The biggest problem for England's players now, is one the ad men will have to fix.

After Euro 96, Gareth Southgate joined Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle in a consoling advert about how pizza would make everything better.

(Sorry to exhume this point now, but why was Gareth Southgate even taking a penalty?)

With mere ignominy to work with this time, it's a bit harder to see how marketeers will help restore confidence, not to mention a nice little earner, to the current crop of players.

Advertising sportswear et al for sponsorships is one thing. "You've Been Merked" with Rio Ferdinand and hanging out with the talentless, yet ubiquitous James Cordon is quite another.

Please stop it. Moronic in-jokes mingled with fart gags are not funny; it's obsequious, schmaltzy, and a vainglorious celebrity bootlicking of the highest order.

The fact that James Cordon's horrific duet with Dizzee Rascal got to number one means I'm clearly in the minority.

But, for players who complain about having their privacy invaded, there must be less public ways of letting off steam. It provides an already ravenous press with another stick with which to beat the players.