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Paul Gascoigne was an England football star in the 1990s, mostly because of his controversial lifestyle choices than his successes on the playing field. But 32 years ago he was a true star for English football. It was the World Cup in 1990 when England got to the semi-finals stage and then lost to Germany on penalties.
Gascoigne remembered those feelings of togetherness and gave some advice to England’s players that will compete in this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
“Back in 1990 when I was 23 years old, I was so proud of all the players that were involved with the team. No matter who played, or who was left on the bench, especially those that didn’t get a minute of playing time, they all celebrated the goals. Everyone was behind us, and the team spirit was incredible.”
“Bobby Robson was a brilliant manager, and those were the days when there were legends in the squad who just let me be – me. Bryan Robson, John Barnes, Peter Shilton, Stuart Pearce, Gary Lineker, they were amazing.”
England had lost in the semi-finals at the World Cup four years ago to Croatia, and this time around there are some new, young and talented players that will lead the way. James Maddison, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Mason Mount, and Bukayo Saka are the ones who should carry the burden of success in Qatar.
Team chemistry is what matters
The manager Gareth Southgate is facing additional pressure because of the expectations, especially after a lackluster performance in the recently concluded UEFA Nations League where England suffered some bad losses, especially the one against Hungary.
It seems, and many will agree that the team hasn’t been performing to their best capabilities since the European Championships last year when they lost to Italy in the final. It was another disappointment for a team that has breathed new air into England’s national team, and with Southgate at the helm, they achieved their best results in some time.
Popular ‘Gazza’ believes that the most important thing before the games even start is how these players gel with one another.
“There are some quality players in the squad, no doubt about that, but it’s how they react when they play together. Yes, these are individuals, they all have their talents, but football is a team sport and it’s important to play as one.”
“I remember in 1990 and six years later at the EUROs, we were a team. All of us were on the same page, we were thinking as one unit, not a group of individual players.”
England will face Iran, the United States, and Wales in Qatar, their first match is on November 21st against Iran followed by a tie versus the United States four days later. The group stage will conclude on November 29th, and England will face Wales.
Gareth Southgate’s team is the favorite to win the group, and with the playoffs, in sight, they could face the Group A contenders in the first playoff round. Qatar is leading the group as the host and they will open the proceedings against Ecuador, while Senegal and the Netherlands are the remaining contenders. The Dutch should be the favorites for the top spot, however, Senegal is the best team from Africa that will have its own chances which will depend on whether Sadio Mane will recover from his injury setback in time for the tournament.
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