England were outplayed by Scotland in a match shrouded in history
Words by Alysia Georgiades
England face the Cezch Republic in their final group match on Tuesday
Image courtesy of Pixabay
When tennis players are in the midst of a rally, all they are thinking about is the next return. Where to place it, how to hit it, how much spin and pace. They can’t think about the next game, the next set, the next match. Just the next return. It is a mindset England and the rest of the nation can learn from. Focusing on the present and putting everything else aside is not easy, but it can make all the difference.
There is no getting away from the oldest rivalry in football, nor the similarities with Euro ’96, from the venue to the platinum-coloured hair. But the stakes were so high on Friday that the history between Scotland and England overshadowed the game itself.
After a confident opening match against Croatia, England were expected to win. But Steve Clarke’s side outshone the Three Lions at Wembley on a drizzly Friday night in a match that ended goalless. A first for these two teams when playing at the iconic stadium in a competitive match.
A point each was nothing for either side to complain about, but where England were frustrated, Scotland were celebrating. They didn’t score any goals but didn’t concede any either, and weren’t without their chances as Jordan Pickford was arguably the most on-form player for England.
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The Tartan Army were fuelled with fire, defended strong, brutally attacked and left everything on the pitch. They knew they were the underdogs. They knew their fans were disappointed by their display against the Czech Republic, so came out and proved they deserve their place. Even 20 year old Billy Gilmour made his debut, then went and won man of the match.
England meanwhile seemed lacklustre, struggling to create opportunities and played slow against a team that were nothing but. And with Champions League winners, Premier League winners and youthful talent at Southgate’s disposal, it’s justified that the nation expected more.
The players know England’s mood has been dampened by the result, with defender Tyrone Mings telling BBC Radio 5 Live, “sometimes things don’t go as you planned and sometimes it’s very hard to put a finger on exactly why that was,” before explaining that their intensity and speed wasn’t where it needed to be to compete with Scotland’s energy.
The nation is feeling deflated, there’s confusion over Harry Kane’s performance, and Gareth Southgate is aware of all the back-seat managers building their teams for the Czech Republic match on Tuesday. But what we really need to do is put any doubts to one side, know the team can play better, and believe that game was “a blip in the road”, as Declan Rice put it to Radio 5 Live.
Pundits have been looking ahead to England’s potential last 16 draw since the tournament began, and with France, Germany or Portugal waiting for them if they finish top of the group, it feels like they have drawn the short straw. But going back to the tennis player’s mentality, looking ahead means very little if you don’t play well enough to get there.
As Djokovic and Nadal edged nearer to the semi-final everyone was waiting for, neither would have been intimidated by what lay round the corner. They had to get there first, playing one match at a time at a level needed to progress. When the fixture finally arrived, it went down as one of the best matches in history.
After Djokovic won, he said, “to win against Rafa you have to play your best tennis, and tonight I played my best tennis. You tell yourself there is no pressure but there is. Pressure is a privilege - to test my game and my character in matches like this.”
Jack Grealish agreed with this outlook in an interview for BBC Sport on Monday. “Pressure is a privilege and that’s the way I’ve always seen it,” he told Kelly Summers, before admitting he is happiest when the ball is at his feet. With that mentality on the pitch, you can see why fans and pundits alike are hoping he will start against the Czech Republic, bringing the creative flair we know he has to the game.
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If England finish second in the group, they could play Sweden, Slovakia, Spain or Poland, which even non-football fans recognise as a kinder route. But why settle for the easier path when they could face the challenge like Scotland did, like Djokovic did, with all guns blazing? To perform their absolute best and hope it is enough.
Earlier this year the Aston Villa under 23s got the chance of a lifetime to play Liverpool in the FA Cup third round after the majority of the first team tested positive for Coronavirus. But those players didn’t let the occasion get to them. They fought. They pushed. They enjoyed the game. They may have tired by the end and conceded four goals, but they got one on the Premier League 2019/20 champions and that’s one more than they were expecting.
Simply put, no matter who you are up against, you’ve got to bring your A-game, and play to win.
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If England recharge, find that collective spark of energy and focus on their game against the Czech Republic and nothing more, you would expect an entertaining display of quality. Individual talent only amounts to so much, and it’s playing as a team and playing in the moment that can make all the difference. Coming into a game and taking risks to fight for a win. Working as a team to run into space, move forward, see opportunities and take them.
Forget about the last game, and forget about the next one. We know what the Three Lions are capable of, and we know they can come back fighting so the nation can roar.