Southgate tells England to 'enjoy their football' ahead of World Cup opener

On the eve of England’s opening World Cup match, Gareth Southgate says they must control the fear that so often hampers them at major tournaments and enjoy the “biggest carnival of football”.

During training on Satuday, the England manager took the unusual step of telling the players the line-up to face Tunisia in Volgograd on Monday for their first Group G fixture, naming it earlier than expected in what was probably an attempt to ease tension.

Southgate has made it clear to the players in training sessions what his starting XI is likely to be, with Harry Maguire expected to start ahead of Gary Cahill in defence, Ashley Young in front of Danny Rose at left wing-back and Jordan Henderson as the holding midfielder, preferred to Eric Dier, in a 3-5-2 formation.

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Southgate has invested heavily in creating a more relaxed atmosphere around the camp and stated that it was important his young team revelled in the World Cup atmosphere.

He explained: “Whenever you represent England, or any other country, there’s expectation, there’s hope, you carry the dreams of a nation, and it’s impossible to say to any player you can go out and play without any feeling of pressure or any feeling or fear.

“But what you have to do is make sure that doesn’t control you and that you go for it in your performances and you don’t feel, ‘oh I was inhibited in the way I played’, or worry about making mistakes, because mistakes will happen for certain.

“Pressure is what you perceive and very often that comes from listening to too much external noise, and actually we have to focus on the things we can control, and they’re things within our camp and within our team.”

England are acutely aware of their failings at recent tournaments, including not even progressing from their group at the last World Cup, and what Southgate said was the “lack of discipline at a key moment or a penalty shoot-out”.

He explained that he had told the players what the team would be. “The players know the team for the first game already, we have been working on a system of play we think suits the players we have available and the style of play we want to implement as well, I think from our fans’ point of view, they’re enjoying seeing young players come into the squad.

“I think there’s something about how everyone at home wants England to win but they want to see them play well and enjoy their football and that’s what I want as a coach, so if we can marry those things and the environment is right then we think results become part of that process.”

Key to success will be the performances of captain Harry Kane. “He’s only played something like seven games in our 18 matches and he’s scored eight goals, so he’s pretty important,” Southgate said. “A goalscorer is worth his weight in gold, he is a great leader. His approach to everything about his profession is meticulous, he is considered, he wants to be the best he can be and he believes he can be one of the best in the world and his stats over the past few years tell us he’s heading that way, so of course he is a key player for us.”

This is Southgate’s first major tournament as a manager, after having played at a World Cup and European Championships for England. “I think the excitement is different, as a player you need more of the emotion to drive the performance and for the adrenaline to be flowing and to have a balance of calm, but, as a coach, I feel more responsible, much calmer.” Asked whether he – and England – could enjoy it, Southgate said: “We’re at the biggest carnival of football, representing our country, having fun and having a month away with our closest friends. Weather’s pretty good, what’s not to like!”