“My father was a miner and he worked down a mine.” That famous Kevin Keegan quote has special resonance this week. As every Chilean – and at least one Bolivian - miner knows, when in a hole, stop digging. Fabio Capello should have heeded that adage before digging deep into his limited English vocabulary to defend England’s inept display at Wembley. I attended and was almost bored to death. Unlike the sofa-watchers, though, I was spared ITV’s commentators, p*ss-poor punditry and the incessant use of the action replay machine. Always look on the bright side of life, de doo, de doo, de doo, de doo.

Given TV’s predilection for showing Arsenal matches, I get to see more games as a neutral than many footie fans, mostly lower league games in London and its environs. The fare is nothing like what we are served up almost weekly but, I reason, these more limited players are doing their best – giving 110%, no less - and are not getting paid sums that many fans, rightly or wrongly, regard as obscene. A hoof of the ball by Johnny Shovelshoes must be seen and kept in context. What, though, to make of an England international, with weekly earnings approaching or exceeding six figures, doing same ad nauseum, as on Tuesday?

Club v. Country? No contest; my club would win easily, out-passing an embarrassed England. At full time I did not join the chorus of boos, but only because venting my frustration was less important than heading the stampede for the tube home. If Arsenal drop points and play badly, it matters. Leaving Wembley Stadium, I barely gave the night’s many disappointments a second thought. Onwards and homewards. Interestingly, I realised that even when watching my second team (England), I cannot now do so without being Arsenal-centric. Why was Jack Wilshere plucked from the U21’s to warm the Wembley bench? Wouldn’t his presence for the second leg in Romania have benefitted player, country and, yes, club too? If the circumstances for his introduction never manifested against these opponents of limited means (population sub-700,000) and limited ambitions, under what circumstances would he have played? At least Jack did not get injured on international duty. Always look on the bright side of life, de doo, de doo, de doo, de doo.