Tipp have hope where England have none

Lar and Fabio.

Two short goodbyes filled a long week all by themselves. Lar’s took an hour at the Ryans’ house in Clonoulty. You’d imagine the good room was used, tea had, a Christmas tin of USA shook for survivors, a red head scratched.

Fabio took his leave somewhere in the oak-panelled bowels of the place where he gave his first lesson. One-nil. Capello, ’87. Too good for them then as well. On Wednesday, he kept calm and acted like a gentleman, they tell us, as if fearing John Foreigner might have let himself down. But when the call on John Terry’s captaincy was made without his input, Fabio didn’t need a translator to get the message. Welcome outstayed.