TWO goals would normally be enough to win a World Cup match – but not when you concede six, as Iran did in their Group A encounter with England on Monday.

But how hard was the Iranian team really trying?

After seeing them refuse to join in the national anthem as a sign of protest against their leaders’ refusal to concede to normal human rights, as demanded by their citizens, perhaps the team wanted to further embarrass and humiliate their leaders?

If that was the case, they did it to perfection, allowing no fewer than four goals to enter their net in the first half and two in the second.

It might be argued in mitigation that Iran’s first choice keeper Ali Beiranvand was forced to leave the field with a head injury early in the game, to be replaced by Hossein Hosseini.

To their credit, they themselves bagged a brace in the second stanza, by which time the game had been well and truly lost…or sacrificed?

Or was it all down to England’s brilliance? You decide.

For the record, the goals came from Bukayo Saka (43m and 62m), Jude Bellingham (35m), Raheem Sterling (46m), Marcus Rashford (71m) and Jack Grealish (90m).

Mehdi Taremi bagged both of Iran’s goals (65m and 103m).

Gareth Southgate certainly wasn’t happy with two goals conceded by the Three Lions, but he will love the three points and positive goal difference.

I had predicted 3-1, but it was twice as good…or twice as bad, depending on your point of view.