It’s England v Germany (and we’re ready for penalties!)

Boothroyd’s boys not happy with last four — they want the trophy!

ENGLAND’S Under 21s have practised penalties for more than a month to ensure they are ready for today’s Euro 2017 semi-final against Germany. The Germans, whose senior team have beaten England in two major tournament semi-final shootouts, say they have not prepared for spot-kicks but England Under 21 head coach Aidy Boothroyd said: ‘History suggests Germany don’t need to practise but we do and have done since May.’

THE message has yet to be relayed to the dressing room, but it is coming. At some point before 5pm today, Aidy Boothroyd will pick his words carefully but the meaning behind them will be impossible to miss.

‘We don’t see everything now as a bonus,’ said Boothroyd. ‘ We haven’t achieved what we set out to do. You have to make these opportunities count.

‘If someone said to me — if we’ve lost — “Well done for getting to the semi-final”, I won’t like that. I won’t like it one bit.’

It is entirely possible England will lose in Tychy this evening. When the Under 21s faced Germany in Wiesbaden 95 days ago, they spent 45 minutes chasing shadows and were comfortably beaten 1-0, the scoreline doing little to reflect the hosts’ dominance.

Nine of the Germany team who started then are likely to do so here and a sense of the esteem in which their squad is held — even without seven players who have gone to the Confederations Cup — can be gauged by the national media dubbing them a golden generation.

There would be no disgrace in England losing at this stage. It is eight years since an Under 21 tournament ended without inquests and recriminations.

Boothroyd’s group have put an end to that, showing tenacity and technique to win their group and set up this collision with the old foe.

When it was put to Boothroyd, though, that a last-four spot could be viewed as a success, he squinted and folded his arms a little more tightly.

After a summer during which the Under 20s have won the World Cup and the Toulon Tournament has been retained, the label of plucky loser doesn’t fit.

‘ For this group it’s about winning, not just performance,’ said Boothroyd, who will not select his team until Nathaniel Chalobah and Nathan Redmond have had fitness tests.

‘You can’t separate the two. We don’t see everything now as a bonus. We haven’t achieved what we set out to do. It’s not OK just because we got out of the group. We set out to get our players used to winning tournaments. We aren’t tourists when we get here. We are here to win it. It’s not about enjoying the experience.’

The irony, however, is that the longer they are out here, the more England’s players are enjoying it and that is enhancing their chances. Yesterday’s final training session in Zabierzow, on the outskirts of Krakow, was as lively and intense as any since they arrived in Poland two weeks ago.

Some members of the group will inevitably graduate to the senior ranks after this, but others are aware that opportunities to play international football may be scarce; 18 of the 23 who travelled are no longer eligible for the Under 21s and the hunger to go out on a high is intense.

‘There are some players who have that natural-born talent, I’m not one of them,’ said Swansea defender Alfie Mawson. Three years ago he was was playing for Maidenhead while doing part-time shifts on the fruit and veg stall his father Gary owned.

‘I’m very grateful because I’ve put the work in and some things fall your way at times. I’m not someone who can take the foot off the gas. I know what would happen. I’d take loads of steps back and would get nowhere. I’ve got a taste for success now, for playing in the Premier League.

‘To get an England debut would be fantastic, as it has been for the Under 21s. This has been a dream come true, something I never thought would happen. I take it in my stride and keep going.

‘Hopefully at the end of the week we will have another title.’

The role Boothroyd has played in getting England to this stage should be highlighted.

He is aware that critics will look at him suspiciously and associate him with a more direct, primitive style of play, but England’s football here has continually improved.

Questions would have been asked about his suitability for the role of Under 21 head coach if England had tumbled out at the group stage once again.

But that won’t be the case now and his position will be even stronger if he gets to that ultimate objective.

‘I can’t live my life worrying about what people think of me,’ said Boothroyd.

‘If I did that I’d be looking over my shoulder every two minutes. I’m grateful for this opportunity but in order for us to be better, we’ve got to go and win this game. It’s about making it count.’