This summer, like most British summers have become, will be a gloomy affair – not because the chances of a sustained period of sun remain as unlikely as Arsene Wenger admitting it was a penalty, but because, as we’re all more than aware, for the first time since 1994 England have failed to qualify for the summer’s major football tournament.

The BBC are asking who we will support, I’d prefer to keep a watchful eye on proceedings without offering an allegiance to any of our European neighbours given none of them will be playing Scotland, who have also fortunately failed to qualify.

Because of this failure of any home nation to qualify, the bigwigs at the BBC and ITV have come under some criticism for persisting with their TV schedules of 2 games of football a night for two weeks during prime time viewing (come on, Coronation Street can wait), however, it’s the BBC’s decision of expert punditry that has me baffled.

With no home nations represented, pubs up and down Britain will remain quiet during this time period and lost out on millions of pounds beacause as you’d expect most will just stay home and watch events unfold – one man you’d certainly like to imagine sat in a gloomy bed sit, watching the matches in his armchair, knocking back cans of strong, cheap lager and crying about what could’ve been is Steve McClaren – but oh no, he’s been offered a contract by the BBC rumoured to be worth £50k to offer his expert analysis on their radio coverage.

The same man whose expert knowledge of the game saw England’s best collection of players for some time fail to qualify from a group they could and should’ve at least finished second in if not won.

I can only imagine that someone at the BBC has a sense of humour, hopefully this will be confirmed when McClaren is asked to deliver his verdict on the summer’s games from the touchlines, from under an umbrella.