Keeping World Cup squads occupied between games requires smart tactics too.

Around the time of the last big football tournament, Euro 2016, a rather nice set of behind-the-scenes photos emerged from the 1966 World Cup, somewhat belatedly. Perhaps they were still covered by the official soccer secrets act, or something. Anyway, the most interesting of these was a shot of the North Korean team, in a hotel TV room, avidly watching the old Laurel and Hardy film Towed In A Hole. "The North Koreans experienced Western culture," read the caption, "at their hotel in Middlesbrough."

What the players get up to between games at World Cups has always held an odd fascination for the papers and public. Years ago you'd often see a big mocked-up newspaper spread just before the tournament showing hundreds of tins of baked beans, boxes and boxes of proper British teabags, and a big pile of videos or DVDs, depending on the era: boxsets of series like Blackadder, Only Fools And Horses and The Persuasionists (ok, maybe not the last one). But times have changed, and nowadays you can well imagine the players busying themselves with Fortnite, online bingo games and Facetime.

Actually, one tabloid report did suggest that the lads had requested ITV2 as one of the hotel channels, presumably so they could keep up with Love Island. Or perhaps they're really into Plebs (Plebs' Tom Rosenthal - son of legendary sports presenter Jim - has been over in Russia for the World Cup, ostensibly in fan mode. But as a decent footballer too he's probably quietly dreaming of getting special FIFA dispensation to replace the currently back-at-home Fabian Delph on the England bench. We could do worse).

There is something to be said for having a solid stack of DVDs to wade into. The big streaming sites are all very well, but you're at the whim of hotel wi-fi, and even if it is working, there's just too much to flick through. Arguing over which of the seemingly infinite number of shows to eventually settle on is no way to encourage team harmony.

Whereas if that squad's only entertainment option is to watch, say, a DVD boxset of The Office, or Gavin & Stacey, by the finales they'll all have laughed and weeped together, stars and reserves alike. Which is good practise for the ups and downs of a tournament, as we've seen already at this one. Maybe communal Love Island sessions have had a similar effect.

Certainly squads need a proper entertainment backup plan if the gaming and training start to wear a bit thin. One of the most bizarre tournament downtime stories emerged from the World Cup in Germany, 2010, during which the England squad were hidden away at a hotel slap-bang in the middle of nowhere.

Striker Jermain Defoe revealed a few months ago that he and Wayne Rooney were so bored one evening, they watched Rooney's whole wedding DVD. Which really does sound desperate, and led a few media outlets to ask: why did Wayne take that DVD with him in the first place?

Even a whole series of The Persuasonists would beat that. Just about.