With the Euros now under way, I think England fans to prepare for the worst.

In recent years we have got carried away and then slipped up that dreaded quarter-final stage again and again. 

I started supporting England back in 1982 and then fell out of love with them when Kevin Keegan missed that open goal against Spain.

I sense over the years we have tended to pick the wrong reasons for getting knocked out of a major tournament.

It was not Maradona’s cheeky first goal in 1986, it was the fact we brought John Barnes on too late. It was not that we were bad in 1988, it was just that Marco Van Basten was too damn good.

In 1990, it should not have gone to penalties. In fact, we were lucky to be there as Cameroon just couldn’t put the ball in the net a round earlier.

In 1992, I do not blame Graham Taylor but we had an average side at best.

Four years later at Wembley, Gazza should have got his toe to that cross from Shearer and it would have been all over.

In 1998, Beckham was not to blame for us losing momentum, there was poor marking at that free kick just minutes before half-time.

In 2000 we were under Kevin Keegan and it was always going to be crazy, so what do expect?

In 2002, I do blame Beckham for jumping out of a challenge which led to the equaliser further up the pitch.

The next two tournaments were pretty dire and it was always going to penalties. Rooney’s boot was not the reason we went out. He was not going to save us. We needed to be like the Greeks.

In 2010, Lampard’s shot was over the line but we would have still let loads of goals in at the other end. 

Two years later I don’t blame the side. The Italians did a job on us.

In Brazil in 2014, Costa Rica deserved to go through to the next round as did Iceland in 2016. No complaints there.

Then in 2018 we scored far too early and were hanging on for long periods and it only a matter of time before we let one in.

In 2021, we would like to blame the penalty takers, but we should have been more adventurous and gone for the win.

Then in 2022 at the Qatar World Cup there is no way anyone should be allowed to cross for that second goal.

Hope that prepares us all for what is to come.