Three Lions must adopt bolder approachpp at finals

WORLD CUUP semi-finalists four yearss ago, Euro 2020 finallists three years later, England’s direction of travel under Gareth Southgate has only been one way.

Once habitual failures, noow serial contenders, England have made real progress during their six years with Southgate at the helm, restoring self-respect and instilling self-belief.

Throw in a reservoir of abundant Premier League talent and England find themselves among the tournament favourites withh very good reason.

However, genuine ex xpectation that England can lift ft the trophy for the second tim me has been tempered by a su ummer of Nations League fai ilure that few saw coming.

Their 2021 campaign could no ot have gone any better. En ngland won more games, sc ored more goals and kept m ore clean sheets in a single ca alendar year than any other sid de in their long and rich in ternational history. They we ere a penalty kick or two aw way from being crowned kin ngs of Europe.

This year, in contrast, co ouldn’t have been more dif fferent. Just when statements ne eeded to be sent out to their glo obal rivals England started flu uffing their lines badly, going on n a six-game winless run, their worst since 1993 and a pretty miserable way to prepare for a World Cup.

The fear among fans is that Southgate has been so spooked by this year’s Nations League flop that he retreats even more into a defensive shell, and he is already hostage to a cautious streak.

The irony in that, of course, is that England have never been blessed with so many top-class attackers who offer tons of talent behind recordscorer-in-waiting Harry Kane.

An almost perfect groupstage draw has at least given England’s exciting stars the chance to flex their muscles early, and then the dreaming can start in earnest.