{"id":27207,"date":"2025-10-10T12:47:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T12:47:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=27207"},"modified":"2025-10-10T12:47:11","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T12:47:11","slug":"rangers-condemn-shameful-attack-on-smith-statue-tuchel-criticises-england-fans-football-live-world-cup-2026-qualifiers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=27207","title":{"rendered":"Rangers condemn \u2018shameful\u2019 attack on Smith statue, Tuchel criticises England fans: football \u2013 live | World Cup 2026 qualifiers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<br \/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\"\/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\"\/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Rangers condemn &#8220;shameful&#8221; attack on Walter Smith statue<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Scottish Premiership club have condemned a fire attack on the statue of former manager Walter Smith which took place in the early hours of this morning. Footage has emerged on social media of flames on the statue and plinth outside Ibrox Stadium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cRangers FC is aware of an incident at the Walter Smith statue last night, and strongly condemns this shameful behaviour,\u201d read a club statement. \u201cThe matter has been reported to Police Scotland, and work is underway to ensure the site is cleaned and returned to good condition.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The bronze statue was unveiled in May 2024 between Edmiston House and the Copland Road stand. Smith, who died aged 73 in October 2021, led Rangers to 10 league titles, five Scottish Cups and six League Cups as well as a Uefa Cup final, during two spells in charge at Ibrox.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He arrived at Ibrox as assistant manager to Graeme Souness in 1986 and left in 1998 before returning in 2007 and retiring from management in 2011. Smith was later chairman of Rangers for a short spell in 2013.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The statue of Walter Smith, seen here being unveiled outside Ibrox in May 2024, was vandalised in a fire attack last night. <\/span> Photograph: Robert Perry\/PAShare<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a008.43 EDT<\/p>\n<p>I was at Hampden last night for my first Scotland home game and nearly left early to go to the pub. It&#8217;s the worst atmosphere I&#8217;ve ever experienced at Hampden (the team didn&#8217;t exactly help), and we need to bin the &#8216;I can boogie&#8217; shite, as well as Runrig songs. It&#8217;s just bloody lame. <br \/>I was at the Hungary game in Germany and thought this was going the same way, but a win is a win, I don&#8217;t want to be too grumpy.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>England:<\/strong> While only time will tell if Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham feature in Thomas Tuchel\u2019s World Cup plans, both players were overlooked by the England coach for the current international window. Cole Palmer is another notable absentee but would almost certainly have featured if he wasn\u2019t suffering from a groin injury. Jack Grealish, Adam Wharton, Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Noni Madueke and Tino Livramento also missed out for one reason or another.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Handed the captain\u2019s armband in the absence of Harry Kane last night, Declan Rice said England miss all the players in question, despite winning comfortably in their absence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI think every time you play for England, you want to grab the shirt, you want to grab your chance,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we do miss Jude, for sure. We miss Phil, we miss Cole, we miss loads of players for reasons that the manager\u2019s obviously said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe are obviously an unreal team, and they\u2019re in the team as well. Let\u2019s not get away from that. What they\u2019ve done in an England shirt is incredible. We\u2019re looking forward to having them back next camp, hopefully. As a team, we want to keep integrating everyone as much as possible before the World Cup. I think that\u2019s the most important thing, and we\u2019ve done that in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Scotland:<\/strong> Perhaps taking a leaf out of Thomas Tuchel\u2019s book after hearing him berate England fans for not getting behind their team, Andy Robertson has called on Scotland\u2019s Tartan Army to whip up a vocal storm when Belarus pitch up at Hampden Park on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Sitting level on seven points with Group C leaders Denmark, Clarke\u2019s side now host a team who have conceded 13 goals in their opening three qualifiers, two of them against Scotland. With goal difference potentially crucial in the four-team group, fans will be looking for an emphatic win and Robertson knows it will be a huge help to have the Hampden roar at full blast from the start.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe hope that the Tartan Army were happy going home,\u201d said the left-back after last night\u2019s somewhat fortuitous win against Greece. \u201cObviously there were frustrations in the stands at times, but everyone\u2019s dancing at the end of the game and a game\u2019s 90 minutes, not 60. It was a massive result and I think you could feel that in the stands and you could also feel it on the pitch. But it\u2019s only a massive result if we then kick on from here. So we\u2019re in control of that and we need to do that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cLike I said, the fans were clearly frustrated the first 60 minutes, which I can understand and I can get, but sometimes it doesn\u2019t help. But after their goal went in I thought they were magnificent. Once we started doing the things that we should have been doing from the start and putting pressure on them and getting bodies in the box, getting corners, getting set-pieces, and we know we\u2019re a threat from them, then the fans got behind us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThey helped us over the line and they helped us get our noses in front and then the third goal meant they could enjoy it. So we\u2019re going to need them again Sunday. Sunday\u2019s a completely different test and we\u2019re going to need everyone in full voice because we\u2019ve got three games now to try and qualify for a World Cup and we need everyone pulling in the same direction. If they can give us noise in the stands and cheer us on and support us then it\u2019s only going to help us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Scotland fans were happy at the final whistle of their match against Greece last night, having been decidedly chippy with their team for the opening hour of the game. <\/span> Photograph: Jane Barlow\/PAShare<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a008.05 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Quiz:<\/strong> The Richard Osman to Guardian Football\u2019s House of Games, John Brewin has set this fiendishly difficult On The Ball quiz, which you can find via the Puzzles tab on the Guardian app. While we can\u2019t promise you a Brewin bathrobe, fondue set or suitcase if you beast your mates, it will keep you all entertained.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Scotland:<\/strong> I watched their match against Greece in its entirety last night and with Scotland being played off the park and a goal down after an hour, was tempted to switch over to Celebrity Traitors. I simply couldn\u2019t see any way of them forcing themselves back into the game but they defied my expectations and those of many of their own fans by doing exactly that to run out 3-1 winners. While Greece could well have been 4-0 up before Scotland scored, Steve Clarke\u2019s men rode their luck and notched up a <em>massive<\/em> victory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A word of warning for Scotland fans, however. On today\u2019s episode of the Football Weekly podcast, which should be along soon, the Guardian\u2019s habitually downbeat and pessimistic fitba correspondent, Ewan Murray, expressed his total confidence in Scotland comfortably beating Belarus in their next qualifier on Sunday. One suspects that fate has never before been so sorely tempted.<\/p>\n<p>What a result for scotland. Maybe we should try to play that badly more often if it means we sneak spawny wins. We have the players for it after all.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway. Onwards to the Belarus game. A recently-spanked whipping boy at home following an unexpected win against close rivals in the group. The sort of situation that instills cold fear in the hearts of the tartan army. Right now, i would settle for a 1-0 win with the winner being a ricochet off McGinns ample arse.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>The Championship:<\/strong> Coventry were 17th when Frank Lampard took over as head coach from Mark Robins a year ago. Now they are top of the table, unbeaten and scoring three goals per game. Harry Paterson reports on the rejuvenation of a club and its head coach\u2019s reputation \u2026<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Republic of Ireland:<\/strong> The Boys in Green are in Lisbon to face Portugal tomorrow and anything less than a draw at Est\u00e1dio Jos\u00e9 Alvalade would almost certainly end the Republic of Ireland\u2019s already slim hopes of qualifying for next summer\u2019s World Cup. Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson\u2019s side have taken just one point from their opening two games against Hungary and Armenia, with defeat in Yerevan last time out described in many quarters as a shock, even if it came as no great surprise to seasoned Ireland-watchers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In today\u2019s Irish Times, Kevin Kilbane has said that unless the Republic of Ireland can take at least three points from their upcoming matches against Portugal (away) and Armenia (home), Hallgr\u00edmsson should be dismissed immediately so that John O\u2019Shea can take interim charge of the rest of the campaign until a successor is found. Kilbane says Damien Duff, Robbie Keane and Stephen Bradley are the obvious candidates to replace the Icelandic dentist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt feels like all the problems Irish football has experienced over the past six or seven years are manifesting themselves in the men\u2019s senior team,\u201d wrote Kilbane. \u201cThe players are struggling to cope. Fear gripped them in early September, well before the flight to Armenia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cIt\u2019s their calling card now. Overwhelming nervousness that disguises their ability, stymies their talent. They seem frozen by realistic expectations. From Nathan Collins the skipper to his centre-half partner Dara O\u2019Shea, fear seeped through the group. What other reason can explain all the individual errors last month?