Having achieved the 4rd place in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and came close to winning its first major title since 1966 in the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, England is convinced by many as one of the hot favourites to win the 22nd edition of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar this year.
Nonetheless, things have not been optimistic for the English side lately; the Three Lions were not able to register a single goal from open play for more than 450 minutes in the past five matches, and needless to say, they did not emerge as the winner during all those games. Their last competitive win against the Ivory Coast in March 2022 also seems like a distant memory now.
In their recent UEFA Nations League game, a UEFA Euro 2020 Final rematch against the Italians, England lost the game 1-0. With only two draws and three losses in five matches in the tournament, and seven goals conceded with only one goal scored, the Three Lions have also been relegated from the top tier of the Nations League.
Will Kane Break England’s All-Time Goalscoring Record?
The goal difference in the Nations League is certainly embarrassing for the Three Lions, especially when their captain Harry Kane is only four goals shy from breaking the nation’s all-time goalscoring record set by Wayne Rooney in 2018. The Tottenham Hotspurs’ striker will look to fire from all cylinders in the World Cup after finishing the last edition as the top scorer (6 goals), but will his teammates be able to provide the right assist for him to do so remains a question.
Time Is Finally Up for Southgate?
The English squad under coach Gareth Southgate came close to achieving “Football Is Coming Home”, but his time with England was often filled with controversies, largely due to questions over his selection of players. With less than two months to go before the World Cup begins, we may see the end of his tenure as the head coach of the Three Lions should his team fail to perform to the usual-high standards of the English fans.
England will share Group B with the likes of Iran, the United States of America and Wales in Qatar 2022. Should they progress to the knockout stage, they will be welcoming a team from Group A consisting of Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands.
(Photo Credits: The Telegraph)