AFP, Russia :
England’s return to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 12 years is no fluke as the team reap
the rewards from coach Gareth Southgate’s meticulous eye for detail.
A first-ever World Cup penalty shootout win in the last 16, against Colombia, followed months of practice from the spot and psychometric tests on the players to determine who was best placed to handle the pressure.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford even switched his water bottle before the shootout for one with where the Colombians preferred to put their penalties written on the side.
“We’d done all the hard work on the training pitch and we were able to execute when we were there,” said defender John Stones. “It’s about covering all the bases and making sure that you are taking in every detail to give you the best advantage you can. That’s down to the staff, down to the players, the hours on the training pitch.”
Much of that preparation comes from Southgate’s own experience of missing a penalty in the semi-final of Euro 96. Had things gone to plan for England,
though, he would not even have been in charge in Russia.
After a humiliating Euro 2016 exit to Iceland, England’s Football Association backed the experience of Sam Allardyce.
But his reign lasted a mere 67 days, Allardyce standing down after a single match in charge following a newspaper sting.
Then under-21 manager, the appointment of the affable Southgate was seen as a safe option.However, he has defied expectations with bold decisions by
jettisoning some experienced figures to take the third-youngest squad in the competition to Russia.
Southgate’s open and honest attitude has won admirers among a normally hard-to-please press pack and back home, where his popularity has soared.
The choice of the remote wooded town of Repino, 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of Saint Petersburg, has allowed the players to get on with the job at hand free from off-field distractions and the tensions that have blightedprevious campaigns.
“There’s a fine line of where a manager has got to have his football brain in gear, talk about football and know when we’re working and then know about when we should relax,” added Stones. “He balances that as well as anyone I’ve seen.”
Southgate has certainly left no stone unturned in attempting to transform England’s fortunes at major tournaments.
Last year he took the squad on a weekend training camp with the Royal Marines, where mobile phones were confiscated and players made to complete underwater assault courses and camp overnight to foster team spirit.
England’s return to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 12 years is no fluke as the team reap
the rewards from coach Gareth Southgate’s meticulous eye for detail.
A first-ever World Cup penalty shootout win in the last 16, against Colombia, followed months of practice from the spot and psychometric tests on the players to determine who was best placed to handle the pressure.
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford even switched his water bottle before the shootout for one with where the Colombians preferred to put their penalties written on the side.
“We’d done all the hard work on the training pitch and we were able to execute when we were there,” said defender John Stones. “It’s about covering all the bases and making sure that you are taking in every detail to give you the best advantage you can. That’s down to the staff, down to the players, the hours on the training pitch.”
Much of that preparation comes from Southgate’s own experience of missing a penalty in the semi-final of Euro 96. Had things gone to plan for England,
though, he would not even have been in charge in Russia.
After a humiliating Euro 2016 exit to Iceland, England’s Football Association backed the experience of Sam Allardyce.
But his reign lasted a mere 67 days, Allardyce standing down after a single match in charge following a newspaper sting.
Then under-21 manager, the appointment of the affable Southgate was seen as a safe option.However, he has defied expectations with bold decisions by
jettisoning some experienced figures to take the third-youngest squad in the competition to Russia.
Southgate’s open and honest attitude has won admirers among a normally hard-to-please press pack and back home, where his popularity has soared.
The choice of the remote wooded town of Repino, 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of Saint Petersburg, has allowed the players to get on with the job at hand free from off-field distractions and the tensions that have blightedprevious campaigns.
“There’s a fine line of where a manager has got to have his football brain in gear, talk about football and know when we’re working and then know about when we should relax,” added Stones. “He balances that as well as anyone I’ve seen.”
Southgate has certainly left no stone unturned in attempting to transform England’s fortunes at major tournaments.
Last year he took the squad on a weekend training camp with the Royal Marines, where mobile phones were confiscated and players made to complete underwater assault courses and camp overnight to foster team spirit.