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">That seems like a brutal but entirely fair assessment from a former player renowned as one of the nicest blokes in football.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Ireland&#8217;s head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson (left) and striker Evan Ferguson speak to the press at the Alvalade Stadium in Lisbon. <\/span> Photograph: Filipe Amorim\/EPAShare<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Ricky Hatton.<\/strong> The much loved boxing legend is being laid to rest today and his funeral service has just started at Manchester Cathedral. A devoted Manchester City fan who was loved by almost all in Greater Manchester and beyond, whatever their football allegiances, the boxer\u2019s funeral cortege passed his gym in Hyde en route to the cathedral, along streets lined with thousands of mourners. Many of them wore City shirts as a tribute to their hero, who passed away last month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hatton\u2019s funeral cortege was led by a flatbed truck carrying the three-wheeled Reliant Robin that was made famous on Only Fools and Horses, a TV show the boxer loved so much that he bought Del Boy\u2019s car for \u00a34,000 when filming wrapped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">I heard one of his pals being interviewed earlier and he explained that \u2013 true to form \u2013 they couldn\u2019t get the car to start the last time he called around to Hatton\u2019s house, which explains why it is on the back of a lorry. Hatton\u2019s sky blue coffin followed in a hearse, while three cars full of mourners, a black Lamborghini (I think) and a Harley Davidson made up the convoy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Manchester City are well represented at Hatton\u2019s funeral and about 20 minutes ago, the club legend Mike Summerbee felt compelled to cut short an interview with the BBC because he could not contain his emotions and hold back the tears. \u201cIt\u2019s impossible for me to be happy today,\u201d he said, as a reporter asked if him if he had fond memories of Hatton. Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen are also among the mourners in attendance. After the private funeral service, the cortege is due to pass Manchester City\u2019s Etihad Stadium. Rest in peace, champ.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">With the title of the Manchester City anthem Blue Moon inscribed on its side, Ricky Hatton\u2019s sky-blue coffin is carried into Manchester Cathedral by pallbearers. <\/span> Photograph: Dominic Lipinski\/Getty Images<span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Ricky Hatton\u2019s funeral cortege passes through the streets of Hyde, led by the Reliant Robin made famous on Only Fools and Horses. <\/span> Photograph: Christopher Furlong\/Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a007.18 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>That\u2019s my first stint on the blog done. <\/strong>I\u2019ll leave you in the very capable hands of Barry Glendenning now. Cheers!<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>As well as his comments about England fans<\/strong>, I thought Tuchel\u2019s remarks about Bukayo Saka were interesting. The winger provided the moment of the match against Wales, scoring a pearler into the top corner to make it 3-0, but the England manager was in combative mood when he was asked about Saka, challenging the Arsenal man to do more.<\/p>\n<p>How many goals did he score for England? Thirteen? One three? It has to be more, it\u2019s not enough. He needs to keep on going. I thought it was 30, at least, and then I would have said it\u2019s not enough, because I am never satisfied.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is such a threat for Arsenal in the most difficult league in the world, so why would he not be at international level? We have the position for him, he has the attitude, the stamina, the talent, everything to be a top player at international level, and that\u2019s what he has to show. We can just encourage him to be influential, like he was today. Next game, he needs to try to repeat it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>There were eight European World Cup qualifiers<\/strong> on Thursday. Here is our round-up of the results.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hidden in the results was Faroe Islands 4-0 Montenegro, the hosts\u2019 biggest competitive win. That is quite some feat for a country with just 55,000 people. The Faroe Islands have three wins from six, and could yet qualify!<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span> Photograph: Uefa.com<\/p>\n<p>Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-j4jr8l\">This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, <strong>click &#8216;Allow and continue&#8217;<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>This interview with WSL referee Emily Heaslip<\/strong> is a timely one, given Anthony Taylor\u2019s comments this morning.