Despite a disappointing 2-0 loss to Belgium this morning, England’s fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup is its best result in 28 years.
Gareth Southgate shuffled his squad about for the third-place-playoff clash and were, in the end, outclassed by a Belgium side which would have been a worthy finalist.
Whatever the significance of the loss, it wraps up the most memorable campaign at a major tournament for this generation of England fans.
In the face of considerable political division and angst on the home front, its footballers have united the country in ways no one could foresee a month ago.
For some fans there’s a lingering frustration that England, in losing to Croatia, let slip an opportunity that may prove once-in-a-lifetime. That is, to see the country in a World Cup Final for the first time since the venerated side of 1966 went all the way.
England manager Gareth Southgate (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
But for the first time since that semi-final loss to Germany in 1990, the ‘four more years’, ‘same old England’ rhetoric has been shelved.
An overwhelming sense of positivity has emerged, which is no mean feat for a nation whose default emotion regarding the national team is cynicism.
It was perhaps most telling that after the extra-time defeat to Croatia, England’s typically scathing tabloids were full of praise for Southgate’s side.
The Daily Mirror’s front page read ‘Heroes: We’re proud of you all’ while The Sun, who six weeks ago had unfairly targeted Raheem Sterling in a front page story about a tattoo on his leg, were lauding a ‘fearless young England side and an inspirational manager’.
Fans have remarked that ‘it feels different this time’. And for good reason.
Southgate told his young charges to ‘go create your own history’ unburdened by the failures of the past.
This seemed like rhetoric to hardened fans who’d seen it all: Pearce’s penalty miss in 1990, Beckham’s sending off in ’98, Rooney rebuking fans in 2010.
Asked about this, midfielder Dele Alli said he’s never even seen the Beckham footage. ‘Huh?’ Some queried his response. But this typified Southgate’s mentality at the World Cup: youngsters don’t care about past teams – give them a chance and they’ll thrive.
Three of England’s best players at the tournament are in the infancy of their careers.
Goalkeeping revelation Jordan Pickford had played just four games for England before their opening clash against Tunisia.
Likewise, Harry Maguire (six caps before Russia 2018) and Kieran Trippier (seven) are still very raw. But all three were immense.
Pickford’s last-gasp save in the Colombia game, followed by a man-of-the-match performance against Sweden gave a previously unconvinced public all the convincing they needed.
Maguire’s natural ability in the air came to the fore, but so did his ball-playing ability out of the back.
One pundit said last week: ‘he almost surprises you with how good his first touch is. Then he does it over and over again’.
Trippier’s free kick against Croatia – the culmination of a brilliant tournament for the right wing-back – made him just the second Englishman (after Beckham) to score from a direct free kick at the World Cup since ’66. Southgate’s faith was repaid in spades.
England’s Danny Welbeck and Harry Kane applaud supporters. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
But despite all the positive signs on the field, perhaps the most pertinent aspect to emerge from Russia is that the divide between the players and fans has been mended.
People in England are excited about international football again, and an affinity with the current crop of players has been established.
For years, and particularly after being embarrassingly bundled out of Euro 2016 by Iceland, watching the Three Lions had become a chore.
National team apathy became toxic, and going to Wembley wasn’t fun anymore. Rooney’s outburst after their 0-0 draw with Algeria in South Africa 2010 – sarcastically claiming ‘it’s nice to see your own fans booing you’ to a TV camera just seconds after the final whistle – was symptomatic of this divide.
The players saw the fans as unsupportive and overly-cynical while the fans saw the players as uninterested and lacking heart.
One of Southgate’s first missions was to change this. He gave the press greater access and his players handled themselves admirably. He himself has shown great class, abandoning cliché to give articulate, reasoned responses in press interviews.
One of those was this: “People may have had a feeling that playing for England was always misery and regret and recrimination,” Southgate said after the Croatia loss. “Now, I think, they have seen it can be enjoyable.”
It’s been enjoyable for both the players and fans. And while the side still has a long way to go before it will truly challenge at a major tournament, at least they now have the nation behind them.
Fadida
Guest
And that's why I was hoping Southgate got the team doing well enough to avoid a "sh$t storm" on exiting the tournament. He comes across as a really decent, honest and articulate man. How many other coaches would say "they are better than us"? The jury is definitely still out on his coaching though.
Fadida
Guest
Good summary Tirateg. The good coaches can adjust the whole team to affect a game. The average ones only make subs. Being able to analyze and react in-game is a much underrated quality in a coach.
