Football Daily | England muddle on and Clarke checks out as World Cup moves up a gear

UP THE BRACKET After much hesitant wallchart-filling, Geopolitics World Cup fans are finally able to feast their eyes on a complete knockout stage and plot their team’s route to a painful penalty shootout exit. Unlike in previous tournaments, there is no rest day for the wicked this time, with the first last-32 tie – a blockbuster tie between Canada and South Africa – taking place 15 hours after the final group reached its dramatic conclusion . Despite what their supporters sing, the GWC party will now continue without Scotland … who will continue without Steve Clarke. The GWC mixed zone’s least popular man has asked himself whether he is best placed to lead the nation into the next major tournament and has accepted the answer (‘no’) with good grace. “Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor,” Clarke sniffed as he backed away from the lectern and headed for the door marked Do One. Thomas Tuchel might have been envious of Clarke’s sudden freedom as he watched his England team bluster their way to a third half of goalless football on the bounce. After a turgid first hour, Jude Bellingham decided that was enough faffing about and put Panama away with a goal and an assist for Harry Kane. Unlike against Ghana, Bellingham had to accept he probably was the best player on the pitch – and by quite some distance. England now have four days to get themselves down to Atlanta to play the Democratic Republic of the Congo. …