Troubled build-up suggests another dramatic World Cup is on the cards for France

Gallows humour and schadenfreude are key aspects of the football-watching experience – hence the chant: "It could be worse, we could be you!" – so disgruntled England supporters can take some consolation from other teams' struggles.

The Three Lions are limping towards the World Cup after a winless Nations League campaign that included a 4-0 home defeat to Hungary – what is this, 1953? – and a dramatic 3-3 draw with Germany on Monday.

Having failed to score from open play in the first 520 minutes of Group A3 action, England struck three times in 12 minutes to take a 3-2 lead against Die Mannschaft before Nick Pope's fumble led to a deflating late equaliser for the visitors.

Gareth Southgate's boys weren't the only ones suffering on Monday. San Marino, whose 0-0 friendly draw with the Seychelles last week snapped an 18-game losing streak, were thumped 4-0 at home by Group D2 powerhouses Estonia.

Perhaps more relevantly for punters weighing up their World Cup wagers, France slumped to a 2-0 defeat in Denmark, finishing a distant third behind Croatia and the Danes in Group A1.

Stylish winners of the 2018 World Cup, Les Bleus are looking more like Les Miserables as they prepare to defend their crown in Qatar.

France and England, along with favourites Brazil and well-backed Argentina, are still rated the most likely World Cup winners but underperforming stars and uninspiring managers are raising concerns on both sides of the Channel.

Southgate's biggest headache is whether or not to stick with error-prone centre-back Harry Maguire but France boss Didier Deschamps may have more to worry about.

France has always had a flair for discontent – while the English stand around tutting, the French are erecting guillotines – as was demonstrated during their disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign.

After drawing with Uruguay and losing to Mexico in their first two games, France's players refused to train in protest at coach Raymond Domenech's decision to send Nicolas Anelka home for disciplinary reasons.

Les Bleus then lost their final match against hosts South Africa, finishing bottom of Group A and signalling the end of Domenech's reign, which was described by 1998 World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu as "a four-year chainsaw massacre".

That's all ancient history now, except for the fact that France's goalkeeper in their 2-1 loss to South Africa was a 23-year-old Hugo Lloris – the captain who lifted the World Cup in 2018 and is still Deschamps' first-choice custodian.

Lloris was one of a clutch of senior players who missed this month's games through injury, along with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and World Cup-winning midfielders N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba.

Deschamps will hope France's latest injury crisis is not as damaging as the one they endured at Euro 2020. With left-backs Lucas Hernandez and Lucas Digne sidelined, the France boss switched to an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation for the last-16 tie with Switzerland.

That tactical misstep proved to be a great leveller and an extraordinary contest ensued. France, floundering at 1-0 down, gave away a second-half penalty which was saved by Lloris. Just 243 seconds later, Les Bleus found themselves 2-1 up thanks to a Benzema brace.

Pogba's stunning strike made it 3-1 with 15 minutes to go but the world champions stumbled again, conceding two late goals and losing on penalties with Kylian Mbappe – who, in 2018, became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final – missing the decisive spot-kick.

That defeat to the Swiss exposed the disconnect between Deschamps – like Southgate, an instinctively cautious coach – and the audaciously talented footballers in his squad.

Benzema and Mbappe conjured up scintillating comebacks against Belgium and Spain to help France win the 2020-21 Nations League last October and Les Bleus scored 17 goals in their next four internationals, wins over Kazakhstan, Finland, Ivory Coast and South Africa.

Then came their dismal effort in this year's Nations League, with home and away defeats to Denmark, one point from two games against Croatia, and just five goals scored in six matches.

The quality and depth of France's resources mean a successful World Cup defence cannot be ruled out. Despite the injury absentees, Deschamps still had Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and 49-goal striker Olivier Giroud in his starting 11 on Monday with brilliant Real Madrid youngsters Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield.

But, with the World Cup less than two months away, there is a tempting look about odds of 3-1 that Denmark frank their Nations League supremacy over France by winning Group D, which also features Australia and Tunisia.

Trend-spotters may have noted that the last time France were defending champions, at the 2002 World Cup, they failed to score a goal in three group matches culminating in a 2-0 defeat to section winners … Denmark.

As well as France's form and fitness problems, the World Cup holders face some more unconventional issues.

Griezmann has been largely restricted to 30-minute substitute appearances for Atletico Madrid this season in order to avoid triggering a buyout clause in his loan deal from Barcelona, Mbappe refused to join an official team photo last week due to a row over image rights, and Pogba's brother was arrested this month by police investigating an alleged extortion plot against the Juventus midfielder.

Deschamps will need to summon up all his Gallic insouciance to shrug off these distractions and another dramatic World Cup campaign is in prospect for the nation who brought us Zidane's headbutt, Henry's playoff handball and the Domenech debacle of 2010.

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport