I watched most of the England-Japan game. I observed that Lampard and Gerrard, who have played so well for their clubs over the years, were passing badly. I wondered if the cause was the new design of ball. Then Joe Cole came on and passed with much greater accuracy. Is it simply that Cole adjusts well to international football and the other two don’t? Is that because he doesn’t need the comfort of clubmates around him, is it more that he doesn’t become over-anxious in an England shirt, or is it that Lampard and Gerrard simply enjoy international football less than he does?