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Djed Spence is at it again<\/strong>. The England defender has a history of boasting on social media about \u201clocking up wingers\u201d after good performances and following England\u2019s win, the full-back has done Spurs teammate and Wales winger Brennan Johnson dirty in his latest post. Scroll to the fifth image to see.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cYOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE INEVITABLE \ud83d\udc7fLETS TAKE A WALK TO THE PENITENTIARY BROTHER\u201d, writes Spence in the caption. Brutal.<\/p>\n<p>Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-j4jr8l\">This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, <strong>click &#8216;Allow and continue&#8217;<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>England\u2019s Dan Burn<\/strong> has revealed he has a broken hand, sustained in Newcastle\u2019s win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The big defender did not feature for England against Wales but says he is still available for selection, despite the injury.<\/p>\n<p>I actually broke my hand, I don\u2019t even know how I did it, I think I went to grab someone and then I felt a crack,\u201d Burn told Chronicle Live. \u201cIt was early in the second half, so I went for the scan and I have seen a specialist. I\u2019ve been told I can play with it. I am ready for Latvia, I am ready for Newcastle and I\u2019d have been ready to play tonight. I will not be missing any time for a broken hand! This is nothing, I have had worse injuries than this. I am ready to go and ready to play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>You might have missed Hamza Choudary<\/strong>\u2019s first international goal for Bangladesh in their Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong \u2013 a crazy game in Dhaka on Thursday in which the home side scored a 99th-minute equaliser to make it 3-3, only to concede in the 101st minute as Hong Kong snatched a dramatic 4-3 victory. Wembley can only dream of an atmosphere like this!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Referee Anthony Taylor reveals he considered quitting due to abuse<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Anthony Taylor has admitted there have been times he has considered quitting refereeing because of the constant barrage of abuse and revealed his family no longer attend high-profile matches after he was harassed by Roma fans at an airport.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Taylor, 46, has twice taken charge of the FA Cup final, in 2017 and 2020, and been on the Fifa referees\u2019 list for more than a decade.<br \/>Having been selected as one of six English officials for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Taylor was subsequently appointed for the 2023 Europa League final between Sevilla and Roma in Budapest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Following an ill-tempered affair at the Puskas Arena \u2013 with Sevilla eventually beating Roma, then managed by Jos\u00e9 Mourinho, after a penalty shoot-out \u2013 Taylor, who issued 13 yellow cards during the match, was accosted by angry fans at the airport as he travelled home.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1alawo7\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Mourinho confronts and swears at referee Taylor in car park and labels him a \u2018disgrace\u2019 \u2013 video<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Despite being considered one of the Premier League\u2019s leading referees, Taylor believes he and all other match officials have become an easy target, with criticism coming again following Chelsea\u2019s dramatic stoppage-time win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge last weekend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Taylor was asked if he had ever considered quitting refereeing.<br \/>\u201cThere\u2019s certainly been moments &#8211; and I won\u2019t be alone in this &#8211; there\u2019s certainly been moments where you are thinking, \u2018Is it worth it?\u2019,\u201d he told BBC Sport. \u201cAnd certainly, moments where you\u2019re thinking, \u2018What\u2019s being said is completely unfair\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Taylor continued: \u201cWe have this archaic psychological tactic of \u2018let\u2019s bombard the ref or bombard the fourth official with the hope of getting a decision out of it\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Anthony Taylor (left) surrounded by Roma players during the 2023 Europa League Final. <\/span> Photograph: Adam Davy\/PA<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">After the 2023 Europa League final, video footage emerged of the incident involving Taylor at Budapest Airport. A chair and drinks were thrown in the direction of the English referee and his group as they made their way through a gathering of Roma fans before being ushered to a safe area by airport security.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Taylor revealed his family now no longer attend big matches.<br \/>\u201cThat\u2019s for sure the worst situation I\u2019ve dealt with in terms of abuse,\u201d he said. \u201cNot only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people\u2019s behaviour on others. It makes you reflect back on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Asked whether that means his family no longer go to the high-profile games, Taylor said: \u201cYeah very much so. They haven\u2019t been to one since.