But surely this is par for the course? The media must have controversy to survive in a very competitive environment and will use whatever, in their experience, will normally arouse the most anger/excitement/seeking to right the mistaken attitude of their journalists, in order to sell papers.
In Football, the most popular sport, this will mean a regular attempt to stir up trouble for some team or other - very often the international one. I shouldn't worry too much, when England play the vast majority of English people will support them and to hell with Murdoch's mouthings. Just don't expect too much, take each match as it comes. It will be team work, if anything, that will get England through how ever far they go..