My conscience is playing havoc with my national sentiment. I have in the past always supported all the home nations, but especially England. The hounding of Eduardo has left me with a bitter taste and the England captain’s comments on it I just couldn’t swallow at all.

I saw Arsenal v Celtic in an Irish pub. When I saw the incident live, it appeared to be a clear dive. It’s funny how partisan support can almost evaporate in the face of blatant cheating. But RTE the Republic’s broadcaster showed the clip over and over again and from different angles. There is no doubt that there was contact. In my eyes Eduardo was exonerated entirely.

Many of us will continue to support England for sentimental reasons, other things being equal, even though we know full well that no England team ever plays on the level of Arsenal and that there can never be that same degree of engagement. I can have split loyalties when, for instance, watching England v Wales, but I never expected to feel similarly unsettled ahead of an England v Croatia game.

On Saturday I watched the England v Slovenia match live on TV and was resoundingly unimpressed. On Sunday I saw the England v Netherlands fixture, again on TV. Now we are talking about ladies’ football, a subject completely alien to many fans’ experience but well worth a trial. I have in mind some of the comments from other male viewers in the pub when I say that it would be totally and sincerely inappropriate of me to refer to the fit babes displaying their many talents in this game of football. I have no intention of doing so. Suffice it to say that we won fair and square against a team of determined baby elephants.

Mind you not all decisions went our way, but the ladies were gentlemen through and through. Gamesmanship was practically non-existent. No tantrums. No arguing with the referee. No vindictive fouling. No fading in the last five minutes. Yes, the pace was a bit slower, but doesn’t that just give you more time to see and really appreciate what’s going on? Two hours of football and I came away from the pub fully satisfied. I am now a converted and committed fan of women’s football. It is beginning to look like another mammoth England v Germany tussle on Thursday. Great! Can’t wait!

But before Thursday, comes Wednesday. The Wednesday match with Croatia is already spoiled for me. Because of the irrational way Eduardo has been treated by journalists, by football’s officials in this country and in Europe and by footballers themselves, who should know better, especially the great Mr Terry himself, and not least because of the honourable way that Eduardo has held himself clear of it all, I will go to the game firmly fixed on the fence.

At the first sign of hostility to Eduardo (This will be his first game since the Champions League incident.) I very much regret to say I will not for once be able to shout for England. This will not be a case of ‘my country, right or wrong’. For me it is Arsenal v Chelsea now. I almost hope he scores against us, leaving Terry for dead, and deservedly disgraced.