EVERY time Alan Hansen, Lee Dixon talks about a ‘bank of four’ I’m reminded of just how defensive this World Cup has become.

My prediction for yesterday’s game between Spain and the Swiss was that David Villa, Xabi Alonso and David Silva et al would finally break the scoring jinx this tournament seems to have developed.

Many would have agreed – but somehow a collection of the world’s best attacking players failed to break through a motley crew I hadn’t given a chance in hell a few weeks ago, and then managed to mess up the only bit of defending they had to do all afternoon.

Any right-minded person would have thought the same. But I’m starting to think I’m not a right-minded person, and that everything I thought I knew about World Cup football is dodgier than Robbie Earle’s ticket allocation.

Spain boasted a record of just one defeat in 48 games before they kicked-off, while Switzerland can only put forward defeats against Costa Rica and Uruguay.

But once again in South Africa, we saw gritty and determined win out against the stylish and passionate – a tragedy for anyone who had the vast percentage of the Spanish squad in their fantasy league side.

Oh how I regret that decision, and indeed professing to know anything about how this tournament would pan out.

This has been the most defensive competition I can remember since Italia 90, when at least they could boast a decent theme tune.

The Three Tenors provided an entertaining backdrop to Gazza’s tears and all that, but thus far, and the North Korean bloke aside, we’ve seen precious little emotion and a lot of defensive resolve. And neither the ITV or BBC credits have exactly grabbed me.

Other than Chile’s well-meant but unsuccessful efforts against Honduras, we haven’t seen many sides really have a go – and I hope that changes on Friday when England go in search of a nation-settling victory against Algeria.