Harry Maguire believes that the days of England celebrating merely going deep into major tournaments is over; they must win the World Cup now to be deemed a successful team.
For all the pre-tournament negativity and the initial doubts about Gareth Southgate’s aptitude for senior international football management, England have enjoyed their most consistent major tournament runs in their history. The mood surrounding the team in 2018 and, eventually, in 2020 is representative of that progress.
But Maguire also accepts that progress brings with it a shift in expectations. Rather than shying away from those expectations and allowing it to build up into undue pressure, the squad are embracing it. While England supporters may be unconvinced of their chances of winning a tournament under Southgate, the players clearly are not.
“I think that’s the one thing I’d say that’s a lot different from the 2018 squad to this squad,” Maguire said when asked if it was difficult not to lie in bed at night and think about winning the World Cup. “I think we really believe that it is possible.
“I played in 2018 and we got to the semi-final and I think a lot of the lads were happy. You were happy to be part of the semi-final. You knew that whatever happened in that semi-final that you’d go home and be classed as a hero, you’d get a good reception and everyone would be patting you on the back.
“I think now there’s a belief that we’ve got to win this tournament. It is a good change in mentality. Of course, we know how tough it is going to be. I think there are probably five or six teams with the same belief. But in 2018, we probably weren’t one of those teams that had that belief.”
More from Football
Maguire also spoke extensively about overcoming his problems at club level to excel again for his country. Due to issues with form and fitness, he has played only 280 Premier League minutes this season, causing fears that he would be rusty and leading to calls for him to be dropped from England’s starting team.
But Maguire has never let England down. At Euro 2020, he was part of a defence that conceded twice in seven games, the best in the tournament. So far at this World Cup, England have conceded twice in four matches and one of those came after Maguire was substituted because of illness.
“I go back to my past memories and performances at tournaments,” he said. “When there is a squad decided or team picked for England, there are always players who ‘shouldn’t be playing’. Two years ago I was in the Euros team of the tournament so I know what I’m capable of.
“I’m not hiding away from the last year: it’s been difficult, but I always knew and had great belief in myself that I’d find my form and regain my confidence and my focus. I’m really happy it’s happened at the biggest stage, at the biggest tournament. I feel in a good place. I feel good mentally. I feel good physically.”
‘It’s not just England vs Mbappe’
By Kevin Garside, i‘s chief sports correspondent
Don’t mention the M-word. England won’t be rolling out the red carpet for Kylian Mbappe or any of the French world champions in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final, according to the man detailed to stop him, Kyle Walker.
England view the match with France as an opportunity to leave their own mark on the competition, to make a marque move that underpins the progress made since making the semi-finals four years ago.
“There is more to beating France than containing Kylian Mbappe,” Walker said. “The game is not England vs Mbappe. The game is England v France. We respect that he’s a good player and in good form but I’m not going to roll out the red carpet for him and tell him to go and score. I’m representing my country at a quarter-final of a World Cup. It’s do or die. If we lose we go home. He’s not going to stand in my way and hopefully winning a World Cup for my country.”
The sense of occasion surrounding Saturday’s fixture attracted media from around the world to England’s Al Wakrah training base, including a number from French outlets. Walker was asked if England considered themselves underdogs. His answer was unambiguous and strident.
“Favourites. Not favourites. It’s a game of football, 90 plus minutes. We take our hats off to them. They are world champions. They have the respect they deserve. They won the last World Cup. But I can assure you that each and every one of us will not be rolling out the red carpet for them to go out and perform, thinking it’s a theatre for them to showcase their great talent. We have also got great talent that we need to be speaking about as well. Goals we have scored, the clean sheets we have kept. We just move forward with that.”
Walker believes the standard of football at Qatar 2022 is a level above the World Cup in Russia four years ago. England, he says, have improved as a result of that experience. “I am not saying that Russia was a bad standard, but I feel us as a team we were a little bit inexperienced in big game matches. We knocked a few walls down in Russia by winning a penalty shoot-out but we were still inexperienced. I know we scored early against Croatia, but we did not really know how to handle that.
“I know we are more equipped, but the other players in the tournament are better. You look at Morocco, for example, and how well they played against a very, very good Spain team to get the result that they wanted. We have had a few surprises with Japan and stuff. I feel the standard of play has gone up.”
The focus has inevitably fallen on Walker’s responsibility to contain the French talisman. The second question in, the M-bomb dropped. “Do I understand the focus? Of course I do. I do understand what I need to do and that’s obviously to stop him. It’s probably easier said than done but I don’t underestimate myself. I’ve played him before and I’ve come up against great players before in my time playing with England, Man City and other clubs.
“I have to treat it as just another game. I have to take extra care and give him the respect he deserves but not too much respect because he’s also playing England and we can also cause them problems. It’s going to be a tough game but not one player makes a team.”
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/e2qQWOZ
Post a Comment