James Richardson

For the purposes of banter.

Above all.

The service is two.

All right, yes, Croatia are going to be facing England tomorrow in Group I. Duncan, how are you feeling?

Confident.

Okay.

England have played Croatia a lot.

The most recent time was the 2020 Euros when England won 1-0, I think.

but um for your croatia supporters yes yeah yeah but um i think england's preparation has been pretty good i mean obviously they've only had one ball to practice with and no boots one ball one dream one team right this after the daring heist that was practiced on their yeah on their boot room in kansas city yeah yeah the great training kit robbery

Very nice.

So, prior to the World Cup, and with memories of what happened in South Africa, there were suggestions, even on this august production, that...

An extended period locked up in a hotel somewhere outside Kansas City with Thomas Tuchel might prove slightly chafing.

But Duncan, you've been all over England's social media where they've been telling a very different story in their completely objective reports.

OK.

17 days after first arriving in America, they will finally take the field for their opening fixture against Croatia.

They won't have Tino Livramento available, though, because he's been ruled out of the tournament with a calf injury, which is rotten luck for him.

Thomas Tuchel making the slightly curious, is it, decision to replace him in the squad with Trevor Chalabert.

Were there other centre-backs who maybe were a surprise non-inclusion in the...?

Content you simply won't get anywhere else.

We saw the England lads running there.