Happy Friday
My hangover has left the building as Sunday's final looms
Happy Friday,
With my debilitating hangover after England’ semi-final win now departed - along with that vague feeling of self loathing that invariably comes in the aftermath of such excess - we can get onto more serious matters once again.
How satisfying was England’s victory over Denmark?
Wherever you watched it, at Wembley, down the pub, in your living room, or in one of those utterly dreadful places packed with youngsters throwing warm lager around, full of the joys of youth, yet to be scarred by the pain of more than four decades watching England, it has to be said Wednesday evening was absolutely and utterly wonderful.
With so many stirring narratives and dramatic notes where to start?
Bukayo Saka on a unicorn pre-match was as delightful as he was dangerous during the game. How many of us leapt as high as the 19-year-old did when flying into the St George’s Park pool, after his run and cross led to the sterling Simon Kjaer inadvertently steering the ball into his own net after the attentions of Raheem.
Incidentally, I’ve been having conversations with a lot of people on just how likeable this England team is. Certainly when compared to the best-mate shagging sides led by certain former players and their leech-like entourages.
In Gareth’s image
Thankfully Gareth’s Three Lions sides are made in his image: modest, humble, socially aware and full of empathy.
I certainly can’t recall former England teams containing players that willingly give time (and cash) to their local foodbank (Kalvin Phillips), let alone forcing two government U-turns - thereby releasing hundreds of millions of pounds for hungry school kids (Marcus Rashford).
To see Mason Mount’s joy when jumping on Harry Maguire’s back during the post-match euphoria was to see down-to-earth players you can relate to. And who didn’t have a little wobble when the Chelsea youngster handed his shirt to that little girl in the crowd afterwards?
No wonder Southgate’s talented tyro’s look like a bunch of lads who’d frequent their local swimming pool for fun, rather than stitch diamonds into their eyebrows, or whatever self-regarding nonsense it was that one or two of the so-called Golden Generation did.
How well he has engendered team spirit was underlined by the selfless reaction from Jack Grealish. A sub being subbed is a footballing taboo. Whether in the local park on a Sunday morning or with the eyes of the world upon you at Wembley.
Yet Grealish’s temperament and reaction was impeccable. Victory was all that mattered. Ego was subsumed for the good of the team.
The past informs the present
I’m not sure how certain players under Sven would have coped with such a public disrobing. But then Sven didn’t do such things.
Which is why I sat frustrated, angry and shattered at a stadium in Shizuoka, Japan, 19 years ago this week when England subsided to a hugely disappointing 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the quarter finals of the 2002 World Cup, unforgivably going down without a fight in the second half.
One good thing from many about Gareth’s team is that they have learned from those days, and built on them.
It’s all in the detail
Did you know in the days leading up to this week’s crucial clash members of his backroom staff actually sat down with everyone in the squad to ask them how they would best like to prepare in the event of extra time?
Trusted lieutenants were despatched to discern what would work best for each and every player, so that (after an envisaged scenario of a tactical pep talk from Southgate), his players were asked how best they’d like to spend those crucial moments gearing up to the additional half an hour’s play.
Would they like to be left alone for a few moments with their thoughts prior to extra time? Or would they prefer to be in ‘amongst it’ with others further discussing matters? Would they appreciate a quick massage? Or an arm round the shoulder and a few personal words of comfort? Or even, for some, a rousing, raging man hug? Anything to keep them focused, calm and ready for the further job in hand.
This time, more than any other time…
It is this attention to detail that makes this side - and the whole support staff - so very special.
And so very different to what’s gone on before.
It’s one thing to drive an injued Kevin Keegan from Southampton to Spain in a bid to play in the 1982 World Cup. But it’s quite another for Fabio Capello to grandly inform his players during his crucial half time team talk in Bloemfontein that they needed to, and I quote: ‘Shoot more. Tackle more'.
Which was almost on par with Howard Wilkinson’s parting exhortation in the changing room in Helsinki in 2001 ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Finland, when he told his players to ‘make sure you have a piss and your shirt is tucked in.’
The team knew their destiny - and so did we
So, on Wednesday, when the extra 30 minutes commenced, our calm and composed team didn’t only know their instructions, they knew their destiny. And so did we.
Yes, it might have been hairy at times, but hands up, who felt, deep, down inside that that we had the beating of a valiant Denmark team in extra time? I know I did. I certainly didn’t have that feeling during England vs Argentina in St Etienne in 1998. Or vs Portugal in 2006 in Gelsenkirchen.
No wonder we were able to keep the ball for nearly three minutes against the Danes towards the end of the match as we saw out the game in style - and no little comfort.
For eternity
There have been so many England heroes during this unexpectedly exciting summer so far. They now have one game left. One football match to ensure they become immortal.
Or as the headline of the French national sports newspaper L’Equipe said the day after Les Bleus won the World Cup in 1998: ‘For eternity’.
Happy Friday, here’s to a happy Sunday too.
Cheers
Layth
(@laythy29)