Thursday 18 / April / 2024
ENGLAND arrive at the World Cup in Russia without the noisily optimistic drumbeats that often accompany them to major tournaments.
Years of underachievement and disappointment have doused any serious hope among supporters and jingoistic media that England will finally emulate the feats of 1966 and win the World Cup.
Statistically, they remain one of the major teams most likely to qualify effortlessly for tournaments but least likely to win one. Unbeaten in qualifiers for major tournaments since 2009, they have won only six knockout games of international football since that day when Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley Stadium.
It is now 12 years since they beat Ecuador to reach the World Cup quarterfinals where they lost to Portugal on penalties, a familiar English fate over the years.
Their last two major tournaments have been disastrous, with exit in the group stages in Brazil in 2014 followed by ignominious defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, a result that pitched the team to an historic low and predictably cost manager Roy Hodgson his job.
In fact, there was more ignominy to come with the bizarre 67-day stewardship of Sam Allardyce, who departed after a newspaper sting, before current manager Gareth Southgate was promoted from the under-21 team.
Southgate, who was an accomplished defender, is one of the few England players of recent vintage to have known relative success at an international tournament having been in the side who reached the semifinals of Euro 96.
But he also knows the heartbreak, having missed the penalty in a shootout that paved the way for Germany to progress to the final.
In his quietly effective way, the manager has stitched together a team who, after a tedious procession of qualifiers, are starting to show promise.
In captain Harry Kane, they boast one of the tournament’s most deadly front men although finding the right creative midfielders to supply him has proved problematic.
Southgate has real attacking talent to choose from in Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, plus Kane’s Tottenham team-mate Dele Alli and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling, with the ever-dangerous Jamie Vardy likely to be unleashed as an impact substitute.
Further back, the manager has experimented with goalkeepers and centre-backs around a formation that flits between 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1, with John Stones, who has struggled to hold down a starting spot at Manchester City this season, likely to be the defensive linchpin.
Assuming they survive a favourable group draw that has pitted them against Belgium, Tunisia and Panama, they face a likely knockout game against Poland or Colombia followed by a possible quarterfinal against Brazil, which would be a repeat of 2002 when England narrowly lost.
No one with a sense of history is looking beyond that.
Factbox
FIFA ranking: 12
Previous tournaments
England have appeared in 14 World Cups, including the last five. Their best performance was 1966, on home soil, when they won the tournament, beating West Germany 4-2 (aet). Their best performance since that triumph was in 1990 when they lost on penalties in the semi-final to West Germany. They reached the quarter-finals in 2002 and 2006 but went out at the group stage in 2014.
Coach: Gareth Southgate
The 47-year-old Southgate was an England international defender and midfielder who played for Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough during a career which saw him win 57 caps for his country. After his playing career, he managed Middlesbrough for three years before taking charge of England’s under-21 team. Southgate was appointed England manager in November, 2016, having previously taken temporary charge of the side following the sacking of Sam Allardyce.
He is keen to see England play a similar style throughout the age groups with more emphasis on ball-playing defenders and attacking wing-backs and looks likely to go with five at the back in Russia.
Key players
Harry Kane: The striker, who will be England’s captain, will be central to their hopes in Russia and he has something to prove after looking exhausted throughout the 2016 European Championship finals. His 12 goals in 23 appearances for his country have shown he can translate his prolific form for Tottenham Hotspur (30 Premier League goals this past season) to the international stage and with his club mate Dele Alli likely to play behind him, the Spurs link could be crucial.
Raheem Sterling: The former Liverpool winger has improved his all-round game significantly under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and his pace, skill and ability to go past defenders could provide the moments of inspiration England will need in a squad otherwise short of stardust. The 23-year-old has not always delivered in England colours, though, and will be desperate to do so this time.
Form guide
England have conceded one goal, from a penalty, in their last six games which include goalless draws with World Cup favourites Germany and Brazil, a 1-0 win over the Netherlands and a 1-1 draw with Italy. Their last loss was a 3-2 friendly defeat by France in Paris in June, 2017.
How they qualified:
In a relatively straightforward group where Slovakia finished second, England cruised through to the finals with eight wins and two draws - against Slovenia and Scotland, scoring 18 goals and conceding three.
Prospects
England will be confident of progressing from Group G where they play Tunisia, Panama and, in their final game, Belgium.
The Belgians, inspired by Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, will be the biggest threat to England but both sides could be in situations where a draw might suit.
Should England make it to the second round, they will play the first or second-placed team from Group H which features Poland, Colombia, Senegal and Japan.
However, Southgate’s team could be up against Brazil or Germany in the quarterfinals.
