When it comes to Ryder Cup wild cards, you’ll never please everybody. Ian Woosnam knows all about that.

When the little Welshman didn’t opt for Thomas Bjorn as one of his captain’s picks for the 2006 tussle at the K-Club in Ireland, Bjorn launched the kind of fearsome offensive you got at the tank battle of Kursk.

Withering barbs like “he is the most pathetic captain I have ever seen”, “a friend of mine he isn’t”, and “the man is barmy” flew in wild abundance as Woosnam spurned Bjorn in favour of Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke.

He couldn’t have been that barmy. Europe romped to a record-equalling 18 ½ - 9 ½ triumph, Westwood and Clarke were unbeaten over the three days and Woosie celebrated in great torrents of Guinness.

“I didn’t have anything to make up for,” reflected the 60-year-old of that Bjorn spat. “He was the one who made the b******s wasn’t he? When I walked in to that press room in Munich in 2006 (to announce his picks after the final event), I hadn’t actually made up my mind. I made up my mind when I was asked the question. And we got the result. One of the best results ever.”

The boot, of course, is on the other foot now and Bjorn is under the microscope as Europe’s captain for next week’s match with the USA in Paris.

The Dane opted for tried and trusted campaigners for his four wild cards with the inclusion of an out-of-form Sergio Garcia attracting the kind of intense scrutiny usually reserved for cell cultures in a petri dish.

The omission of the likes of Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matt Fitzpatrick and Matt Wallace, who won three times on the tour in 2018, generated plenty of grumblings from various onlookers.

“Now he knows what the job is about,” added Woosnam of this damned if you do, damned if don’t role. “ It’s a difficult situation. Do you go for Matt Wallace, a guy in form, someone who’s making lots of birdies, a great fourball player?

“He wins three tournaments but maybe they were the wrong tournaments. Wallace never got to play in enough big world tournaments so he didn’t get enough points.”

Could another change to the qualifying criteria be made to avoid a similar scenario for a multiple winner? “Well, how many times do you change the rules?,” added the 1991 Masters champion. “That’s why the four picks are there, to pick someone like that. A couple of guys who should have been in there are not in there, unfortunately.”

After months of ins, outs and shake it all abouts, the pieces are all in place for the transatlantic tussle. “Thomas needs to be strong and he should have it in his mind what pairings he wants,” declared Woosnam, who contested eight Ryder Cups during his playing pomp. “Yes, he can ask his assistants for help but you have to be positive in your own mind how you feel it will play and who will play with each other.

“But when you are a Ryder Cup player you should be happy to play with anyone, that’s what I always thought. You go there as a team and you should play as a team.”

Europe face a tough task against a US side boasting nine major champions. “I’ll sit on the fence and say a tie,” said Woosnam with a smile.