England too insular for Cup success

In many ways, it is a head-scratcher - the country that claimed to have invented soccer and which has the richest, most watched and, many would agree, best league in global soccer is also one of the worst performers at this World Cup.

How can that be?

We are, of course, talking here about England - that self-important nation which is no longer very good at soccer but is quite brilliant at marketing it.