England have repeatedly suffered under the pressure and weight of expectation at international tournaments. As the Premier League’s profile has rocketed, fans and media expect similar growth on the world stage.
However results have not been forthcoming.
After finishing fourth in the 1990 World Cup in Italy, England stuttered. In 1998 and 2010 the Three Lions were eliminated in the last 16, they went out at the quarter-final stage in 2002 and 2006 and worst of all, they did not make it out of the group in 2014, finishing bottom behind Costa Rica, Uruguay and Italy.
But after an embarrassing elimination by Iceland in the last 16 at Euro 2016 and coach Roy Hodgson’s replacement Sam Allardyce lasting just one game, a new era has started. Gareth Southgate was appointed in November 2016 after taking over initially as a caretaker, and the former Middlesbrough defender has overseen an overhaul of the national team.
As well as equipping England with a well-fitting 3-5-2 formation and filling the squad with young players, Southgate and his team have worked hard to ease the burden of pressure. The team’s World Cup base camp in Repino, north of St Petersburg, is a good example of the change in atmosphere and attitude under Southgate, which came through in an energetic 2-1 win over Tunisia in Volgograd on Monday. “We want to mix and engage with the local community but equally it’s important to have a base where the players can relax and switch off without being disturbed,” Southgate said ahead of arrival in Russia. Although only Harry Kane’s late header earned them three points in Group G, England put in one of their best performances at a tournament for years, creating several clear chances. The team are staying at the FoRestMix Hotel, embedded among dense woods. It is tranquil, but not far from the town of Repino itself or the sea. The facilities are far from the luxury hotels which the team has used before, like in Rustenburg at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but they are comfortable and friendly, helping to keep expectations grounded and the team less isolated.
They train a short 15-minute drive away in Zelenogorsk, at the Spartak Stadium, which again is no-frills but is a more than adequate set-up for the players. Southgate believes the low-key surroundings increase focus on the task at hand and help a young squad aiming to fulfil a dream, rather than pampering a smorgasbord of individual stars who already feel they have made it.
At Brazil 2014, the players had to drive a two-hour round trip to reach their training facilities. Here the players have more leisure time.
England players attend a training session in Saint Petersburg.
