Opinion | England's retro route-one football belongs in the past
A flapping goalkeeper, slow defenders, laboured midfielders and all creativity stifled: Hodgson's team are a sorry sight
Thankfully we are safely returned to the 21st century and EPL football this weekend. For most of the week we have been treated to a ghastly display of outdated ideologies with the England team competing with one of the country's political parties for the top prize in Jurassic thinking.
England's woeful retro exhibition of route-one football during their World Cup qualifier against Ukraine mirrored the uninspiring nostalgia heavily plied at the week's annual party conference of the UK's second main political organisation, the left-leaning (and so-called) New Labour.
Labour delegates could buy memento tea mugs with "I Hate Thatcher" printed on them. They supped away merrily amid the 1970s and 80s ambiance, chattering earnestly about socialism and common ownership of the means of production, general strikes, Karl Marx and taxing the rich.
Meanwhile, keeping with the throwback theme their fellow dinosaurs - the Three Lions - were hoofing the ball in Kiev in neo-luddite fashion.
Manager Roy Hodgson freely admitted the long-ball game was his only tactic and his meek charges duly complied in a mind-numbing block vote.
The Olympic Stadium sighed heavily as the over-subsidised and loss-making industry that is English national football failed to make any real chances on goal.