Book the 16th July off work. Why? Football’s coming home! After 52 long years, England will have won the W. Cup!
Well… the likelihood is that Harry Kane won’t be lifting the trophy and the only thing that he’ll be lifting is morale after a disappointing exit in the knockout stages on penalties, but we can still dream.
Anyways, there is hope for England in this year’s tournament and here’s 11 reasons why.
Set Pieces
NFL enthusiasts or rugby fans who enjoy a good backs move would have purred when John Stones scored his second against Panama from a free kick.
England now have four goals in the tournament from set-pieces, with both goals in the opener against Tunisia coming from corners. Gareth Southgate and the coaches can take credit for this, while former manager Sam Allardyce was also probably quietly pleased as he tucked into a burger and a pint at the bar while watching the game.
Harry Kane
The best strikers find themselves in the right places at the right time and Kane did that twice against Tunisia.
He’s indispensable for England and Spurs did the best business of the summer by nailing him down to a long-term contract before the tournament got underway. If he wins the Golden Boot, then he’ll cost over £100 million for any suitors this summer.
Penalties
Bear with me here. England’s penalty record in major tournaments is rubbish. Even the England manager is best known throughout his career for missing one at Euro ’96!
However, the outrage after England were denied two against Tunisia saw them awarded two against Panama and it won’t be their last if they continue with their set piece strategy. Opponents will struggle with the threat of Stones and Harry Maguire and there’ll be many more to come thanks to VAR.
The tournament has seen a record number of penalties awarded already and Harry Kane is banging them into the back of the net, as displayed against Panama.
No Outstanding Team
There have been some impressive performances from various countries, but in general, the performances from the top teams have been lacklustre and Argentina and Germany still aren’t guaranteed to qualify from their groups.
Brazil still have to get a result against Serbia, while Spain and France have been impressive in bursts. Portugal have also been impressive, while Uruguay have progressed through in discrete fashion, winning all three games.
Pace
England’s pace has challenged both Tunisia and Panama so far and any team which has a lumbering defender will also struggle to keep up with the wingers.
Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford are probably the three quickest players in the squad, but Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Ashley Young are no slouches either. We’ve seen in the Premier League how dangerous pace can be and we’re finally seeing it in an England team too.
Fitness
The Premier League is the only major European league not to have a winter break, but that hasn’t hindered the players so far. They’ve all looked fresh and energised, which is refreshing after Euro 2016 and previous tournaments where they’ve looked knackered and beaten before they’ve even kicked the ball.
Credit must also go to Southgate again for not gambling on half-fit players like Jack Wilshere in his squad.
Faith in the manager
In 2006 and 2010, there were already rumblings after two games of how there was a discord between the players and the manager.
There haven’t been any so far which means that we can only assume that everyone is happy. The picture that Harry Kane posted on Instagram after the Panama game says everything, with those not involved in the game smiling and happy as to how things have gone so far.
The players have freedom to do as they please and camaraderie is high among the squad.
No cliques or celebrities
The WAGs are in Russia, but none of them have proved to be a distraction so far, or even attempting to break into the news. A far cry from 2006 where the girls tried their best to prove a distraction for the squad in the papers.
There’s also no dominant personality in the dressing room. Kane is a level-headed individual, while the relative lack of top class names has ensured that humility is present, rather than arrogance.
Is it any surprise that the first tournament without the media circus following David Beckham and Wayne Rooney featured in the squad since 1990 is doing well?
Fearlessness of youth
Instead of playing dull conservative football, this England team is worth watching as they’re not afraid to try things out and take a few risks. Against better teams, they might have been caught passing out from the back or hit on the counter, but so far, the confidence and fearlessness has paid off.
A bit like England’s One-Day cricket team at the moment, they won’t die trying something new, innovative and exciting.
Leadership
There’s a strong spine being created in this England team. Jordan Pickford is no shrinking violet. Stones is marshalling the defence well, Jordan Henderson captained Liverpool to the Champions League final this season is in midfield, while official England captain Kane is upfront.
This is in stark contrast to Euro 2016, when Joe Hart was in goal and took no responsibility for his performances. One of the more encouraging moments of England’s performances so far was the inquest following the Panama goal on Sunday
They believe…
If they believe they can win it, then we must believe they can win it…
I wish it was that simple, but unfortunately it isn’t. However, you can’t go into the tournament thinking that a quarter-final is sufficient. England have already made progress in this tournament by winning two games and progressing from the group stage. Victory against Belgium would give the team (and the nation) added belief that this could be our year.
