11 reasons why England can win the World Cup!
By the Mirror’s chief sports writer Andy Dunn
NOT sure about you at home but out here in Russia, the steadily-swelling group of England fans are no longer daring to dream – they are daring to believe.
They might have beaten two teams who only came to collect memories and souvenirs but there is an air of authority and purpose about Gareth Southgate’s team that has made most of us reassess this journey’s possible destination.
And that is the Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday, July 15.
Here is a one-to-11 of reasons why England can go all the way to the final in Moscow.
1) DANGER FROM SET-PIECES
Better media access to his players was clearly not the only tip Gareth Southgate pocketed from his trip to the Super Bowl. His set-piece planning could have come straight from the clipboard of a gridiron coach. Blocking, play-fakes, dummy runs, feinting, they all played a part in John Stones’ opening goal against Panama. Southgate, Steve Holland and striker coach Allan Russell form the brains’ trust that has already plotted four goals from dead-ball situations.
2) HARRY KANE ‘Where’s Harry?” inquired the England manager when Stones’ header was clawed away by the Tunisia keeper. He’s on the spot, Gareth, as always. The happiest knack for a striker is being in the right place at the right time and there is no conventional striker in world football with the game intelligence of Kane.
All nous and no nerves, no wonder Southgate would not swap him. 3) PENALTIES
Dan Ashworth dropping a polite line to FIFA refereeing bods over the unpunished manhandling of Kane in game one was a masterstroke.
Harry Maguire is just one of several who pose an aerial threat that every opponent will be wary of and try to negate.
The penalty awarded to England for the holding and tugging in Nizhny Novgorod will not be their last.
4) NO OUTSTANDING TEAM There have been some impressive performances, including a couple from Thursday’s opponents, Belgium. But Argentina’s progress into the knockout stages is far from guaranteed and nor is that of Germany. Brazil should make it but still have to get a result against Serbia.
Spain and France are through, but have only been sporadically impressive. 5) PACE
You could get a couple of decent 4x100metres relay teams out of this England squad.
Ahead of the tournament, Danny Welbeck was discussing who would win a sprint and mentioned so many names, he reminded us just how much speed runs through the camp. From Raheem Sterling out of the traps to Kyle
Walker’s gallop eating up the distance, England have an abundance of the asset every top team needs.
6) FITNESS
It is hard to outline a case for the Premier League being the best in technical terms but it is a lot easier to make a case for it having the fittest players. The standards demanded by the clubs at home are sky-high and it is already showing here.
See how they sauntered through the heat of Nizhny Novgorod.
7) FAITH IN THE MANAGER
By now, we would have heard the whispers had there been any inmates unhappy at the way Southgate is running Camp Repino. There simply aren’t any. They are happy with him, on and off the pitch. Rio Ferdinand (left) summed it up nicely when he said he could tell they were being given the freedom to play by Southgate.
8) NO CLIQUES, NO CELEBRITIES
Even the WAGs have gone under the radar. Remember Baden-Baden? The girls falling over themselves to get on the front and the glossy pages?
No distractions for the squad here and no dominant personality in the locker room. No one whose commercial image seems as vital as the fortunes of the squad.
9) FEARLESSNESS OF YOUTH
The third-youngest squad at the tournament, they have not been afraid to take risks in their opening two matches.
Whether it be John Stones and Jordan Pickford passing out from the back, Kieran Trippier’s sense of adventure on the high flank or the combinations between Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard, there is a boldness about the approach.
10) LEADERS ALL OVER
Keeper Pickford (far right) is clearly a voluble sort, Stones is revelling in his position at the heart of a back three and Jordan Henderson is leading by example in midfield, covering one kilometre more than any other player against Panama.
One of the many encouraging scenes from Sunday’s victory was the heated inquest into Felipe Baloy’s consolation goal.
11) THEY BELIEVE
It is not just talk, they genuinely do believe. And that is the most compelling reason why we can begin to think England can go all the way.