IT ALWAYS comes back to Euro 96 — football’s coming home, Gazza’s goal against Scotland, the tub-thumping 4-1 win over Holland at the old Wembley.
Germany moved on. England, sadly, never really have.
Since the Germans beat England in that 1996 semi-final en route to winning the tournament, Die Mannschaft have also reached two World Cup finals (winning in 2014) and were runners-up at Euro 2008.
Keep up to date with ALL the football gossip and transfers on our club page plus fixtures, results and live match commentary
England are still banging on about Gareth Southgate’s fateful spot-kick and what might have been had he beaten Andreas Kopke.
Incredibly, that tournament, when England were led by Terry Venables, remains the country’s reference point.
Southgate, England’s latest head coach, is here to change that.
He said: “Germany have a consistent plan and so have Spain. When we play German teams, they just have that belief in the way they play.
“Terry Venables gave me that as a player, stretching me in different areas and doing things to improve me.
“We won’t get here overnight but we’ve got players who are able to do that.”
Whoever Southgate meant, they do not exactly trip off the tongue.
The new manager has identified an “island mentality”, shaping the skewed views of cosseted Premier League footballers. If Southgate is correct, it has cost England in tournament conditions.
He added: “Look at Spain. We’re an island. We’ve got to get off the island and learn from them.
“Being an island saved us in 1945 but I’m not sure it’s helped us ever since.
“We need to look in the mirror and change the way we do things — tactically, with our physical preparation, our style of play and mentality. We’ve had success in every other sport in our country. We’re probably the missing piece.
“The lads see one league, they see Sky Sports News, they think we’re at the centre of the earth. We are not.
“Other countries are quite happy to say nice things to us and then they pack us off and think, ‘God, we’ve got rid of them’. That’s how it feels to me and I don’t like it.”
Well, imagine how it feels for the poor souls who have had to watch it over the years.
Still, Southgate deserves a fair crack of the whip. This friendly, against the old enemy Germany, is the first proper chance for him to show us what he has got in the locker.
That this England team can be as expressive, as tactically cute, as dependable and reliable as he wants.
In the nicest possible way, Southgate certainly talks a good game.
He has borrowed some of Venables’ key qualities, turning to young players and trusting them for his first game as a permanent fixture.
Michael Keane, Burnley’s progressive central defender, is among a number who are expected to face the World Cup winners in the Westfalenstadion.
Marcus Rashford, who impressed Southgate during Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat at Chelsea in the FA Cup last week, is another in the frame.
Southgate added: “I want an England team to play with calculated aggression and to be positive about what we do.
“We have to be tactically savvy. That’s an area of our game where we have to be at the top end of world football if we want to succeed.
“That’s not going to happen overnight but we have players with good coaches at their clubs. We have to be adaptable.”
Some of Southgate’s experiences against Germany as a player have helped to define him as a coach.
He faced them in the Euro 96 semi-final and was in Kevin Keegan’s side who were beaten by Germany in the last game at the old Wembley in 2000.
MOST READ STORIES
Keegan, bless him, resigned in the toilets immediately after the World Cup qualifier.
Southgate added: “It helped shape me as a person and years down the line makes you think, ‘What is there to fear in life?’ Players need a framework and clear guidelines of how you want them to play.
“I always look at how it is possible to win, rather than avoiding failure. There is a clear difference in mindset.”
The Germans have it, the mentality of champions after winning the World Cup for a fourth time against Argentina in 2014. England could do with some of that.
And Gary Cahill, who captains this experimental England side tonight in his 53rd appearance, is backing these players to soak it all up.
He said: “I’m not intimidated by Germany. I’m respectful of the history, but, man for man, I’m confident.
“Yes, they are top Champions League players and they win trophies but I’m confident in my own team-mates.
“Bridging the gap with Germany is the golden question. Our young players need to play in cup finals or win leagues. That will happen.
“One thing for me is having the ability and the other half is having the experience and being a man.”
Against the world champions, England will have to grow up fast.
Leave a comment