Why I care about Peterborough United more than I care about Southgate's England

​In fact I’m still not completely over Crystal Palace and that happened over a decade ago.

But England defeats? I’m not totally unbothered because I’m proud of my country, but i’d have have forgotten about losing to Slovakia, as looked like happening on Sunday, within an hour of the final whistle.

That’s how disconnected I am from overpaid prima donnas and a boss who makes Mike Bassett look like a tactical genius.

One of manager Gareth Southgate’s strengths, according to his numerous bodyguards within the national media, has been to make it enjoyable for the players to play for England.

That’s great to hear as I’d hate to see how they’d perform if they were as miserable as those of us forced to watched the shambolic, half-hearted, guile-free, negative, insipid displays of the current Euros.

And yet we are still in it and hot favourites to reach the final thanks to a pleasant route that could take in Switzerland and Austria before a final in Berlin as Southgate’s status as the luckiest manager in football history is re-inforced.

Honestly in the latter stages of the Slovakia game I consoled myself with the fact we had very few minutes to go before Southgate would ride off into the sunset and a job in the bottom half of the Championship.

I could then dream of a team full of gifted attacking players coming under the wing of a talented, ambitious, attack-minded boss, at least until they appointed Eddie Howe.

But then we scored a goal from the Sam Allardyce play-book of a long throw and a flick-on with the half-chance thankfully falling to Jude Bellingham rather than Harry Kane.

It was a great finish in complete contrast to his and his team’s performance, but will it lead to a different approach in the quarter-final?

Don’t bet on it. Four dismal games in a row with the same front four flailing about aimlessly should provoke change.

Former Posh star Ivan Toney’s cameo as a substitute, one that included a match-winning assist, should lead to more minutes, but Southgate is rarely one for turning.

Changes wouldn’t even be gambles, but the final 25 minutes or so after England took the lead showed what awful tacticians we have in our technical area.

All-out defence against an awful side became the gameplan leaving Toney isolated up front when he’d just showed his ability to link up effectively with people close to him.

The first 94 minutes were beyond embarrassing with misplaced passes, hopeless crosses and a failure to test Newcastle United’s reserve goalkeeper, but the way England finished the contest was even worse.

England’s defence is hopeless. John Stones and Kyle Walker delivered horrible performances in front of an over excitable goalkeeper and, if we ever play one, the better teams will run all over us.

Only good fortune and Bellingham can take us all the way to glory. Luckily we have both on our side.