This doesn’t reflect well on the England’s state of mind going into the Iceland game.
The Three Lions succumbed to possibly the most embarrassing defeat in the country’s history on Monday night in Nice, losing 2-1 to Iceland.
The smallest nation to have ever qualified for the European Championships advanced past the nation that invented the game to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, and were full value for their win.
England’s players have received significant criticism for their terrible performances, as have Roy Hodgson’s muddled tactics. The team’s mindset going into the game will also be questioned, based on this passage from an article in The Guardian.
According to Daniel Taylor, Roy Hodgson chose to go sightseeing in Paris rather than attend the Group F game between Iceland and Austria in the city.
Iceland won the game 2-1 in the final minute, setting up a last-16 tie against England, but if they had failed to win, Portugal would have played England, and Iceland would have met Croatia.
The England coaching staff that attended the game, including Gary Neville, were reportedly so delighted with the result, and avoiding Portugal, they celebrated Iceland winning the game.
‘Hodgson described it as “laughable” that this would be questioned [his refusal to attend the game in person] when Gary Neville and four other members of staff were at the game and could report back.
‘Others might apply the same word to the fact England’s delegation apparently jumped from their seats and punched the air when Iceland scored the stoppage-time winner that meant Hodgson’s team facing the smallest nation in the tournament.
‘Is it any wonder sometimes that the rest of Europe thinks of English football as far too haughty, full of self-importance and entitlement?’
It will be interesting to see if Neville comes out to refute such claims.
