Let’s accept the transformation of English football’s top flight into the Planet Hollywood of world sport is halting the development of English players and means England will never win a major tournament again.

And simply by cranking up the global level of fascination with the domestic game, Scolari’s entry – and whatever extraordinary development comes next – will lead to more critical problems.

It makes the Premier League an even bigger attraction. So even more money for big-name foreign signings will roll in.

It’s a terrible catch-22 in which to be entangled. What’s not to like about all that? And frankly, it’s my contention many fans are not that fussed. They have a few beers every couple of years when England are in a tournament. But most
prefer the adrenaline fixes of glamorous, rocket-fuelled English domestic football.

Even so, you knew Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards hit a nerve when he told a conference in Dubai England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 was because of the clubs, who import talent rather than nurture it. You knew it by Scudamore’s fierce reaction. Richards had confessed to being an idiot, said Scudamore to The Times. Yet you’ll probably see how Richards’ theory works today, when Holland play France.

The Dutch team which destroyed the Italians on Monday wasn’t even at full strength. But it was filled with bold, confident, technically astute players all educated and developed at Holland’s leading clubs before heading to Europe’s bigger leagues to become better, wiser and more experienced. France have benefited from the same export drive for years.

By contrast, young English players struggle to get a game while their clubs – even the smallest of top-flight outfits – are stuffed with foreigners.

Spain, Italy and, to a lesser extent, Germany all import players (although not from here). But on a far less grandiose scale. Inter Milan arrived at Anfield in March filled with South Americans and only one Italian. That doesn’t disprove any theory about the problems facing England, it just means there may be trouble ahead for Italy one day, too.

You also saw how this works when England played Trinidad & Tobago recently. Most of those fringe players whom many think Capello should turn to will never make it at the top. Bentley wasted possession, showing why the coach still relies on the old legs of David Beckham – he does not give the ball away.

Scudamore argues 10 Englishmen appeared in this year’s Champions League final. But because of the foreign squeeze, the pool of talent is virtually empty beyond the underachieving big names of the England scene.

Scolari knows this – he has beaten England three times – and it’s not his problem, even if he’s now part of the cause.
Ours is to accept we will soon have to make an unpalatable choice between club and country.

As the Premier League grows more gargantuan, it will decide for us. Football has come home – its birthplace is booming. Everywhere except Wembley.