England: Certificate 15

Saw this coming, but it still hurts a bit. The latest FIFA World Rankings came out today, and England have dropped six places to 15th.

So we’re out of the top 10. Obviously the failure to appear at Euro 2008 is the main reason: no competitive games while 16 other European teams played a big old tournament, and almost everyone else got some 2010 World Cup qualifying done.

I thought the end of Euro 2008 would be the end of England’s embarrassment. I was wrong. It’s going to continue for a while yet because not competing in Swissaustria leaves a massive hole in our World Rankings points for the next four years.

I’d like to pretend that I don’t care and that the FIFA World Rankings are a load of old bollocks. But there’s some truth in the numbers. So seeing England plummet - and likely to stay plummeted for a while - adds a little extra hurt.

And who’s that just over our shoulders? It’s Scotland in 16th. Somehow they moved up one despite not qualifying for Euro 2008 either. Please please please don’t let them catch us.