocue-reliant TV presenters to say they are horrified, but how many of them will refuse to travel to Qatar in protest? Zero is the correct answer. I would applaud England if they pulled out.

It’s irritating that the World Cup will disrupt the Premier League season and I can’t say I’m looking forward to a month of debate about Trent Alexander Arnold’s defensive qualities (he doesn’t have any) or why an England coach would ever consider starting Jesse Lingard ahead of Jack Grealish, which is, sadly, where we are with such an unimaginative head coach.