\u201d <strong>PA Media<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Our comments section is open<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Tuchel is right. I\u2019ve heard more noise at a family wake than at Wembley last night.<\/p>\n<p>Your team is 3:0 up after 20 minutes, but virtually all the sound is either coming from Welsh supporters or the players themselves.<\/p>\n<p>Pointing out the elephant in the room isn\u2019t \u2019picking a fight\u2019. I doubt there\u2019s another national team in the world whose supporters seem to take a vow of silence whenever they enter their home stadium.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Two more pieces from Wembley last night<\/strong>. Barney Ronay wrote on England producing something \u201cdaring and avant garde\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ben Fisher was on Wales duty. Craig Bellamy has plenty to ponder before his side\u2019s crucial Belgium showdown on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>I\u2019m a bit late to this<\/strong>, but worth flagging this miss from Beto earlier this week. Guinea-Bissau were trailing Ethiopia 1-0 in their World Cup qualifier but created a golden opening in the 89th minute, only for the Everton striker to fluff his lines at the back post.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>This explainer from Andy Martin<\/strong> is a very nice run down of where we are globally with World Cup qualification. Twenty of the 48 places at the tournament have now been filled, including co-hosts Canada, Mexico and the USA.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Perhaps we should start with Scotland<\/strong>. Ewan Murray was our reporter at Hampden and was brutally honest about how fortunate the home side were to take a crucial victory over Greece.<\/p>\n<p>If Scotland make it to the promised land of next summer\u2019s World Cup, they will glance back at this as a crucial evening. There must also be laughter to accompany reflection.<\/p>\n<p>No sane observer could claim Steve Clarke\u2019s team deserved to prevail here. Lewis Ferguson and Lyndon Dykes sealed the win. Dick Turpin sprang to mind. Someone, somewhere appears to be smiling on Scotland\u2019s bid to play in a World Cup for the first time since 1998. The Scots, who had just 31% possession, are now in an excellent position in Group C. A playoff spot could be secured on Sunday evening, when Belarus visit Glasgow. Greece, who next travel to Denmark, need snookers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFootball is a 90-minute game and you have to make sure you come out of it with a positive result,\u201d said Clarke. \u201cMaybe 3-1 flatters us but we did enough to win the game. It is a big win for us. Results are the only thing that qualify you for a tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">This is how Group C looks after that result. Had they lost, a play-off place could be slipping out of reach. But now, automatic qualification to the World Cup remains a very real possibility.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span> Photograph: Uefa.comShare<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Preamble<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">You could hear the collective sigh emanating from the Football Association HQ last night as Thomas Tuchel decided that the best way to dissect England\u2019s excellent 3-0 win over Wales at Wembley on Thursday night was to criticise the home fans that had parted with their hard-earned money and alternative evening plans to attend an international friendly.<\/p>\n<p>The stadium was silent. We didn\u2019t get any energy back from the stands. We did everything to win. What more can you give in 20 minutes? We didn\u2019t let them escape. If you hear just Wales fans for half an hour, it\u2019s sad because the team deserved more support today.<\/p>\n<p>I stand by this statement. We cannot do more than being 3-0 in a derby. I would have wished for a bit more support in phases where it gets difficult. In the second half to get behind us, there was a bit too much support for Wales. It could have helped us to regain energy, but it is what it is and that is it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hmmm. How odd, picking a fight when there was almost none to be had. Anyway, we\u2019ll have lots of reaction from Wembley, including the actual football, as well as the eight other World Cup qualifiers around Europe (including Scotland\u2019s crucial victory over Greece at Hampden) and preview the eight further qualifiers coming this evening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n<p>Share<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Rangers condemn &#8220;shameful&#8221; attack on Walter Smith statue The Scottish Premiership club have condemned a fire attack on the statue of former manager Walter Smith which took place in the early hours of this morning. Footage has emerged on social media<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[673,9402,7584,130,311,743,1413,132,11546,10592,16264,2325,2097,16265,550],"class_list":{"0":"post-27207","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-attack","9":"tag-condemn","10":"tag-criticises","11":"tag-cup","12":"tag-england","13":"tag-fans","14":"tag-football","15":"tag-live","16":"tag-qualifiers","17":"tag-rangers","18":"tag-shameful","19":"tag-smith","20":"tag-statue","21":"tag-tuchel","22":"tag-world"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}