RELAX, THAT’S ROBBO RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

BRYAN ROBSON believes England’s players need to loosen up at the World Cup if they are not to flop again on the big stage.

The Three Lions have managed just six wins in the knockout stages of major tournaments since lifting the World Cup in 1966.

And former England skipper Robson, who won 90 caps, insists Gareth Southgate’s young squad need to enjoy the experience of going to Russia, rather than feel burdened by the weight of expectation.

“Having qualified, the main thing is to get the right mental approach when we get to Russia,” said Robson.

“It’s all about the mindset. If you look at the players, and the way they perform in the Premier League against top players from around the world, they can do it. But, for whatever reason, when we get to the finals we seem to fall down and the players don’t express themselves the way they do in the Premier League.

“Maybe it’s the pressure of the expectations of England, but all the other countries have the same pressures, the likes of Italy, Spain, Germany and Brazil.

“You’re going into competition football and you have to handle it well, and try to enjoy it rather than worry about failure.

“That’s the approach England have to have.”

Robson reckons Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Dele Alli have the potential to become world-class.

“To do really well in major finals, you have to have one or two worldclass players,” said Robson, speaking on behalf of Vauxhall at the Toddington Warehouse 50th anniversary. “You look at some of the young England players and ask yourself if they can get to that level.

“It’s a bit like Paul Gascoigne at the World Cup in 1990. We all knew how good Gazza was within England, but the rest of the world didn’t really know it until we got to those finals.

“But we got to the semi-finals because Gazza became a world-class player. It was the same with Argentina when they won the World Cup – they had Maradona.

“So you nearly always need a world-class player to do well, and Rashford and Kane have a real chance of becoming worldclass goalscorers.

“These lads have to prove they can do it against the best. Rashford and Kane will be judged on that, Dele Alli too.

“That’s what the World Cup is all about.”