After recent tournaments being very close contenders, Ive a horrible feeling we may well get a dose of 80s England, failing to get out of group or knocked out first sudden death game after the group stage.
The whole feeling is very 'not at the races'
(hope im wrong!)
Hope not.
Different world. We have closed the gap on our main rivals in terms of body conditioning etc. In the 1980s the players were boozers who liked to party till late. These guys are (mainly) teetotal and in bed by 9pm. Every second of their day is carefully calibrated in terms of physical and psychological toning, diet etc. to give them that 2% more that swings the balance in tough, close games.
1980s opponents were smart-savvy playing every rule and referee to their advantage. We are just as good as any at that game management now as the players are in the same teams and learn from the "best".
And all the way up to Southgate, England had to play from a set manual (an actual manual) so we were predictably direct, playing against the form the players knew from their league game and were always a disjointed mess. Ericsson, for instance, had to follow the manual to the letter to keep his job. He is heavily criticized for spoiling the "Golden Generation" but it was not wholly his fault.
But it is the attitude where the real change is. The summer tournaments always got in the way of more bling, holidays with the WAGs and full recovery before the more lucrative and valuable club season began. England players are now going to tournaments with the
actual purpose of winning; not just selling sports merchandise and jetting off early with a shrug towards their expensive villa.
Off course, we may bow out early coz we're crap.