Worlds Biggest
Guest
By England’s vaunted underachieving standards, it has been a very good campaign. Southgate seems a likeable chap and seems to have the players buying in ( getting on ) and the support of most if not all fans. That’s a far cry from the previous wobegone regimes of Hodgson, Capello, McLaren et al... However they butchered a golden opportunity to make the Final. They had Croatia on the rack and couldn’t capitalise. Those opportunities don’t come around for England very often. They have a good keeper and solid defence, however midfield and final third needs a lot of work.
Redondo
Guest
The offside flag might well have been confirmed anyway
Redondo
Guest
If this is the one-on-one you’re referring to, turns out it was great goal-keeping... https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/soccer/incredible-new-replay-shows-stunning-twist-on-harry-kanes-epic-miss-against-croatia-ng-5b95fda3df6151b48c4224ba36642d96
killaku
Guest
I think the same could be said about France,Denmark and Peru playing a team that is there to make up the numbers cos they cannot get out of the group
Waz
Roar Rookie
Lukaku was poor this tournament
Waz
Roar Rookie
Agree it’s not his fault if he hasn’t got the players. But he can modify his tactics.
MQ
Guest
One thing that stood out about Kane for mine was how slow he was, not just physically, but mentally, he was very slow to react to opportunities. Yes, he's big, but compare to Lukaku, or even how quick Mandzukic was to react for his chance (relative to the three defenders around him).
MQ
Guest
Meh, once there, they looked like a team that didn't belong there.
Tirateg
Guest
Agreed waz, if Kane had squared the ball it was a guaranteed goal and game over. He has a reputation for being greedy which I suppose is a good trait for a goal scorer but in hindsight he made the wrong decision and England went out. Croatia deserved it though, their coach realised England were comfortable first half and pushed the team 20 yards further up bringing their midfielders into the game in dangerous positions and cutting off the supply from Trippier down the right side. Southgate is as inexperienced as the players but he too needs to learn fast to react to the game as it changes. They are all learning and will be a better team for it.
MQ
Guest
“We haven’t produced quite enough moments of quality around the penalty area in the tournament,” Honest assessment, 100% accurate, especially against Croatia, England were woeful in the attacking third, absolutely woeful.
Tirateg
Guest
Very true David, I thought Maguire was England’s man of the tournament, a giant of a man that is so composed with ball at feet. Maguire and stones are the blueprint for the future, they just need to develop a proper midfielder that can link the play and manufacture chances for the forwards.
Tirateg
Guest
Kane was poor in this tournament. He missed vital chances at important times, looked anonymous in the knock out games, lacked fitness and as so often for England was isolated. He scored a good goal against Tunisia but was really disappointing otherwise.
Tirateg
Guest
Germany, Argentina and Spain got knocked out for a reason, they were poor. Croatia have needed penalties or extra time in every knock out game to get to the final in the supposed weak side of the draw. personally I think this vastly inexperience England team has done very well at this World Cup and is probably 6-7 years behind a team like Croatia in its development. This World Cup for England was about learning and gaining tournament experience and that’s now in the bag.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Southgate said: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/fifa-world-cup-2018/we-don-t-kid-ourselves-southgate-admits-england-not-a-top-four-team-20180715-p4zrn9.html "We haven't produced quite enough moments of quality around the penalty area in the tournament," he said. "Belgium are far ahead of us in their development as a group ... and we are not at that stage," he said. "We've had a lot of praise but, balanced with that, a lot of reality as well, and we don't kid ourselves at all. "We have finished in the top four, but we are not a top-four team yet. Against the best teams, we have come up short." Pretty much what we've been saying here. A good run against lesser teams but not enough quality to match it with the best. No shame.
Fadida
Guest
It's not Southgate's fault they don't have an Eriksen or Kante. It was the weakest group I've ever seen England send to a WC
Waz
Roar Rookie
If Kane had of finished that one on one with the keeper, or netted the rebound with just a defender on the line, England would have gone 2-0 up and we might have had a different story. Fine margins is what makes football the great game it is, in this case the keeper twice foiling the striker, brilliant stuff often missed or unappreciated by the Australian “sports fan” lol
Waz
Roar Rookie
Kane’s EPL record is fantastic though, 150 goals in 100 appearances - I don’t watch the EPL but that suggests his quality. What was amazing is how England couldn’t create more chances for this bloke? Zidane would certainly be interesting, I’m not sold on Southgate - two years in and he basically takes a squad deficient in three crucial areas?
Fadida
Guest
They are limited by a lack of quality. Southgate made plenty of uninspiring subs, but aside from that he did a great job unifying the nation, which hasn't happened since the 80's. England need an English coach. One less scapegoat!