Opinion: England-Ukraine may be ahead of us - but I have football fatigue

Gareth Southgate has just been told there's three consecutive days in July when there's no football on TV / Picture: Getty

This may seem an odd thing to say on the day of a Euro quarter-final for Gareth’s boys, but it is not grabbing me as it normally would.

I am not a fan of the international football that goes on between tournaments, but when a World Cup or Euros comes around I am normally all over it – consumed by it.

This time, more than any other time, I have not caught the bug. I don’t know if it’s because it’s a year late, or spread confusingly around 11 nations instead of all centred on one, but Euro 2020 (in 2021) hasn’t had me gripped.

Is it just me or do others feel the same? My outlook may change tonight, depending on the England-Ukraine outcome. But even the Germany game and its build-up didn't have me on the edge of my seat, even if the outcome was splendid.

It may all just be midsummer malaise because I can’t say I’m too wrapped up in all things Pompey at the moment either.

I’m keeping a weather eye on what seems to be good progress that Danny Cowley and his helpers are making in rebuilding the team ahead of season No5 in League One. But I can’t say I’m aching for the first game.

I have a theory that some of my football fatigue may be down to the fact we have not a break from it at club or country level for ages.

The Premier League’s summer ending a year ago put me right off-kilter and the action seems to have been non-stop since, even if all our non-league teams have barely kicked a ball since last October.

Perhaps I need to go and see the Super Blues in action at Gosport (on July 21) or Bognor (July 28) and hope that football in the flesh will inspire me. Meantime I suppose I’d better tune in this evening...