For tens of millions of people across the planet, the World Cup offers something really special: four weeks when everyone is allowed, or even encouraged, to shout at the television in their home or neighbourhood bar or pub.
People who have never kicked a ball in any kind of tournament since they left school - if then - or who usually much prefer rugby, loudly and one-sidedly offer a stream of advice to the players and the manager. “Shoot!”; “Bring on XXX”; “Not that way!”.
Just like visiting wine writers telling wine producers to stick to unpronounceable autochthonous grape varieties and Australian winemakers instructing French ones to seal their exports to the US with screwcaps.
