It was great, and not a little surprising, to see England perform so well in their 4-1 away win against Croatia last night.
I also thought, though, that it was quite instructive to hear the way the Croatian supporters reacted as it became clear they were to lose their first ever home competitive international fixture.

Now admittedly, droves of them headed for the exit long before the final whistle, as their chances of salvaging something from the match evaporated.
But those that stayed continued to chant, cheer and do all in their power to urge on their side. What a sharp contrast to the behaviour of home England fans, particularly since our national side has returned to the rebuilt Wembley stadium.
Fabio Capello talked before the match about how the England players preferred away fixtures. That is perhaps unsurprising when the first bad touch by a player is sometimes jeered and derided by his own supposed fans at home matches.
I know the crazily inflated wages earned by our top players make a lot of supporters believe they have the right to expect a perfect performance every time they play. While I would agree that total effort should be the least we can expect, I also think that confidence plays a huge part in allowing players to really play to the peak of their talents.
If Capello can coax a few more performances like last night's out of his team, some of the doubts and fears that seem to paralyse their performances at Wembley should start to fade, but that process will certainly be helped if "supporters" remember the definition of the word, and try to support rather than destroy the players they are watching.
Next time England turn out at Wembley, memories of last night should ensure them a rousing welcome. Let's hope the crowd can keep their patience and enthusiasm if the side is drawing nil-nil with twenty minutes to go.

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit