An Impossible Man

[CFuller]

***

 

After four days' rest, England left their FIFA U20 World Cup base in Kraków and crossed Poland to play out their opening knockout fixture. The north-eastern metropolis of Białystok was the setting for a Last 16 showdown with Ghana - traditionally one of Africa's strongest footballing nations, and even more so at youth level.

 

Back in 2009, a Ghanaian team captained by current Norwich City winger André Ayew famously overcame Brazil on penalties to win the U20 World Cup in Egypt. A dozen years later, the likes of Monaco centre-half Kwadwo Agyei and West Ham United striker Seth Baah were setting out to follow in their footsteps.

 

That being said, the Black Stars had finished below Iran and Georgia in Group B, only sneaking through as one of the best 3rd-placed teams. In that respect, it was not hard to see why England were widely expected to brush them aside and set up a Quarter Final meeting with either Chile or Poland.

 

England had scored within the first five minutes in each of their three matches en route to topping Group A. Come the knockout stage, though, the Young Lions seemed to have lost their penchant for quickfire starts.

 

After eight minutes, Arsenal left-back Tony Vincent - the youngest player in the England squad - hooked a first-time cross to Mark Leonard at the far post. Leonard got above Ghana's left-back Ebenezer Agyemang to meet the delivery with a header that ricocheted against the crossbar. Ben Logan returned the loose ball to Vincent, whose next cross was comfortably dealt with by Ghanaian goalkeeper John Frimpong.

 

Another Arsenal defender would start England's next attack in the 19th minute. Nick Ward intercepted Ghana midfielder John Ntim's pass into the English penalty area and pumped it forward to Leonard in the centre circle.

 

After spraying the ball out left to strike partner Chris Scott on the left wing, Leonard surged into the penalty area. Once West Ham United forward Scott reached the byline, Leonard was perfectly positioned to receive his colleague's drilled cross and power it home. There was no chance of Frimpong denying the Manchester United star his third goal of the U20 World Cup.

 

Ghana looked to quickly erase the champions' lead through Ntim, whose 22nd-minute drive was caught by Brian Farrell. Seven minutes later, though, Farrell would be beaten for the first time in this tournament. Black Stars captain Benjamin Baah - no relation to Seth - swung an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner after his compatriot Ernest Diallo had been pushed close to the England goal by James Errington.

 

Errington was himself a dab hand at free-kicks, so when Vincent was fouled on the edge of Ghana's 'D' in the 31st minute, he saw a great opportunity to make amends. It wasn't to be for the Watford centre-half, who swerved the ball over the crossbar.

 

Leonard and Logan missed further opportunities before a tepid first half drew to a close, with the teams locked at 1-1. Barely a minute after the second half began, Logan unleashed a powerful shot that just about clipped the side netting.

 

England's front two would soon be left further frustrated by a dogged Ghanaian defence. A 54th-minute strike from Scott was blocked by Agyei, while Frimpong saved from Leonard in the 61st. After 66 minutes, Leonard rode past a slide tackle from Ghana's substitute left-back Joseph Boateng and crossed towards Leonard at the back stick, only to see Emmanuel Addae head it away at the last moment.

 

Frimpong then saved a couple more attempts from Logan, either side of a significant double-substitution by England. Centre-half Ward was replaced by left-winger Dion Sabin, and captain Graham Hartmann's spot in midfield was taken over by Thomas Stacey. In addition, Scott became the fourth player to skipper England at this tournament after Hartmann, Daniel Marshall and Glenn Sheppard.

 

The Young Lions could have done with some strong leadership in a nervy conclusion to the second half. Benjamin Baah put a couple of free-kicks wide of their goal in the 73rd and 80th minutes. His namesake Seth Baah then came off the bench to give England another major scare three minutes from time. After latching onto a weighted pass from Isaac Abubakar, he sent a promising strike just off target.

 

England's big chance to claim a late winner came in the first of two additional minutes. Leonard crossed to Newcastle United midfielder Stacey, whose first-time drive was somehow stopped by Frimpong. The FC Nordsjælland keeper's catch ensured that a tense match would be extended by a further 30 minutes.

 

The opening period of extra-time provided plenty more frustration for those England fans who'd travelled over to cheer their boys on. The Young Lions had a number of shots, but only one of them - from Scott in the 99th minute - remotely troubled Frimpong. Leonard and Stacey were rather less accurate with their efforts.

 

Frimpong was given another stern test five minutes into the second extra half. Errington sent a fantastic long ball to Sabin, who dribbled into the 'D' and lashed in a shot that the goalie awkwardly cleared away.

 

Two minutes later, in the 112th minute, Leonard swung a cross into the Ghanaian penalty area. The ball accidentally hit Scott in the back, but deflected kindly to midfielder Leon Rowe, who struck from 25 yards out. Rowe's effort crashed against the bar, and Addae hacked the rebound into touch just before Logan could bury it.

 

Addae would pile on further misery for England in the 114th minute, when the Black Stars won a corner against the run of play. The real irony here was that Farrell - who'd only been added to the starting XI because of Callum Bickerstaff's mistakes in the opening group game against Uruguay - lost the game with a dropped catch from Johnson Asare's corner. Addae pounced on the rebound, and it was 2-1 to Ghana.

 

England's players were incensed that the goal had even been allowed to stand. They furiously surrounded referee Aung Min Paing to argue that Farrell had been pulled down by Ghana striker Daniel Mohammed, causing him to loosen his grip on Asare's delivery. The official from Myanmar was unmoved, and England were facing elimination.

 

The Young Lions courageously battled for a late equaliser to try and force penalties, but to no avail. Frimpong produced a couple of late saves from Sabin and Stacey, and that - as they say - was all she wrote. England had lost 2-1, exiting the U20 World Cup at the first knockout round.

 

3 June 2021: FIFA U20 World Cup Last 16 - at Białystok City Stadium, Białystok

Ghana U20s - 2 (Benjamin Baah 29, Emmanuel Addae 114)

England U20s - 1 (Mark Leonard 19)

[after extra time]

ENGLAND U20s LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Brian Farrell; Daniel Marshall, Nick Ward (Dion Sabin), James Errington, Tony Vincent; Howard Martin (Joe Mooney); Graham Hartmann (Thomas Stacey), Leon Rowe; Ben Logan; Mark Leonard, Chris Scott.

 

Four years earlier, English hearts had been broken by a late extra-time goal from an African team - specifically, South Africa - in the Last 16 of the U20 World Cup. The parallels between the Young Lions' performances at the 2017 and 2021 events were truly remarkable.

 

Many of the England players retreated down the tunnel in tears after congratulating their Ghanaian conquerors. From their points of view, they had blown a massive opportunity to add a World Cup medal to their CVs. From the nation's perspective, they had surrendered the first of three major youth titles that was in the FA's possession.

 

A golden period for England's age-group football teams appeared to be over.

 

For what it was worth, Ghana would be eliminated at the Quarter Finals 4-2 in extra-time by Chile, who went on to finish a respectable 3rd. The tournament was ultimately won by Germany - for the first time as a united nation - as Moritz Kurz and Szymon Kowalczyk earned them a 2-1 Final victory over Argentina in Kraków.

[CFuller]

***

 

Mark Catterall had not taken well to England's sudden exit from the FIFA U20 World Cup. The Young Lions' defeat to Ghana in the Last 16 was still on his mind the following afternoon, when he returned home after a stressful day at work.

 

Almost as soon as he entered the living room, Mark collapsed onto the sofa in exasperation. Meanwhile, his 13-year-old son Luke was playing "Your Song" on the piano he had inherited from his grandmother - Mark's mum Barbara - following her death the previous year.

 

Mark held his forehead and let out a groan, asking, "Can you knock that off, son?"

 

Luke paused and asked, "Why? You know I need to practice for the school play?"

 

"What piggin' school play?"

 

"The play we have at the end of the school year. We're doing a musical about Elton John, and I've got the lead role."

 

Mark was taken aback. "Sorry? Can you run that by me again, Luke?"

 

"I'm Elton John."

 

"But Elton John weren't... y'know... and since when did you sing? I thought you only did instruments."

 

Luke resumed playing, performing a note-perfect rendition of the chorus as he sang, "And you can tell everybody this is your song. It may be quite simple, but now that it's done...

 

"I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while you're in the world."

 

Mark slowly sat up and then started clapping, saying, "Wow. Ellie Goulding, eat your heart out."

 

Luke smiled and said, "Thanks. I've worked really hard on my singing. I've practiced every day and every evening."

 

Mark let out a mild chuckle. "And here I was thinking it was your mum singing in the shower all this time!"

 

That was when Jenny came into the room, asking Luke, "What's the matter, Luke?"

 

"Nothing, Mum. I was just playing for Dad, and he said he loved my singing."

 

Jenny gasped, "Wow. You've never heard Luke sing before, Mark? He's incredible... and that's not just the Mum in me talking. He really is!"

 

Mark nodded, "Indeed he is. So when's this school play, then?"

 

"Monday 8 July. Why? Does that clash with any of your football?"

 

"No. The Under-21s will be finished by then, and the Under-19s don't play again until the next week."

 

Jenny smirked, "You never switch off when it comes to football, do you? Now cup with me and leave Luke to it."

 

Mark sighed and followed Jenny upstairs while Luke continued to play the piano. When the couple entered their bedroom, Jenny asked, "What's up? You don't seem particularly happy."

 

"It's just... work's getting kinda on top of me right now. A couple of people at the FA have been getting on my back now that England have lost the U20 World Cup."

 

"Stuff them, Mark. You'll get back to winning ways sooner or later. Now come on and help me clear out some of your Mum's old stuff."

 

Jenny showed Mark several boxes that she had brought down from the attic and placed in the bedroom. Pointing at one, she asked, "You don't need any of this still, do you?"

 

"What's in them?"

 

"Financial records, research papers, school reports, diaries... all a load of rubbish, as far as I can tell."

 

Mark opened a box labelled "DIARIES", and he then choked a little before saying, "These were Dad's diaries. Mum kept them for all these years after he..."

 

"Geez, how far back do they go?"

 

Mark carefully took out a couple of books as he said, "These must go back to... what? The 70s, the 60s? When he was still playing for Blackpool."

 

Mark then looked again in the box to find a battered, slightly-faded scarlet-red book with the number 1971 and the name "S.B. CATTERALL" written in black on a white label. "This was from the year before I was born!" he said. "He won his only trophy for the club that year as well."

 

Mark took the 1971 diary out of the box and carefully turned to the entry dated 12 June, when Blackpool beat Bologna 2-1 to win the Anglo-Italian Cup. An injury-time strike from Micky Burns had stunned the home crowd to deliver the Seasiders their first honour of any real significance since the 1953 FA Cup. A young Brian Catterall played at centre-half for his hometown club that day.

 

Brian wrote, "What an amazing day. Pulling on the tangerine jersey of Blackpool FC was always my dream of mine, but I never believed I would be part of a Blackpool team which won a trophy, least of all in Italy.

 

"This team has been brilliant to a man. Budgie [John Burridge] in goal, my colleague Terry [Alcock] in central defence, Alan [Suddick] in midfield, and the great Micky Burns up top. All great footballers, but all greater friends. They deserve their success a lot more than I do, and I will be proud of having played alongside them until the day I die.

 

"What better way should my night end than with my darling Babs? I am the happiest man in the world because this smart, beautiful woman came with me to Bologna. We are to be married two weeks from now in God's presence, but I suppose He upstairs would not oppose us showing how much we love one another tonight."

 

Mark passed the diary on to Jenny, who sniggered at the last paragraph and said, "Your dad was quite something, wasn't he?"

 

"You'll find that he was always very forthright in his writing," Mark said. "He apparently burned a lot of his books when we were growing up because he didn't want us to read 'em by accident!"

 

"I'm sure they were nothing. When you've read as many explicit crime novels as I have, stuff like this seems very tame by comparison."

 

"I'm not sure about that, Jen. You seemed pretty shocked when you first heard the album version of 'Don't Marry Her' by The Beautiful South."

 

Jenny mock-exclaimed, "I wasn't shocked! I was just... surprised that Jacqui Abbott wasn't actually singing about Sandra Bullock."

 

Jenny then asked, "Anyway, you were born in March '72, right? Nine months after your Dad wrote this?" Mark nodded, prompting her to ask another question, "So could you have been... conceived... in Bologna?"

 

Mark scoffed, "If I was, I'd probably be called Marco Bologna Catterall, not Mark Brian Catterall. Besides, I don't think it matters, just like Luke doesn't need to know where and when he came to be."

 

"We aren't still banned from Toby Carvery, are we, Mark?"

 

After letting out a short laugh, Mark suggested, "I might send that off to Blackpool for their club museum. Then again, the Oystons would probably sell it to fund any libel claims against anyone who dare speak ill of the 'Dear Leader'."

 

Jenny glanced at another box and asked, "What about those school reports?"

 

Mark pulled the box towards him and opened it up, saying, "Mum kept the school reports of all four of us. They're all here - me, Gemma, Jo, Andy, from primary school right to the end of secondary."

 

He brought out a red folder - labelled "MARK SCHOOL REPORTS" - and handed it over to Jenny, who read through some of her husband's school reports. She took particular interest in one report from 1987, when Mark was in Year 10 - the penultimate year of mandatory secondary education.

 

Jenny read the summary, "Mark is an intelligent and determined boy who shows excellent leadership for someone of his age, both on the football pitch and off it. With regards to the former, we are all pleased to see that he has made strong progress in the Manchester City youth team whilst not letting that greatly distract him from his school lessons.

 

"However, Mark's tendency to rebel against authority - perhaps reflected in his strong interest in independent music and socialist politics - is a potentially troublesome trait. There are many in the staff room who believe that he will either win the World Cup for England or devote his days to becoming a real-life Citizen Smith."

 

Mark stood up and interjected, "They were actually being pretty generous. I still remember one of my old English teachers telling me that I'd either win the World Cup or end up in prison!"

 

"What did you get up to?"

 

"I was a 14-year-old boy who hated school. What didn't I get up to? Anyway, I think old Mr Fields might be right after all..."

 

"About you winning the World Cup?"

 

"Probably, probably not. After all them antics and hijinks I've been up to in my life, I wouldn't be surprised if the dibble came knocking for me sooner or later."

 

Jenny grabbed Mark by the front of his shirt and said, "Mark Catterall, you are not going to prison. You are going to win that World Cup next year, or on your head be it." She then planted a kiss on his lips before gently pushing him onto the bed.

 

"Now... what was it your dad wrote again?"

[CFuller]

Chapter 48 - History Repeating?

 

Anyone hoping that the 2020/2021 Premier League title race would go to the wire would be left bitterly disappointed. Manchester United replaced Arsenal at the top in February, and they never yielded that position again.

 

José Mourinho's Red Devils were once again almost unstoppable in the league, suffering only two defeats - away to Tottenham Hotspur in September, and at home to Liverpool in April. It came as no surprise when, with two games to spare, United were confirmed as the first team ever to win four straight English championships. They finished with 29 wins, and 94 points - one short of the all-time PL record held by Mourinho's Chelsea team of 2004/2005.

 

Manchester United were also on course to successfully defend the European Cup and become only the second team to do so in the UEFA Champions League era. Ironically, their chance to make history would come on 5 June at one of Mourinho's old stomping grounds - Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu - against another of his old clubs in Porto.

 

England left-back Luke Shaw had once again been an integral part of United's typically rigid defence, at least when he wasn't serving suspensions for collecting yellow cards like they were Panini stickers. Compatriot Brendan Galloway enjoyed a decent run of games in the Red Devils' backline towards the end of the season.

 

The newly-capped Axel Tuanzebe featured just once more for United this season after making his England debut in late March. The 23-year-old had been locked in a lengthy public dispute with Mourinho over his wage demands. Tuanzebe was earning a mere £39,500 per week and understandably eager to be much better remunerated.

 

There was also growing speculation surrounding the long-term future of Marcus Rashford. The flamboyant 23-year-old forward had started just one league match all season, making a further eight appearances from the bench. He'd also featured in four cup matches and been completely sidelined from Champions League duty. It looked increasingly likely that Rashford would have to move away from Old Trafford to regain his place in the England squad.

 

Distant runners-up to United - by eight points - were Rafa Benítez's Arsenal. England midfielder Jack Wilshere had one of his worst seasons injury-wise for some time, but still featured in 29 PL games. Young left-back Josh Tymon continued to develop nicely in a campaign that also saw him score his first career goal in the top flight.

 

There was then a 16-point gap to 3rd-placed Liverpool, who qualified for the Champions League in René Weiler's first season. Stastically, Reds captain Jordan Henderson had his best campaign in years, but right-back Nathaniel Clyne lost his starting berth, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was still a peripheral figure at Anfield. Left-back Ben Chilwell had damaged his Achilles tendon in a late-season trip to Norwich City and thus had to wait to his two England caps.

 

The battle for that final place in next season's Champions League went to the wire, with three teams finishing level on 67 points. In the end, it was Everton who broke the stranglehold of the traditional 'Big Six', pipping Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.

 

Freddie Woodman and Calum Chambers had each kept the Everton defence relatively tight in the run-in, while Mason Holgate made a couple of late-season appearances after five months out with an Achilles injury. The Toffees truly excelled at the other end of the pitch, with playmaker Ross Barkley providing seven goals and nine assists.

 

Even with Michael Keane and John Stones consistently in the heart of their defence, Manchester City finished 5th and failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2010. Caretaker boss Lee Carsley saw the campaign out after the mid-season departure of Stefano Pioli. Carsley's inability to keep City in the top four meant Zinedine Zidane would now depart La Liga champions Real Madrid to take the reins at a UEFA Europa League side.

 

Tottenham had to make do with 6th place this time, even with captain Harry Kane matching his best-ever PL tally of 27 goals. That haul put Kane joint-second in the Golden Boot standings with Arsenal's Paulo Dybala, though the pair were still an incredible ten behind United's Robert Lewandowski, who'd set a new benchmark for goalscoring excellence.

 

Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Kyle Walker and James Ward-Prowse all featured at least semi-regularly for Spurs this season. However, Walker had now grown tired of being a distant second to Mattia De Sciglio in the right-back pecking order at New White Hart Lane. The Yorkshireman would end his 12-year stay with Spurs when his contract expired in the summer, with the smart money backing him to follow Gary Cahill to Russia.

 

Though Callum Wilson narrowly preserved his record of scoring at least 10 goals in five consecutive PL campaigns, Chelsea slipped back out of the top six. Of course, Chelsea being Chelsea, they snuck back into the Champions League for next season after new manager Roger Schmidt guided them to victory over Benfica in the Europa League Final.

 

Norwich's unlikely tilt for the Champions League lost all steam in the second half of the season, and the Canaries had to make do with 8th place. That being said, Michail Antonio and Callum Gribbin had continued to show England manager Mark Catterall that they could do an adequate job for their country for some time yet.

 

Even without Rolando Aarons' services for virtually the entire second half of the season, West Ham United surged clear of danger and finished 13th. Homegrown centre-half Reece Oxford had taken massive strides at the London Stadium this season, and there was no reason why he could not break into the senior England team shortly after completing his duties for the Under-21s later this summer.

 

Leicester City narrowly survived, as did Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose striker James Wilson found the net 20 times in the PL this season. To put that into perspective, the 25-year-old former Manchester United trainee was the second-most prolific Englishman in the league, and FIFTH amongst all players. Indeed, half of James' goals had come from late February onwards, so there was a strong case for Catterall to select this Wilson at Callum's expense.

 

Conversely, Catterall would find it difficult to retain goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in his team after Sunderland's 14-year stint in the Premier League ended in relegation. Pickford had captained his hometown club for only a few months, but if he wanted to go to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he would almost certainly have to move away in the summer.

 

Meanwhile, there was double joy for Huddersfield Town, who won the Championship before becoming the first club from outside the top division to lift the FA Cup since 1980. An injury-time penalty from Apostolos Vellios earned the Terriers a famous 3-2 Wembley win over Crystal Palace, and a spot in next season's Europa League.

 

In Spain, Jesse Lingard was fortunate not to endure relegation with Celta Vigo, who maintained their La Liga status by a single point. To be fair, the Mancunian forward had notched up six goals and five assists, so he was no means a culprit in Celta's dreadful season. Meanwhile, after getting 14 goals during his first season in La Liga with Valencia, striker Daniel Sturridge followed that up by scoring 15 in his second campaign for 'Los Che', who finished 5th.

 

With the season now over, Catterall turned his focus to the June internationals. England - whose FIFA World Ranking of 6th had surprisingly been unaffected by that result in Astana - would have at least THREE matches, including a couple of FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia & Herzegovina at home and Armenia away.

 

Before those games, the Three Lions would travel to Berlin to face arch-rivals Germany in the UEFA Nations League Semi Final on 11 June. If they repeated their heroics from UEFA Euro 2020 and despatched the Mannschaft, they could look ahead to a Final meeting with either Spain or Italy.

 

The UEFA European Under-21s Championship was also upon England. David Byrne would soon take his Young Lions over to Italy, though not before a couple of warm-up fixtures against Russia and Spain.

 

ENGLAND squad - for 2021 UEFA Nations League, and matches vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (H) and Armenia (A)

NAME                      POSITIONS           D.O.B. (AGE)     CLUB            CAPS  GOALS HEIGHT WEIGHT     VALUE
Jack Butland              GK                  10/03/1993 (28)  Stoke           16    0     6'5"   14st 13lbs £17.5M  
Fraser Forster            GK                  17/03/1988 (33)  Southampton     10    0     6'7"   15st 8lbs  £3.2M   
Freddie Woodman           GK                  04/03/1997 (24)  Everton         5     0     6'1"   11st 2lbs  £5M     
Calum Chambers            D (RC)              20/01/1995 (26)  Everton         24    0     6'0"   11st 6lbs  £19.75M 
Michael Keane             D (RC)              11/01/1993 (28)  Man City        37    0     6'1"   13st 3lbs  £27.5M  
John Stones               D (RC)              28/05/1994 (27)  Man City        52    1     6'2"   12st 3lbs  £33.5M  
Eric Dier                 D (RC), DM, M (C)   15/01/1994 (27)  Tottenham       62    6     6'2"   13st 7lbs  £38.5M  
Brendan Galloway          D (LC), DM          17/03/1996 (25)  Man Utd         7     0     6'2"   14st 0lbs  £29.5M  
Axel Tuanzebe             D (C)               14/11/1997 (23)  Man Utd         2     0     6'0"   12st 6lbs  £25.5M  
Nathaniel Clyne           D/WB (R)            05/04/1991 (30)  Liverpool       49    0     5'9"   10st 7lbs  £9.5M   
Luke Shaw                 D/WB (L)            12/07/1995 (25)  Man Utd         46    2     6'1"   11st 11lbs £37.5M  
Danny Rose                D/WB/M (L)          02/07/1990 (30)  Tottenham       39    2     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £9.25M  
Jordan Henderson          DM, M (C)           17/06/1990 (30)  Liverpool       81    4     6'0"   10st 7lbs  £10.75M 
Jack Wilshere             DM, M/AM (C)        01/01/1992 (29)  Arsenal         75    11    5'9"   10st 3lbs  £17.25M 
Josh Sims                 M (L), AM (LC)      23/03/1997 (24)  Southampton     0     0     5'5"   9st 10lbs  £12.75M 
Michail Antonio           M/AM (RL)           28/03/1990 (31)  Norwich         8     0     5'11"  12st 8lbs  £3.8M   
Nathan Redmond            M/AM (RL), ST (C)   06/03/1994 (27)  Southampton     20    5     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £16.5M  
James Ward-Prowse         M/AM (RC)           01/11/1994 (26)  Tottenham       19    4     5'8"   10st 5lbs  £23M    
Dele Alli                 M/AM (C)            11/04/1996 (25)  Tottenham       64    6     6'1"   12st 1lb   £38M    
Ross Barkley              M/AM (C)            05/12/1993 (27)  Everton         41    5     6'2"   11st 13lbs £29.5M  
James Wilson              AM (R), ST (C)      01/12/1995 (25)  Wolves          0     0     6'0"   12st 3lbs  £10.25M 
Daniel Sturridge          AM (C), ST (C)      01/09/1989 (31)  Valencia        53    28    6'0"   12st 6lbs  £4.4M   
Harry Kane                ST (C)              28/07/1993 (27)  Tottenham       64    30    6'3"   13st 0lbs  £40.5M  

 

Catterall had faced a strong backlash from fans for fielding too many untried players in England's opening FIFA World Cup qualifying draw against Kazakhstan in March. However, that didn't stop him from calling up a couple more inexperienced playmakers for June's internationals.

 

The more intriguing of the newcomers was Wolverhampton Wanderers striker James Wilson, who had scored 10 goals in his last 11 games for the Premier League survivors. Wilson's total of 20 PL goals this term was a vast improvement on the previous campaign, when the Staffordshire-born terrier found the net only twice for his previous club Brighton & Hove Albion.

 

24-year-old Southampton winger Josh Sims was the other uncapped player picked by Catterall this time around. A former European champion with England Under-21s, Sims had played in 27 league matches for the Saints this term, though nearly half of those appearances had come as a substitute. The Somerset-born 'pocket rocket' had contributed two goals and four assists.

 

There was also a surprise recall for Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who'd not been involved with the England squad since 2019. With winger Nathan Redmond retaining his place, that meant the St Mary's club now had three players in Catterall's team, along with a trio of former Saints in Calum Chambers, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse.

 

Liverpool right-back Nathaniel Clyne and Everton midfielder Ross Barkley were reinstated to add some extra experience to the Three Lions' squad. Their know-how would surely be especially useful in the Nations League Semi Final against Germany.

 

The five players who were axed from this squad included Willie Field, Callum Gribbin and Peter Turner - all of whom were restored to the Under-21s for their upcoming European Championship. Also losing their places were goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who'd failed to save Sunderland from relegation, and Celta Vigo's attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard.

 

ENGLAND UNDER-21s squad - for 2021 UEFA European Under-21s Championship

NAME                      POSITIONS           D.O.B. (AGE)     CLUB            CAPS  GOALS HEIGHT WEIGHT     VALUE
Steve Hilton              GK                  26/07/2001 (19)  Liverpool       1     0     6'2"   12st 8lbs  £170K   
Will Mannion              GK                  05/05/1998 (23)  Huddersfield    15    0     6'2"   13st 5lbs  £7.5M   
Aaron Ramsdale            GK                  14/05/1998 (23)  Luton           1     0     6'4"   10st 7lbs  £120K   
Alistair Rattray          SW, D (C)           17/02/2000 (21)  West Brom       8     0     5'10"  11st 4lbs  £600K   
Peter Turner              D (RC), WB/M (R)    09/03/2001 (20)  Stoke           3     0     5'11"  11st 11lbs £6M     
Joe Rankin-Costello       D (RC), M/AM (RLC)  26/07/1999 (21)  Burnley         16    2     5'10"  11st 6lbs  £7.25M  
Ben Sheaf                 D (RC), M/AM (C)    05/02/1998 (23)  Sheff Wed       10    1     6'0"   12st 6lbs  £4.7M   
Adam Mingay               D (C)               19/04/2000 (21)  West Brom       8     0     6'0"   11st 9lbs  £825K   
Reece Oxford              D (C), DM           16/12/1998 (22)  West Ham        17    1     6'3"   11st 11lbs £6.5M   
Trent Alexander-Arnold    D/WB (R), DM        07/10/1998 (22)  Derby           25    1     5'6"   9st 10lbs  £7M     
Josh Tymon                D/M (L)             22/05/1999 (22)  Arsenal         16    0     5'9"   11st 2lbs  £16M    
Ryan Sessegnon            D/M/AM (L)          18/05/2000 (21)  Leeds           9     0     5'11"  12st 8lbs  £425K   
Tom Davies                DM, M (C)           30/06/1998 (22)  Watford         29    3     5'10"  11st 0lbs  £7.75M  
Sam Field                 DM, M/AM (C)        08/05/1998 (23)  QPR             17    2     5'10"  12st 1lb   £8M     
Jonathan Leko             M (R), AM (RL)      24/04/1999 (22)  Brighton        12    1     6'2"   11st 2lbs  £6.75M  
Reiss Nelson              M (L), AM (RL)      10/12/1999 (21)  Leicester       16    4     5'10"  11st 11lbs £9.25M  
Neil Campbell             M (C), AM (RC)      23/05/2001 (20)  Wolves          11    1     5'10"  11st 4lbs  £3.2M   
Callum Gribbin            M (C), AM (RC)      18/12/1998 (22)  Norwich         7     1     5'11"  11st 13lbs £18.5M  
Charles Ameobi            M/AM (L), ST (C)    29/07/2001 (19)  Huddersfield    3     0     5'7"   10st 1lb   £4M     
Stuart White              M/AM (C)            12/10/2000 (20)  Newcastle       11    2     5'10"  11st 4lbs  £7.75M  
Lawrence Warner           AM (RC), ST (C)     28/12/2000 (20)  Brighton        12    10    6'0"   12st 6lbs  £9.25M  
Willie Field              AM (LC), ST (C)     20/03/2002 (19)  Sheff Wed       1     3     5'9"   10st 12lbs £12.5M  
Eddie Nketiah             ST (C)              30/05/1999 (21)  Cardiff         12    6     5'10"  11st 6lbs  £8.5M   

 

As well as naming 23 players in his official England squad for the European Under-21s Championship, Catterall placed five on a standby list. Right-back Jordan Williams, centre-half Joe Wright, inside-forward Jadon Sancho, winger Calum Wilson and striker Ben Brereton would all be on high alert in case there were any injuries prior to the finals.

 

There were only four players from the Under-21s champions in 2019 who would be eligible to defend their title. Defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Reece Oxford returned for another crack at European glory, as did midfielders Tom Davies and Sam Field.

 

Liverpool right-back Alexander-Arnold, who'd spent the season on loan at Derby County, was set to captain the Young Lions on their return to Italy. He was their second-most experienced player in terms of caps, behind only another Liverpudlian in Davies. Leicester City's ball-winning midfielder had endured a torturous loan spell at Watford, who played him in an EFL Cup Round 2 win over Gateshead and then left him rotting on the subs' bench.

 

While Davies' confidence had been greatly dented in recent months, goalkeeper Will Mannion and left-winger Charles Ameobi were both figuratively on 'cloud nine'. They had played in Huddersfield Town's FA Cup Final victory against Crystal Palace, putting their Wembley medals alongside the ones they'd already won for lifting the Championship title.

 

Willie Field wasn't celebrating promotion with Sheffield Wednesday, though. Following his shock senior call-up, the on-loan Liverpool wonderkid scored just three more Championship goals for the Owls, who fell from top spot and lost in the Play-Offs. Even so, Field still finished by some margin as the division's top scorer, on 37 goals. Incidentally, Cardiff City's Eddie Nketiah was third on that list with 25 goals.

 

Willie Field, Callum Gribbin and Peter Turner all returned to the Under-21s with the benefit of some full international experience. Field and Turner also knew what it took to win a major title at a lower age group, as did several other players such as Ameobi, left-back Josh Tymon and winger Reiss Nelson.

 

A few players who could have been named in this squad had instead been drafted for England's ultimately unsuccessful defence of the FIFA U20 World Cup. Despite that disappointment, the likes of Chris Scott and Glenn Sheppard remained eligible to play in the next European Under-21s Championship. Even younger players such as Arsenal left-backs Ted Lapslie and Tony Vincent had two more opportunities to win that particular title.

[Drogba11CFC]

"Chelsea being Chelsea"

In the words of Hannibal (not Dr Lecter), you find a way or you make one.

Interesting that it was against Benfica again.

[CFuller]

***

 

The England senior and Under-21s teams convened at St George's Park at the end of May to begin their preparations for what was set to be a long and busy summer. The first-team were planning for the UEFA Nations League Semi Final against Germany, a potential Final with either Spain or Italy, and a couple of FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Meanwhile, their younger counterparts were looking forward to defending their UEFA European Under-21s Championship in Italy.

 

After a full week's training, the Young Lions were ready to return to match action. Their penultimate warm-up friendly took place on a Saturday afternoon at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane stadium, with Russia the visitors.

 

This was the first time the two countries had met in a football international since 2018, when some of England's senior men's players were racially abused at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow. Mark Catterall subsequently demanded that all England teams boycotted Russia for the foreseeable future, though relations between those nations had gradually thawed in the two-and-a-half years since.

 

The Russians were coached by Evgeny Bushmanov - a former national team defender who played at UEFA Euro 1996. As far as the Under-21s Euros were concerned, they were considered as potential 'dark horses' in Group A, which also included the Netherlands, Poland and Spain.

 

Despite their underdog status, it was Russia who got off to a much quicker start than their hosts. The home crowd were left stunned in the second minute, when Russian winger Yury Tikhturov glided past England right-back Peter Turner's challenge and dribbled to the byline. He then crossed to the near post, where 17-year-old Spartak Moscow striker Vladimir Chkareuli volleyed in a fantastic angled finish.

 

Going behind so early in proceedings clearly ruffled the Young Lions' manes. They would be put under more pressure in the 11th and 13th minutes, when Tikhturov and Chkareuli each missed chances to double Russia's advantage.

 

England did start to attack their visitors midway through the first period, winning several corners. However, Reiss Nelson's deliveries were consistently poor, and no threat to a Russian defence spearheaded by 18-year-old Robert Denisov, who'd already been capped twice by the senior national team.

 

A frustrating afternoon for Arsenal forward Nelson continued on 32 minutes. The Londoner, who'd just completed a second season on loan at Leicester City, miscued his shot from attacking midfielder Stuart White's square pass.

 

Mind you, Nelson and White did link up to greater effect four minutes before half-time. White rolled the former's pass into the path of lone striker Lawrence Warner, who ran onto it and lashed in an excellent shot. Sadly, Warner could not get the better of Zenit St Petersburg goalkeeper Mikhail Volkov, who confidently tipped it over the bar.

 

The other component of a misfiring England frontline was the much-lauded teenager Willie Field, who was unfortunate to clip the crossbar from a close-range free-kick in the 44th minute. Field's luck got even worse just a few moments later, when he pulled up suddenly, signalling that he'd hurt his groin.

 

Field was helped off the field to be replaced by Jonathan Leko, who saw through the closing stages of the first period. England then made a host of changes at the break, with Nelson and Warner amongst those who made way.

 

Replacing Warner at the heart of the Young Lions' attack was Cardiff City striker Eddie Nketiah. After 49 minutes, he received a fine short pass from Tom Davies into the Russian penalty area, only to see his shot blocked by visiting captain Maxim Borisov. Nketiah had another pop at goal two minutes later, with Volkov denying him on that occasion.

 

There would be further misses from Brighton & Hove Albion winger Leko before the hour point. England were still throwing pretty much everything they had at Russia, but the away side remained stoic at the back. Reece Oxford's header from White's first-time cross in the 63rd minute was met by a strong catch from Volkov.

 

After 72 minutes, Russia created their first shot on target since taking that very early lead. Borisov got his head to a free-kick from winger Alexandr Lukichev, but he could only flick it firmly into the grasp of Steve Hilton. The Liverpool reserve goalkeeper, who was still awaiting his senior league debut, was earning his first Under-21s cap in over a year.

 

Two minutes later, disaster struck for another member of England's Liverpudlian contingent. Tough-tackling midfielder Davies put a lot of fire into his slide challenge on Russia winger Andrey Glazkov, but concerns grew when he failed to get up. It soon became evident that Davies had seriously injured himself and needed to be stretchered off the pitch. His 30th cap for England Under-21s had ended in agony.

 

The Young Lions showed great spirit to battle back after losing one of their most experienced players. Though Nketiah had a powerful strike saved by Volkov in the 78th minute, it was his through-ball to Callum Gribbin that would help to create the equaliser. Gribbin's initial shot was parried by Volkov, but the ball came off left-back Ruslan Shavanov and deflected back to the Manchester United midfielder. This time, Gribbin made certain of the finish.

 

England were relieved to have drawn back level late on, but that relief would be short-lived. The Young Lions were exposed again in the 82nd minute, when the visitors hit them on the break. Lukichev drilled the ball across England's penalty area to Zenit's playmaking starlet Viktor Shipitsin, whose tap-in showed exactly why he'd already scored twice for Russia's senior team at the tender age of 18.

 

Russia were now 2-1 up, though England were quick to respond. Gribbin eyed up a second equaliser after 84 minutes, with the Salfordian putting a long-distance effort just inches wide.

 

Gribbin was handed another opportunity in the 87th minute, following Russian midfielder Sergey Philippov's foul on Charles Ameobi 30 yards from goal. Gribbin had earned renown for his free-kick expertise, and he provided the Sheffield crowd with a truly delightful set-piece that cleared the wall and found Volkov's top-left corner.

 

Having twice saved England from defeat, Gribbin now fancied his chances of securing a memorable late hat-trick. His chance to claim the match ball was fired wide two minutes from time, but it didn't really matter. While the 2-2 scoreline was not necessarily what the Young Lions had hoped for at kick-off, they had still narrowly avoided embarrassment on home soil and extended their unbeaten record to nine matches.

 

5 June 2021: Under-21s International - at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

England U21s - 2 (Callum Gribbin 79,87)

Russia U21s - 2 (Vladimir Chkareuli 2, Viktor Shipitsin 82)

ENGLAND U21s LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale (Steve Hilton); Peter Turner (Trent Alexander-Arnold), Adam Mingay (Reece Oxford), Alistair Rattray (Ben Sheaf), Josh Tymon (Ryan Sessegnon); Tom Davies (Sam Field), Neil Campbell (Joe Rankin-Costello); Reiss Nelson (Charles Ameobi), Stuart White (Callum Gribbin), Willie Field (Jonathan Leko); Lawrence Warner (Eddie Nketiah).

 

After the match, Byrne checked up with Under-21s physio Derek Wright for news about the injuries to Tom Davies and Willie Field. Wright was an affable 65-year-old Geordie who'd worked with the FA for 14 years and would retire after the European Championship. On this afternoon, though, he was not his usual cheerful self.

 

"They've had it, Dave," Wright said grimly in his distinctive north-eastern accent. "They won't be fit for the Euros."

 

Byrne groaned, "F***ing hell! So what are we talking here, Del Boy?"

 

Wright explained, "Our Willie's torn his groin muscle - that's a month out for him. And poor Tom's done his calf in, so we're looking at three to four months."

 

Byrne cursed, "For f***'s sake! You know who I blame for this? That f***ing meddler Catterall, that's who!"

 

"Okay... why Catts?"

 

"I knew Tom weren't match-fit; he's hardly played for Watford all year! I wanted to take him off at half-time, but Mark insisted that I keep him on. He of all people should know you're more prone to injuries if you're not match-sharp!"

 

"I see where you's coming from, Dave. Ain't you took it up with Mark, though?"

 

"I was gonna have a word with Catterall at full-time, but the bastard buggered off back home as soon as the ref blew his final whistle! Sometimes I wanna grab that c***'s neck and strangle him with his own tie!"

 

"He don't ever wear a tie, Dave."

 

"Alright, with my tie, then! Anyway, he's gonna have something round his neck the next time I see him!"

 

With Davies and Field now out of the tournament, two players would have to be drafted in as replacements before the Young Lions travelled to Spain for their final friendly five days later.

[CFuller]

***

 

It was the morning of Monday 7 June. After having Sunday off, England manager Mark Catterall returned to work as he prepared to welcome his senior players to training ahead of the June internationals.

 

Catterall arrived at the car park at St George's Park at near enough the same time as defensive coach Phil Neville. As Catterall got out of his car, Neville called out from his seat, "Morning, Mark! You alright?"

 

"I'm great, thanks, Phil," Catterall responded. "I bet you're still smiling after Saturday night, eh?"

 

Neville's former club Manchester United had successfully defended their UEFA Champions League crown, defeating Porto on penalties after a goalless draw in Madrid. The Red Devils scored all three of their spot-kicks, while their Portuguese opponents failed to get off the mark at all.

 

"It weren't the greatest of games, to be honest," Neville admitted as he exited his car. "But United just bossed that shoot-out. That's José Mourinho for you; he's the master of pressure situations."

 

Catterall suggested, "Four Premier League titles in a row, and now back-to-back Champions Leagues. United fans must be getting sick of winning things by now!"

 

"You're only saying that just 'cos City haven't won nothing for ages."

 

"Yes, but they've got [Zinedine] Zidane coming in now, so I think it'll be a matter of time before they're competing again."

 

As Neville and Catterall prepared to enter the training ground, a man screamed from behind them in a London accent, "OI! CATTERALL! I want a word with you!"

 

It was Under-21s coach David Byrne, who stormed over to Catterall and pulled at the collar of his shirt. That was no mean feat for a man who was considerably shorter than the imposing Mancunian.

 

"What the hell is your problem?" Catterall retaliated, as Neville watched on with trepidation.

 

"I'll tell you what my problem is! You're overruling my judgements and jeopardising the fitness of my players!"

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

Byrne screamed, "TOM F***ING DAVIES, that's who I'm f***ing talking about! He's only gone and torn his groin muscle, thanks to you!"

 

Byrne prepared to swing at Catterall, but Neville got between the pair and interjected, "Lads, lads... calm down. We don't need to make a scene, not out here."

 

"Haven't you got better things to do, Phil?" Catterall asked disdainfully, before suggesting, "Like, helping Tim Flowers set up the cones!"

 

Neville nodded, "Ah, I've always wondered who that bloke was! But nah, you're alright. I reckon Todd will be fine without me."

 

"Just p*** off, Phil!"

 

"Okay, geez," Neville grumbled as he walked inside. Catterall then turned back to Byrne and asked impatiently, "You were saying?"

 

Byrne growled, "Tom Davies did his groin in, 'cos YOU overworked him! I warned you he weren't gonna last much longer than an hour..."

 

"Davies needed to sharpen up his game, 'cos he hadn't played any club matches for over nine months. That's why I wanted him out there for a bit longer."

 

"Well, that did him a fat lot of good, didn't it? He's gonna miss the Euros now! That was the last thing I needed, what with Willie Field being injured as well!"

 

"Yeah, yeah, it's not ideal, but it's not a disaster, either. I can always call up a couple of players from the standby list..."

 

"YOU?" an incensed Byrne exclaimed. "YOU call up the players? Who's in charge here: YOU or ME?"

 

"We are both in charge," Catterall insisted. "I pick the squad and the tactics, while you coach the players and get them motivated. We work well together, as we have done for five years."

 

"Well, maybe after five years in this job, I've become tired of being undermined by a dictator who thinks he can be in four different places at once! You know what, I'm glad that Angela Ruskin's binning off this 'remote management' bollocks! At least I'll soon be able to manage this team without having to look over my shoulder all the time!"

 

Catterall was taken aback by Byrne's claims about the FA's chairwoman. He asked, "I'm sorry, but could you say that again? What's Ruskin doing?"

 

Byrne took a deep breath and clarified, "She's thinking of ending your 'remote management' experiment. She wants every England team to have their own manager, just like in the old days before you came along."

 

Catterall shook his head disbelievingly, "Did Ruskin really say that?"

 

"Yes. She told me about a week ago."

 

"Why couldn't she have told me first?"

 

Byrne shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, Mark. Maybe she thought you wouldn't be happy about..."

 

"Damn right I'm not happy with it!" Catterall shouted. "We've taken huge strides over the last five years, and now it sounds like she's going back to how things were in the Dark Ages! So much for progress, eh?"

 

"Maybe you should speak to Angela and get this sorted out ASAP. Personally, I can see where she's coming from."

 

By now, several more cars had parked outside the training ground. Amongst the players who'd arrived at the ground was left-back Luke Shaw, who called out, "Oi, oi! Looks like we've got a fight on our hands here!"

 

"GET INSIDE NOW, SHAW!" Catterall bellowed. He then caught a glimpse of James Wilson and gestured at the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, instructing him to come over.

 

As Wilson approached Catterall, he asked, "What d'you want me for, boss?"

 

"James, I just want to congratulate you on getting into the senior team," Catterall told Wilson. "I know this is your first time, so I've asked some of the older players to help you settle in."

 

"Cheers, boss, but I'll be fine," Wilson nodded. "I'm chomping at the bit already."

 

"I think you mean champing at the bit," Catterall corrected him, "but that's beside the point. Now how about you get going, eh? I'll meet you a bit later."

 

Wilson smiled, "See you later," before jogging inside.

 

Catterall turned back to Byrne and said, "I'd best be off as well, then."

 

Byrne nodded, "Okay, but we need to meet up again some time this afternoon. We need to decide on the players that will replace Willie and Tom."

 

Byrne and Catterall did reconvene later that day, eventually agreeing that Joe Wright and Ben Brereton would be the two men who came into the Under-21s squad for the European Championship. Centre-half Wright had enjoyed a decent season on loan at Derby County from Liverpool, while Brereton had been in the goals for Nottingham Forest. They would link up with the Young Lions in time for their final warm-up friendly in Spain.

[CFuller]

***

 

England's Under-21s had just one more match to play before their European Championship defence properly got underway in Italy. Head coach David Byrne took his Young Lions to the Galician city of Pontevedra, where they would pit their wits against a highly-rated Spain team.

 

Spain had won their qualifying group rather comfortably and were amongst the favourites to wrest the trophy from England's grasp. Their captain was a 23-year-old Uruguayan-born striker named José Luis Zalazar Martínez, who went by the rather less unwieldy moniker of Kuki. He had scored 19 Premier League goals in two seasons at Everton, and had also won a couple of senior international caps for La Furia Roja.

 

Amongst England's starting line-up were defender Joe Wright and striker Ben Brereton, who'd both been drafted into the squad at short notice following injuries to Tom Davies and Willie Field. Manchester United midfielder Callum Gribbin also started, having come off the bench to earn the Young Lions a 2-2 draw against Russia in their last match.

 

Gribbin's second goal versus the Russians had come about from a free-kick. He continued from precisely where he left off after just 40 seconds, driving in an outstanding 25-yard set-piece following Spain left-back Andrés López's very early trip on Brereton. England were already 1-0 to the good.

 

Another England midfielder attempted to join Gribbin on the scoresheet after nine minutes. Queens Park Rangers' Sam Field might have been strongly linked with a surprise summer move to Borussia Mönchengladbach, but a terrible strike over the crossbar wouldn't have impressed his prospective German suitors.

 

The rest of the first half was rather humdrum from an English perspective. Manager Mark Catterall's decision to experiment with having Reiss Nelson start up front alongside Brereton was not a success. The Arsenal ace primarily played out wide rather than in the centre, and he never looked comfortable as his team's most advanced player. Even so, Nelson did come close to curling in what would've been an amazing strike from Stuart White's short pass in the 22nd minute.

 

At the other end, things were looking rather better. The Young Lions' defence seemed more switched on than against the Russians, successfully catching both Kuki and his Spanish colleague Luis Ayala offside at around the half-hour mark.

 

Ayala was a diminutive 20-year-old right-winger who'd struggled to establish himself at Roma this season following a £3.9million summer move from Sevilla. He wasn't in the best of form, as he showed with a disappointing free-kick in the 36th minute and another wasteful strike three minutes later.

 

England carried a single-goal lead into the second half, but that advantage would be erased within three minutes later. The Young Lions' failings against Russia reared their ugly heads again when Wright missed a slide tackle on left-winger Jacob Castro, whose square cross was tapped home from point-blank range by Kuki. 1-1.

 

La Rojita's striking sensation was now looking to turn the match 180 degrees. An attempted piledriver in the 52nd minute was only kept out by the dependable fingertips of England's first-choice goalkeeper Will Mannion. Ayala then chipped the resulting corner kick to the near post, where Kuki met it with a rather disappointing header that soared well over.

 

Benfica's Javier Mateo had a rather quiet match in the Spanish goal until the 55th minute, when he was required to hold firm and tip behind a low drive from Eddie Nketiah. Mateo would thwart another attempt from the Cardiff City striker three minutes later.

 

Things looked pretty even, but a horribly miscued pass from England playmaker Neil Campbell in the 64th minute could have been very costly as far as the visitors were concerned. Kuki easily hoovered it up to begin an intelligent passing move from La Rojita. The attack resulted in midfielder David Mariscal sending a 25-yarder just off target.

 

While Campbell had got away with that error, England now appeared to be very suspect at the back. On 76 minutes, Julio Mata took the ball off Young Lions winger Charles Ameobi and punted it forward to begin a devastating counter-attack from La Rojita.

 

England's defenders quickly found themselves outnumbered by Spanish jerseys. Castro then broke them open with an excellent weighted ball out right to Roberto Del Olmo, who then squared it into the six-yard box. When Kuki burst clear of England centre-back Alistair Rattray to prod it home, the Young Lions were left kicking themselves once again.

 

Ameobi was particularly annoyed at the part he had played in Spain taking the lead. After 82 minutes, the Arsenal left-winger set out to prove that Kuki's second goal would not be the decisive one.

 

Upon receiving an incisive pass from club-mate Joe Rankin-Costello, Ameobi burst past Spain right-back Maoudo Diallo Ba and crossed to Nketiah. Despite being under real pressure from home centre-back Juan Manuel Gámez Heredia, Nketiah stabbed it home with ease to draw the match level at 2-2.

 

England were now set to share the spoils in another four-goal thriller, which would've asked more questions than answered before the Euros. However, there was to be one final twist in a pulsating match in Pontevedra.

 

The Young Lions patiently probed the ball around the Spanish half during the second and final minute of stoppage time. That additional time had all but run out when Nketiah knocked the ball through to Leko, who got between Gámez Heredia and his Barcelona team-mate Richard Ortega to latch onto it. Leko then crossed to Ameobi, who lashed in a superb volley with virtually the last kick of the game!

 

Prior to those late goals from Nketiah and Ameobi, it looked that England would fly out to Italy in a somewhat pessimistic mood. However, the Young Lions had not only battled back to stretch their unbeaten run into a 10th successive game, but they had also claimed an excellent 3-2 away win over Spain. If Byrne could sort the defence out, England would take some stopping.

 

10 June 2021: Under-21s International - at Pasarón, Pontevedra

Spain U21s - 2 (Kuki 48,76)

England U21s - 3 (Callum Gribbin 1, Eddie Nketiah 82, Charles Ameobi 90+3)

ENGLAND U21s LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Will Mannion (Aaron Ramsdale); Trent Alexander-Arnold (Peter Turner), Reece Oxford (Adam Mingay), Joe Wright (Alistair Rattray), Ryan Sessegnon (Josh Tymon); Ben Sheaf (Neil Campbell); Callum Gribbin (Lawrence Warner), Sam Field (Joe Rankin-Costello); Stuart White (Jonathan Leko); Ben Brereton (Eddie Nketiah), Reiss Nelson (Charles Ameobi).

[CFuller]

***

 

England's traditionally poor record against Germany had improved noticeably over recent years. The Three Lions had defeated the Mannschaft in each of their previous two meetings under Mark Catterall's management. In fact, since Catterall had taken the helm in 2016, England had never lost to their Teutonic rivals at any age level.

 

The most significant recent encounter had come on 3 June 2020, in a UEFA European Championship Quarter Final at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Much to the dismay to over 60,000 onlooking Germans, England ran riot, with Harry Kane securing an unforgettable hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition job.

 

A little over 11 months later, it was time for them to meet again, in the Semi Finals of the UEFA Nations League. This time, the venue was the 74,224-capacity Olympiastadion in Berlin. It was not to be confused with the Olympiastadion in Munich, which had hosted England's famous 5-1 win in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in 2001. Funnily enough, Germany never played an international football match there again.

 

German fans were not expecting another home humiliation this time around. Head coach Roger Schmidt had been sacked following the 4-0, and former Mannschaft midfielder Torsten Frings left his role as Schalke 04 manager to take the reins. Germany were thus far unbeaten in eight matches under Frings' management, and had edged up to 3rd in the FIFA World Rankings.

 

The German squad was largely made up of players from Bayer Leverkusen - now three-time back-to-back Bundesliga champions - and Bayern Munich. Left-back Benjamin Henrichs and centre-half Jonathan Tah were both integral members of the Leverkusen defence, though Henrichs was reportedly close to agreeing a £60million transfer to Manchester City.

 

Bayern duo Jérôme Boateng and Joshua Kimmich completed Germany's back four, though they were now protecting Barcelona's Marc-André ter Stegen instead of the retired Manuel Neuer. While record scorer Thomas Müller was still available to the Mannschaft, he wouldn't feature here, having broken his ankle in Bayern's 3-1 Bundesliga win at Borussia Mönchengladbach four weeks earlier.

 

When it came to England's line-up, Mark Catterall fielded a virtually full-strength team in a 4-4-2 diamond. Luke Shaw was serving a suspension, which meant Tottenham Hotspur's Danny Rose replaced him at left-back. Featuring at right-back was the returning Nathaniel Clyne, who received his long-awaited 50th England cap.

 

At the opposite end of the experience when it came to international football was James Wilson. The 25-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers striker was rewarded for his exceptional recent form with a Three Lions debut, partnering vice-captain Harry Kane up front from the outset.

 

Germany made the livelier start to proceedings, with Bayern striker Kevin Volland winning a corner off a somewhat nervy Clyne in the fourth minute. Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos' corner delivery was the most effective, and neither was his follow-up cross, which Michael Keane comfortably headed clear for England.

 

Clyne looked rather more impressive in the 12th minute. The marauding full-back exchanged crossfield passes with Liverpool colleague and captain Jordan Henderson, whose promising volley drew ter Stegen into a catch.

 

A minute later, England midfielder Ross Barkley collected a lob from Kane and slipped it ahead of Wilson's run into the box. Wilson looked set to silence the home fans with a dream debut goal, but ter Stegen superbly pushed the strike to his left and behind the byline. Boateng then made light work of the subsequent corner from Henderson.

 

Germany attacked again on 20 minutes, winning a free-kick on the edge of the England penalty area after Henderson had bundled Leroy Sané over. Kroos' delivery from England's right side was nodded back to him by Barkley. In response, the 31-year-old midfield centurion squared a first-time pass to the Mannschaft's star winger Julian Brandt, whose edge-of-the-area drive was caught by Jack Butland.

 

The action only became more open as time went on, but England's defence was beginning to look rather less resolute than Germany's. Sané was left criminally unmarked in the area in the 28th minute, and the visitors breathed a huge sigh of relief when the Manchester City wideman half-volleyed Mario Götze's delivery over.

 

England countered quickly, and they had another opportunity to break the deadlock a minute later. Playmaker Dele Alli selflessly laid Barkley's pass off to newcomer Wilson, whose first-time shot was too close to ter Stegen.

 

England were perhaps lacking the clinical touch, and they would be punished by a delightful German move after 33 minutes. Brandt jumped ahead of Rose to head Mannschaft captain Henrichs' cross towards Götze just outside the six-yard box. Götze could easily have volleyed it straight at goal, but he instead looked to his left and found Volland at the near post. Butland didn't have a hope of denying the 28-year-old his 17th goal in 40 German caps.

 

With a single-goal lead to their name, Germany looked to deal England another devastating blow prior to half-time. Brandt almost got lucky with a right-wing cross from the byline in the 38th minute, but the 25-year-old Bayern superstar's effort curled against the woodwork. Eric Dier then volleyed it behind to concede a corner, which John Stones intercepted before Kane cleared.

 

Manchester City's ball-playing defender Stones had looked strong at the back for England. The Yorkshireman almost made his mark at the other end four minutes before half-time, when he unluckily nodded a Henderson corner into the side netting.

 

Though the Three Lions were still a goal down at the break, Catterall was reasonably content with his team's first-half performance. He sent his charges back out for the second half with some words of encouragement, and without any changes in personnel.

 

The England defence had plenty of defending to do in the opening stages of the second half, withstanding a couple of German corners. Stones and Keane were each on hand to make strong interceptions.

 

Germany's momentum was disrupted in the 53rd minute, when Brandt pulled up mid-run and lost the ball to Rose. Brandt then signalled that he had strained his thigh, prompting Frings to make his first substitution. Taking the winger's place was Leverkusen's 22-year-old midfield marvel Kai Havertz.

 

By the 63rd minute, though, it was business as usual again for the Mannschaft. Sané delivered the ball to Volland at the near post, and Volland then attempted to pick out Götze in the six-yard area. Keane cleverly stuck a leg out to divert the drilled cross away, but only as far as Kimmich. The versatile Bayern star would've scored just his second goal in 47 Germany caps had it not been for an assured catch from Butland.

 

Catterall waited another couple of minutes before bringing on his first substitute - Jack Butland, who replaced the disappointing Alli behind the new Kane and Wilson strike partnership. Those two had also struggled to make inroads into the German backline during the second half.

 

The England boss made further changes to his tactics about 15 minutes from time. Having messed up a left-footed volley in the 67th minute, Barkley was taken off and replaced with an inside-forward in Southampton's Nathan Redmond. At the same time, Catterall moved Wilson out to the right flank, leaving Kane to lead the attack on his own.

 

England showed no signs of mounting a comeback over the next few minutes, and so Catterall played one last card, with James Ward-Prowse taking over from Tottenham club-mate Dier in midfield. Frings made Germany's second (and final) substitution at the same time, sending Ilkay Gündogan on for Kroos.

 

The Mannschaft went for the kill in the 81st minute, when Götze picked out Volland with a fabulous weighted pass. The powerful forward got past Stones to leave him with just Butland to beat, but it was the England number 1 who prevailed on that occasion.

 

A minute later, the four North London-based players left in England's line-up combined to create an excellent attacking move. Rose started the move by playing the ball inside from the left to Arsenal's Wilshere, who then pumped it up the flank for Kane. The England vice-captain drew three German defenders towards him and then crossed to Ward-Prowse, whose vicious half-volley was deflected wide by a superb fingertip save from ter Stegen.

 

A couple more England attacks late on would end in further disappointment. Ward-Prowse's knockdown to Wilson in the 88th minute was fired into the side netting. Redmond went rather closer to finding the net in the second minute of injury time, when his 25-yard crack at goal rebounded off ter Stegen's left-hand post. Wilson almost got to the rebound but was just pipped by Henrichs, whose byline clearance effectively killed the game.

 

After one more extra minute, the referee's final whistle consigned England to defeat. The Three Lions had produced an admirable performance in spurts, but it was the victorious Germans who would now advance to a Nations Cup Final encounter with either Spain or Italy in Madrid on 22 June.

 

11 June 2021: UEFA Nations League Semi Final - at Olympiastadion, Berlin

Germany - 1 (Kevin Volland 33)

England - 0

ENGLAND LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Jack Butland; Nathaniel Clyne, John Stones, Michael Keane, Danny Rose; Eric Dier (James Ward-Prowse); Ross Barkley (Nathan Redmond), Jordan Henderson; Dele Alli (Jack Wilshere); Harry Kane, James Wilson.

 

While their Nations League hopes had crumbled, England's chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup had received a boost. Group 5 leaders Bosnia & Herzegovina had suffered their first defeat, conceding three goals at home to Greece.

 

The new leaders weren't Greece, though. That honour went to Kazakhstan, who continued their unbeaten start with a home victory over Liechtenstein. Mind you, the Kazakhs only scored once against the group underdogs, so perhaps they'd used up too much of their magic 'pixie dust' against England and Armenia back in March.

 

Those results meant that England now had a real opportunity to reassert themselves as group favourites. If they could beat Bosnia at Wembley on 14 June, and then Armenia in Yerevan on 17 June, the Three Lions would go to the top of the table.

[CFuller]

***

 

Three days after England's exit from the UEFA Nations League, manager Mark Catterall turned his attention towards what he saw as more urgent matters. The Three Lions' third qualifier for the 2022 FIFA World Cup pitted them at Wembley against one of their toughest opponents in Group 5.

 

Bosnia & Herzegovina had started their qualification bid with routine wins over Armenia and Liechtenstein, only to then lose 3-0 at home to Greece. Nevertheless, those victories had seen Vlado Jagodic's side shoot up to 77th in the FIFA World Rankings, having previously fallen as low as 110th. For a nation who'd qualified for the World Cup as recently as 2014, that had been a rather dramatic fall from grace.

 

Guarding the Bosnian goal as ever was 33-year-old former Stoke City and Chelsea keeper Asmir Begovic - now second-choice at Paris Saint-Germain. Left-back Sead Kolasinac and midfield player Miralem Pjanic were also class players, though the Zmajevi had arguably lacked a proper attacking focal point since Edin Dzeko retired from internationals in 2019.

 

Vice-captain Harry Kane remained England's focal point up front, even after his rather lacklustre display in Berlin. Dele Alli would again give him plenty of support from the attacking midfield 'hole', as would Nathan Redmond and Daniel Sturridge from out wide.

 

Luke Shaw returned to the Three Lions' defence after serving a one-match ban. The left-back was accompanied by a couple of Manchester United colleagues in centre-halves Brendan Galloway and Axel Tuanzebe. While Manchester City's Michael Keane and John Stones had both worked their socks off to keep the deficit down against Germany, neither man was quite ready to play another match in quick succession.

 

England took the game to their opponents very early on, winning a couple of corners. Begovic had to make his first save after six minutes, pushing behind Sturridge's first-time cross from an excellent pass by Three Lions captain Jordan Henderson.

 

Sturridge would go one better a couple of minutes later. England right-back Calum Chambers received a square pass from Kane and swerved it past Kolasinac to find Sturridge in the Bosnian box. The Valencia striker was under some pressure from the visitors' experienced Espanyol defender Ervin Zukanovic, but he still managed to squirm a shot underneath Begovic's dive and into the net.

 

England's 1-0 lead could have been doubled just moments later, after Redmond was obstructed by 20-year-old Bosnian full-back Mirnes Basic. Redmond quickly lofted the free-kick into the penalty area, but Galloway miscued his header and sent it harmlessly off target.

 

Bosnia & Herzegovina then gave England a brief fright in the 16th minute. Konyaspor forward Rijad Bajic's hopeful cross from the left flank clipped Jack Butland's post before Calum Chambers punted it upfield.

 

The Three Lions returned to their attacking ways at the midway point of the first half. A couple of unsuccessful Henderson corners were followed by two shots from Sturridge, both of which were brilliantly blocked by Kolasinac. The German-born Bosnian full-back was midway through his second season at Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League, having previously spent close to a decade at Schalke 04.

 

In the 31st minute, Sturridge tried to flick home a deep cross from Shaw. Begovic just about got a hand to the Brummie's header, only to divert it into the path of another West Midlander. Fortunately for the visitors, Redmond got his attempted cross to Kane all wrong, allowing Zukanovic to clear.

 

After a brief bright spell for the Zmajevi, in which Galloway defended brilliantly to maintain the Three Lions' lead, the first period came to a fiery conclusion. Bosnia & Herzegovina's French-born midfield aggressor Sanjin Prcic was booked four minutes from half-time for upending Alli.

 

A minute later, things got worse for the visitors. Henderson's attempted piledriver deflected off Bosnian defender Jozo Spikic and fell fortuitously to Redmond, whose drilled cross set up a simple tap-in for Sturridge. That was the 31-year-old poacher's second goal of the night, his third of the qualifiers, and his 30th for England overall. He was now level with four of his countrymen on that statistic, including Kane.

 

England took a comfortable 2-0 lead into the second period. Henderson wouldn't return to the field, though, as the exhausted skipper was replaced in midfield by James Ward-Prowse. The captain's armband was passed on to Kane, who had thus far not been as dangerous as most of the Wembley crowd had hoped.

 

While Kane sought to make his mark after the restart, Sturridge eyed up another England hat-trick. He attempted to drive a third goal home just moments into the second half, but Begovic denied him with his outstretched fingers.

 

Kane was then caught offside on a couple of occasions before Bosnia & Herzegovina threatened to halve the deficit. An excellent Kolasinac cross in the 58th minute found striker Mirko Maric, who leapt above both Galloway and Shaw to power a header goalwards. Maric couldn't quite get the better of Butland, whose fine reflex save proved to be the only one he would have to make all evening long.

 

Bosnia hardly offered up anything else from an attacking perspective in the final half-hour. At the other end, they did survive a couple of poor shots from Ward-Prowse. That being said, it wouldn't be long before the Zmajevi were condemned to defeat by another Tottenham Hotspur star.

 

As the match entered its 65th minute, Ward-Prowse sprayed an excellent crossfield ball out left to Shaw. The wing-back's subsequent delivery was knocked down by Alli to Kane, who thrashed it home to build up an unassailable 3-0 lead for England.

 

Kane's 31st goal in an England jersey was particularly significant, in that he was now out clear as the 6th-highest scorer in the history of the national team. He was still some way off the top five, but at 27 years old, he still had plenty of time to close the gap on 5th-placed Michael Owen (40).

 

After 70 minutes, the Three Lions pushed for yet another goal. Kane threaded the ball through to Redmond, whose swerving effort was just touched behind by Begovic. Had it not been for the Zmajevi's goalkeeping captain, the scoreline would surely have taken on an embarrassingly one-sided look.

 

Eight minutes later, Sturridge's hopes of a hat-trick were ended by his substitution. Sturridge received a standing ovation at Wembley as he departed the field for Michail Antonio, but there were also a few boos directed at Catterall for his decision to sub off England's star performer.

 

Norwich City wideman Antonio was involved in England's final attack, after 88 minutes. He moved the ball out from the right flank to Redmond on the left, via middle man Kane. Redmond saw his first cross cleared by Toni Sunjic, but his second did find Kane in the six-yard box. The striker flicked it inches over the bar, and so the Three Lions' advantage remained at 3-0.

 

14 June 2021: FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 - at Wembley, London

England - 3 (Daniel Sturridge 8,44, Harry Kane 65)

Bosnia & Herzegovina - 0

ENGLAND LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Jack Butland; Calum Chambers, Axel Tuanzebe, Brendan Galloway, Luke Shaw; Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson (James Ward-Prowse); Daniel Sturridge (Michail Antonio), Dele Alli (Ross Barkley), Nathan Redmond; Harry Kane.

 

England had now recorded comfortable home victories over each of their main rivals for qualification. They moved up to 2nd place in Group 5 - two points behind new leaders Greece, with a game in hand. The Galanolefki had just toppled surprise pacesetters Kazakhstan 4-0, with Kostas Fortounis scoring all four goals, including three from the penalty spot.

 

England would assume top spot if they won their next qualifier three days later in Yerevan. Opponents Armenia would go into that match rock-bottom in more than one sense, having somehow fallen to a 1-0 defeat in Liechtenstein. The Havakakan had now lost three games on the bounce.

[CFuller]

Chapter 49 - Battles

 

On the morning after they beat Bosnia & Herzegovina at Wembley, the England players and staff left their west London hotel and boarded the coach that would take them to Heathrow Airport. They would soon fly out to Yerevan head of their latest FIFA World Cup qualifier against Armenia... or so they thought.

 

While many of his players were listening to music or playing games on their mobile phones, Mark Catterall was reading through the latest news on his iPad. He was on The Guardian's frontpage, which led with the news that scientists in Manchester had discovered what they called "a cure for Brexit".

 

Of greater interest to Catterall was that a 58-year-old Ukrainian man had been arrested in connection with the murder of Spanish football executive Ricardo Arce. Dmytro Lyubov had been identified by Swiss police as the number one suspect after Arce - who oversaw Spain's successful bids for UEFA Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup - was found dead in a Nyon hotel in March.

 

Catterall's assistant Michael Burke looked at the photograph of Lyubov and observed, "Don't he look familiar to you, Catts?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"He's the spitting image of that Sun editor. The bloke who made Russell Whiteman write about you being a racist."

 

"You mean Michael Love?" Catterall replied. He then took a closer look and said, "Ah... yeah. Probably just coincidence."

 

A BBC breaking news notification then popped up on the iPad, announcing, "YEREVAN EXPLODES AS RIOTS SPREAD ACROSS ARMENIA."

 

Burke gasped, "Armenia? This can't be serious, right?"

 

Catterall shook his head and said, "It's probably just scaremongering. That's the BBC for you nowadays. Remember that time they declared a flu epidemic, and it turned out one girl in Milton Keynes had caught chicken pox?"

 

Two seats down, midfielder James Ward-Prowse called out, "Hey, boss! I think you oughta check out the news!"

 

His Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Dele Alli added, "It's all kicking off in Armenia!"

 

Catterall quickly refreshed the webpage on the iPad, and sure enough, The Guardian had now posted a story headlined, "Dozens dead as anti-government protests turn violent in Armenian capital."

 

He then read through the story, learning that peaceful protests against Armenia's long-reigning leader Serzh Sargsyan and his Republican Party had escalated after police used brute force against the demonstrators. The protests quickly turned into full-blown riots, leading to the deaths of over 30 civilians and two police officers, and millions of dollars' worth of damage.

 

Alli asked, "Does that mean our flight's cancelled, boss?"

 

"We don't know yet, Dele," Burke said. "I'd imagine the authorities are already talking about what to do next."

 

Catterall added, "We need to get to the bottom of this. We can't fly out to Armenia if it's not safe."

 

Catterall detached his seatbelt and walked up towards the coach driver, asking him, "Change of plan, Colin. Could you take us back to Wembley? I need to speak with the board."

 

"Of course, I can," the driver nodded before reconfiguring his satnav. The coach arrived at Wembley half an hour later, and Catterall went inside to hold an emergency meeting with the Football Association's chief executive David Whiteman.

 

"I hope you don't mind us speaking at such short notice, David," Catterall said as he shook Whiteman's hand. "We just need to know where things are right now regarding Armenia."

 

Whiteman nodded, "Indeed, Mr Catterall. You will be most reassured to know that I have been in regular dialog with my counterpart from the Football Federation of Armenia, as well as the Armenian Embassy and our woman in Yerevan."

 

"So what's the situation?"

 

"It is the ambassador's understanding that the atmosphere in Yerevan might be somewhat fraught over the coming days. In other words, there might be a breakout of further hostilities in the foreseeable future. As such, she has recommended that no British nationals travel to Armenia in the current climate."

 

"That means the game's postponed, right?"

 

Whiteman confirmed, "Both Football Associations have agreed that the match cannot be played on Saturday as originally scheduled."

 

Catterall groaned before angrily asking, "So when can it be played? There aren't any free dates left in the international calendar this year!"

 

"I would suggest you calm yourself down, Mr Catterall. My colleague Dexter Poyner is currently in discussions with FIFA about an alternative date on which the fixture could be fulfilled."

 

"You'll have to be more specific, David."

 

"Should peace return to Armenia within the next week, we envision that the match could be played next Friday, on 23 June. If not, one might have to contemplate staging the fixture behind closed doors, at an alternative venue, or perhaps even postponing it until March."

 

"MARCH? So we might have to wait until THREE MONTHS before the World Cup to find out if we've qualified?"

 

"That would only apply in the worst-case scenario. I cannot realistically imagine such a scenario coming to fruition."

 

Poyner then came into the room, prompting Whiteman to say, "Ah, Mr Poyner. To speak of a particular horned deity! I had only recently informed Mr Catterall that you were discussing the Armenia situation with FIFA."

 

Catterall asked, "How are things looking now?"

 

Poyner replied with a question of his own, "David's told you that there's no chance of the team travelling to Yerevan at the present moment, hasn't he?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"It looks like the game will have to be pushed back. FIFA had identified a suitable neutral venue to host the game on Saturday, but here's the thing... it's in Saint Petersburg."

 

"Ah."

 

"Anyway, the Armenians turned that down because there was strong anti-Russian sentiment amongst many of the protestors."

 

Whiteman added, "And I am sure you will know, Mr Poyner, that Mr Catterall here has had strong misgivings in the past regarding the possibility of England national teams travelling to Russia."

 

"I can understand why, Mark," Poyner nodded. "Russia is not exactly the most liberal of countries, is it?"

 

Catterall said, "Look... the Russia racism controversy was a long time ago, and they've made huge strides in terms of becoming more welcoming of late. I wouldn't have kicked up any kind of fuss if you said we were going to Saint Petersburg."

 

"Well, Armenia said no, so that's neither here nor there now."

 

"Of course. So I guess we're playing next week then?"

 

Whiteman replied, "Yes, unless the current predicament becomes graver over the coming days. In the meantime, Mr Catterall, I would suggest you and your squad return to St George's Park imminently and ensure that you are all sufficiently primed for a match next Friday."

 

"I will do," Catterall nodded. He then shook Whiteman's and Poyner's hands before telling them, "Thanks for the update, gents."

 

Poyner smiled, "You're welcome. And by the way, Mark... congratulations."

 

"Congratulations for what?"

 

"Your daughter, Ashley. She's in the England women's squad for the European Championship next month."

 

Somewhat flabbergasted, Catterall replied, "Well... that's the first I've heard of this."

 

"Emma Hayes announces her final squad about an hour from now. I thought I'd tell you beforehand."

 

"Gee... thanks. But I was hoping to hear that from Ashley first, seeing that it's her news to share."

 

Poyner apologised, "Sorry, Mark. Did I speak out of turn?"

 

Catterall growled, "What do you think? I suppose you also spoilt the end of 'Game of Thrones' for anyone who didn't see it, didn't you?"

 

"With all respect, I have no idea what 'Game of Thrones' is. Was that a theatre production or something?"

 

As an annoyed Catterall left the room, Whiteman turned to Poyner and stated sternly, "It does appear, young Mr Poyner, that you need to demonstrate wiser judgement with regards to the giving of glad tidings in future. I believe a more common fellow would instruct you to think before you speak."

[CFuller]

***

 

If all had been well, Mark Catterall should have spent the evening of Saturday 17 June in Yerevan, guiding his England team through a potentially tricky FIFA World Cup qualifier. With that match having been postponed for a week due to civil unrest across Armenia, he was instead back home in Staffordshire, watching the Under-21s team play a big match of their own from his laptop.

 

Less than a week after returning to the setting of their greatest recent triumph, England were formally beginning their quest to retain the UEFA European Under-21s Championship title in Italy. David Byrne's Young Lions kicked off their defence in the town of Sciacca, situated on the south-western coast of Sicily.

 

Group B had opened up earlier that day in Mantova, where France defeated Portugal 1-0. A solitary 14th-minute goal from Arsenal's Jeff Reine-Adelaide got Les Bleus off to a strong start and left the Portuguese with plenty of work to do if they were to reach a third successive Final.

 

England were also bidding to go all the way to the decisive match once again. The first of what they hoped would be five games in this tournament was against Group B's so-called underdogs Croatia, whose resilience and experience arguably made them a tougher proposition than they looked on paper.

 

Croatia put England's defence on high alert after six minutes, when right-back David Butina crossed to winger Sasa Petrovic in the Young Lions' penalty area. The champions' centre-half Alistair Rattray outmuscled Petrovic to head the cross clear, prompting the Croats to unsuccessfully claim for a penalty.

 

By the 14th minute, Croatia's players were feeling even more flustered. A quickfire passing move from England ended with a deflected cross from captain Trent Alexander-Arnold being driven home by midfielder Neil Campbell for the opening strike. That was just Campbell's second goal in 14 caps for England Under-21s.

 

Less than a minute later, though, the Vatreni sought to draw back level. NK Osijek striker Tomislav Petkovic threaded the ball through to Dinamo Zagreb's midfield workhorse Luka Ivanusec, who drove it just wide of goal.

 

England launched another attack soon afterwards, with only a strong block by Croatian defender Branimir Kalaica preventing Eddie Nketiah from putting them 2-0 up. That began a mid-half purple patch for the Young Lions, during which midfielder Joe Rankin-Costello was twice kept off the scoresheet by Porto goalkeeper Adrian Semper.

 

England remained in full flow until the 25th minute, when Campbell was brought down by a clumsy - but, in the referee's eyes, fair - challenge from Croatia midfielder Nikola Moro. Campbell sustained a knock in the tackle and was taken off the field as a precaution, with Callum Gribbin replacing him.

 

The Young Lions were unable to rediscover their attacking verve before half-time. They could well have lost their lead after 36 minutes, when Petrovic's free-kick found Rijeka striker Franko Kovacevic in the penalty area. Kovacevic battled to find a way past his marker Rankin-Costello, and then unleashed a shot that only just deflected behind off England left-back Josh Tymon.

 

There were signs of tension in the England camp as Dinko Prgomet swung in the corner delivery for Croatia. English anxieties were calmed by a confident headed clearance from Reece Oxford, who helped his team preserve their 1-0 lead going into the second half.

 

The Young Lions roared back to life shortly after the second half began. Gribbin rolled an excellent square ball to his fellow Mancunian midfielder Rankin-Costello, whose blistering drive was narrowly diverted over by Semper. Croatia themselves pushed for an early goal a couple of minutes later, but Prgomet failed to keep his header from Petrovic's corner on target.

 

Croatia had brought on one of their star men - Sporting CP striker Sandro Kulenovic - during the interval. Kulenovic looked good to create an equalising opportunity when he took the ball off Alistair Rattray on the edge of the England penalty area in the 49th minute. However, the Young Lions centre-half recovered brilliantly to deflect Kulenovic's low cross clear.

 

The Vatreni caused England more problems midway through the second period. On 66 minutes, Petrovic received the ball from Ivanusec in the 'D' and then swerved an effort that was well caught by Will Mannion. The Young Lions goalie was severely tested by a powerful drive from Kulenovic five minutes later, but he also withstood that strike.

 

England then brought on a couple of substitutes. It was all about the Benjamins for them, as midfielder Ben Sheaf and striker Ben Brereton entered play at the expense of Rankin-Costello and Lawrence Warner.

 

Though he'd proven himself to be a hotshot at Nottingham Forest, Brereton hadn't scored a single goal for England Under-21s before this tournament. He almost broke his duck in the 73rd minute, breaking clear of Croatia's senior international left-back Borna Sosa to latch onto a left-wing delivery from Tymon. Sadly, he was kept off the scoresheet by a fantastic stop from Semper.

 

Brereton missed another chance on 80 minutes, while Tymon was denied his first ever international goal by another strong Semper save five minutes later. About a minute after that, Croatia set out to hit England on the counter. Substitute full-back Benjamin Ivancevic's cross from the right was knocked on first-time by Petkovic to Ivanusec, who ghosted past Oxford before firing into the side netting.

 

The significance of Ivanusec's miss would only be magnified two minutes from full-time. Sheffield Wednesday's utility man Sheaf burst through the Vatreni defence almost unnoticed, except by Stuart White, who picked him out with an excellent weighted pass. Sheaf's powerful half-volley secured a 2-0 win - and all three points - for the Young Lions.

 

England were off to another strong start at the Under-21s Euros. They now had six days to wait for their next group match, against their fiercest foes. Would Portugal roar back to life in style, or could the Three Lions finally put paid to the Esperanças' European dreams?

 

17 June 2021: UEFA European Under-21s Championship Group B - at Luigi Riccardo Gurrera, Sciacca

Croatia U21s - 0

England U21s - 2 (Neil Campbell 14, Ben Sheaf 88)

ENGLAND U21s LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Will Mannion; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alistair Rattray, Adam Mingay, Josh Tymon; Reece Oxford; Neil Campbell (Callum Gribbin), Joe Rankin-Costello (Ben Sheaf); Stuart White; Lawrence Warner (Ben Brereton), Eddie Nketiah.

[CFuller]

***

 

The anti-government riots that had disrupted Armenia in mid-June had - as anticipated - died down within a week. The country's long-running leader Serzh Sargsyan - who had served as President from 2008 to 2018, and then as Prime Minister for the next three years - had finally relented to growing pressure by tendering his resignation. A new general election was called for later in the summer, and Karen Karapetyan was named as acting Prime Minister until then.

 

Following Sargsyan's resignation, thousands of Armenians celebrated in the streets of the major cities. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan - now expected to become the next permanent PM - declared it a 'Velvet Revolution', which was not to be confused with a similar movement in Czechoslovakia in 1989. While that revolution had been peaceful and bloodless, the recent disturbances in Armenia had cost the lives of 40 people.

 

As a result of the civil unrest, Armenia's FIFA World Cup qualifier against England in Yerevan - originally scheduled for 17 June - was postponed. Six days later, Mark Catterall and his visiting team were finally given the go-ahead to travel to the Vazgen Sargsyan Hanrapetakan Stadium and fulfil the fixture.

 

With nine days having passed since they won their most recent qualifier in Bosnia & Herzegovina, England had had plenty of time to prepare for this match. If the Three Lions could also prevail here, they would go top of Group 5 - one point clear of Greece.

 

Armenia had endured a terrible start to the World Cup qualifiers, with a shock loss in Liechtenstein earlier in the month capping off three consecutive defeats. The Havakakan had yet to bounce back following talismanic winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan's international retirement after their tournament debut at UEFA Euro 2020, during which they had held the Netherlands to a memorable 1-1 draw.

 

In Mkhitaryan's absence, Armenia would lean towards 33-year-old Real Salt Lake forward Yura Movsisyan to inspire their younger squad members. Left-back Karen Hovhannisyan and attacking midfielder Vahagn Minasyan - both aged only 18 - headed up an exciting new generation of Armenian footballers.

 

Nobody seriously expected Armenia to provide much opposition to England. Then again, many had thought the same about Kazakhstan three months earlier.

 

This time around, England manager Mark Catterall was loath to take chances. He retained nine of the 11 players who'd started the 3-0 demolition job of Bosnia & Herzegovina at Wembley. The only personnel changes were in the centre of defence, where Manchester City duo Michael Keane and John Stones came in for Manchester United's Brendan Galloway and Axel Tuanzebe.

 

This was arguably the strongest line-up Catterall could have picked. Before kick-off, ITV pundit Ian Wright boasted, "For me, the only way England don't win this match is if they get complacent or Catts gets his tactics all wrong."

 

England attacked almost straight after the kick-off, though they would quickly run into an Armenian defensive wall. Captain Taron Voskanyan and his fellow centre-half Gaël Andonian - who was born in Marseille, hence his French forename - each blocked shots from England forward Nathan Redmond in the opening stages.

 

The Three Lions did get a shot on target after four minutes. Skipper Jordan Henderson threaded an excellent pass to Harry Kane just inside the penalty area, but the frontman's drive was pushed behind by Havakakan keeper Sevak Aslanyan. Henderson's corner was then clearead away by Andonian.

 

It would be another 15 minutes before Armenia launched their first attack. Bulgarian-based midfielder Artak Dashyan played a free-kick to Zorya Lugansk striker Gegam Kadymyan, who cut inside from the left before hooking a poor shot off target.

 

Things then got cagey for a while until Redmond next threatened the Armenian goal in the 25th minute. Kane flicked Henderson's long ball into the path of the Southampton man, who ran at the defence and then unleashed a shot that was well claimed by Aslanyan.

 

Dele Alli had been rather quieter than his fellow England attackers in the opening half-hour. Mind you, the Tottenham Hotspur playmaker did create a great chance for Henderson in the 32nd minute with an excellent cross from the right. Sadly for Henderson, his shot was superbly charged down by Voskanyan, who played for Újpest in Hungary.

 

England didn't get much closer to breaking the deadlock before the interval. A 36th-minute strike from Redmond was tipped away by Aslanyan, while Alli only found the side netting from a cross by left-back Luke Shaw three minutes later. Shaw would be booked shortly afterwards after pushing young Armenia midfielder Vahan Bichakchyan.

 

Another excellent interception by Voskanyan in the 44th minute marked the beginning of a rare counter-attack from the Havakakan. English hearts collectively skipped a beat when Kadymyan knocked the ball through the visiting defence and ahead of Movsisyan, who looked to add to his record 30 Armenia goals. Butland held his ground and tipped the shot away to deny Movsisyan goal number 31.

 

Half-time arrived with the deadlock still intact. Catterall's Plan A hadn't worked, so he switched to the Plan B of a 4-4-2 diamond. Surprisingly, that meant Redmond - arguably England's primary attacking threat in the first half - was substituted in favour of an extra midfielder in James Ward-Prowse.

 

Both teams would have defenders booked in the second minute of the second half. Voskanyan was cautioned for nudging England's Daniel Sturridge - now playing up front with Kane as opposed to on the right flank. Moments later, Keane collected the Three Lions' second booking after bringing Kadymyan to ground.

 

Alli would also be yellow-carded on 53 minutes, not long after Kane headed a Ward-Prowse free-kick into Aslanyan's hands. Those latter two Spurs would combine well again on 55 minutes, with Kane outpacing Andonian to reach Ward-Prowse's through-ball. Once again, though, Aslanyan thwarted England's vice-captain.

 

Yet another yellow card would be issued in the 59th minute, when Sturridge was hacked down by Hovhannes Hambardzumyan. The Havakakan right-back was a tad fortunate to escape with just a booking.

 

Ward-Prowse then missed three shots in as many minutes after the hour mark as England became increasingly desperate. Sturridge was on target in the 66th minute, but Aslanyan confidently controlled his strike with his feet before picking it up.

 

Aslanyan's next save - an acrobatic one from Ward-Prowse's low drive in the 73rd minute - conceded a corner to the Three Lions. Before Ward-Prowse took the corner, though, England brought on their final two substitutes.

 

Catterall resorted to Plan C, which was to revert to the 4-2-3-1 of Plan A, except with two out-and-out wingers instead of a couple of inside-forwards. Alli and Sturridge were the men who came off, with Norwich City's Michail Antonio slotting into the right-wing slot, and Southampton's Josh Sims making his England senior debut on the left.

 

After those changes, Ward-Prowse floated the England corner into Armenia's penalty area. Stones could only handle it out of play, conceding a free-kick to the hosts.

 

The Three Lions were now attacking with more urgency, but that left them vulnerable to a potential Armenian sucker punch. The home fans leapt from their seats in anticipation when Dashyan drilled an excellent long through-ball to Andonian in the England penalty area after 78 minutes. Andonian had only scored once for the Havakakan when he drilled in an angled shot, which Butland awkwardly palmed behind to maintain parity.

 

After that scare, England's substitute wingers showed signs in the 85th minute that they had the potential to be game-changers. Sims floated a beautiful cross into the box for Kane, whose knockdown to Ward-Prowse was then played out right for Antonio. The 31-year-old Londoner was looking for his first goal of a stop-start international career, but another Aslanyan save kept him waiting.

 

Aslanyan still had time to make one final gut-wrenching save, getting his fingers to an 87th-minute thunderbolt from Dier. The match would end on an even worse note for Dier, who earned his second yellow card of the qualifiers after fouling Armenian substitute Ghukas Poghosyan in injury time. He would have to sit out England's next match against Liechtenstein in September as a result.

 

Then the full-time whistle blew. England had been held to another goalless draw in the former Soviet Union. Catterall had indeed - to misquote Wright - "got his tactics all wrong".

 

Although Butland maintained his record of not conceding a goal in the qualifiers, England's situation remained rather precarious. They were a single point behind Greece in the Group 5 standings, while Kazakhstan and Bosnia & Herzegovina were each within touching distance.

 

Excluding Euro 2020, England had now won just one of their last eight away matches - an appalling record for a nation of their stature. Some fans argued that if the Three Lions couldn't even score in Astana or Yerevan, then what hope did they have of faring any better in Greece or Bosnia later in the competition?

 

England failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1994 was now a real and serious possibility.

 

23 June 2021: FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 - at Vazgen Sargsyan Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan

Armenia - 0

England - 0

ENGLAND LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Jack Butland; Calum Chambers, Michael Keane, John Stones, Luke Shaw; Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson; Daniel Sturridge (Josh Sims), Dele Alli (Michail Antonio), Nathan Redmond (James Ward-Prowse); Harry Kane. BOOKED: Shaw 39, Keane 47, Alli 53, Dier 90+2.

 

2022 FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 (After 4 rounds)

                                   P     W     D     L     F     A     GD    PTS
1.          Greece                 4     3     0     1     12    3     9     9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.          England                4     2     2     0     6     0     6     8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.          Kazakhstan             4     2     1     1     3     5     -2    7
4.          Bosnia & Herzegovina   4     2     0     2     7     7     0     6
5.          Liechtenstein          4     1     0     3     1     10    -9    3
6.          Armenia                4     0     1     3     2     6     -4    1

 

[CFuller]

***

 

The atmospheres in the two team camps after the FIFA World Cup qualifying stalemate between Armenia and England in Yerevan could not have felt any more different. While the hosts wildly celebrated one of the most incredible results in their history, England's players returned to the away dressing room stunned and in utter disbelief. Their coaches were similarly dumbfounded as to what had occurred.

 

Manager Mark Catterall was the last man to enter the dressing room, and he angrily slammed the door shut behind him, startling many of his charges. Meanwhile, his assistant Michael Burke stood in the middle of the room, looking like he was about to explode with rage.

 

"What just happened, lads?" Burke asked. "WHAT THE F*** has just happened?"

 

An awkward silence followed, broken only by goalkeeper Jack Butland saying frankly, "We... we didn't win. That's what happened."

 

"Yeah, but why didn't we win, Jack? Would anyone else like to explain how we could p*** away so many chances?"

 

Southampton forward Nathan Redmond said, "To be fair, them Armenians defended really well. We threw everything at them and they kept hanging on in there."

 

"So why didn't you try summat else? Weren't it Stephen Hawking who said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?"

 

Coach David Platt corrected Burke, "That was Albert Einstein, actually, Mick."

 

Burke hissed, "I wouldn't have cared if it was Joey Essex who said it! The point I'm trying to make, lads, is that you've become too one-dimensional! If you're trying to break down a stubborn defence, why don't you stretch them out a bit more? Be a bit more thoughtful; don't keep charging straight at them!"

 

Not for the first time this year, Luke Shaw bit back, stating, "It's a shame you and Catterall don't practice what you preach! I've been saying all along that we have to be more like Manchester United! Right now, we play like... tippy-tappy Southampton! No offence, Nathan."

 

"None taken, Shawy," Redmond replied, somewhat disdainfully.

 

While Burke and the players had been debating the draw, Catterall had sat quietly on a bench next to backup goalkeeper Freddie Woodman near the door.

 

"When are you gonna come in, boss?" Shaw asked. "What do you think is going on with this f***ing team?"

 

Catterall let out a sigh before standing up and admitting, "I'll tell you what I think. I think there's a huge disconnect between our midfield and our attack. In fact, we had it through most our games at the Euros. Harry [Kane] and the other forwards are trying their best, but they need more help from Dele [Alli], James [Ward-Prowse], et cetera."

 

"Fair point, gaffer, but you need to give us more freedom to really express ourselves," Alli said. "Your tactics are rigid; you're holding us back. Look at how Belgium and France play, and you'll see that we can get to their standard if you allow us to be more creative."

 

Catterall nodded and muttered quietly, "Yeah, of course," before suddenly opening the door and walking out of the room.

 

"Where you going, gaffer?" Alli asked desperately, but it was too late. Catterall didn't look back before shutting the door behind him.

 

A perplexed Alli turned to Burke and asked, "What the hell's his problem?"

 

Burke sighed, "I've known Mark for 40 years, Dele, but I've not got the foggiest. Seems like something ain't right..." Burke tapped the side of his head with his left index finger a couple of times before finishing his sentence, "...up there."

 

"Well, he's got to get his head sorted sooner or later, or we won't qualify for the World Cup," Shaw warned. "Maybe we need a new manager, before it's too late!"

 

"I wouldn't go that far just yet, Luke. Now come on, lads. Hit the showers."

 

Meanwhile, Catterall left the Vazgen Sargsyan Hanrapetakan Stadium without attending the post-match press conference, despite the best efforts of the FA's communications director Ava Leggett. Catterall made his way through a crowd of inquisitive and baying journalists, staying tight-lipped as he faced a barrage of questions and flashing cameras. He then got into the back seat of a taxi and was driven straight to the team's hotel.

 

It was a rather flustered England manager who returned to the hotel about 20 minutes later, arriving just in time to watch the Under-21s play their next European Championship group match. Little did he know that tensions had also been running high 1,750 miles away from Yerevan.

 

The Young Lions arrived at the Danilo Martelli stadium in Mantova, northern Italy about 45 minutes before kick-off. As they made their way down the hallway towards their dressing room, the players watched their counterparts from Portugal pass them. At the back of the Portuguese line was a very familiar face.

 

Nearly three years had passed since Manchester United's prodigious midfielder Angel Gomes controversially turned his back on England's Under-19s, switching his allegiance to his parents' birthplace of Portugal. This Under-21s match was to be the first time Gomes had ever actually played against his homeland.

 

Gomes spotted some of his former Under-19s team-mates in the England line-up. As his Portuguese compatriots entered their dressing room, Gomes stayed outside and asked the England players, "Hey! Hey, guys! You wanna talk?"

 

Liverpool striker Lawrence Warner was first to notice Gomes. He said disdainfully, "Well, well, well... if it isn't 'pretty boy' Angel Gomes!"

 

"P*** off, Gomes!" defender Adam Mingay barked. "You've got no business talking to us!"

 

Gomes sheepishly responded, "I just... I just wanna reach out to some of my old mates."

 

Right-back Peter Turner replied, "Mates? You calling us mates?! We ain't your mates anymore! Not after the way you walked out on us!"

 

"It was complicated, alright?"

 

Warner argued, "No, it weren't, you c***! You got all pissy 'cos you weren't picked for the Euros a few years back, so you abandoned us and cosied up with them lot!"

 

Another England player then shouted, "F***ING D***S," using a particular ethnic slur aimed specifically at people of Mediterranean descent.

 

Gomes recoiled in horror. "What the f***? That ain't on!"

 

Mingay snapped, "It weren't on when you betrayed us, Gomes! Now just f*** off with the other nancy boys!"

 

At this point, one of England's Manchester United players - midfielder Callum Gribbin - broke ranks to guard Gomes. He then stated, "Okay, lads, that's enough! Angel made his decision a long time ago..."

 

"Three years ago," Gomes clarified.

 

"Yeah, three years ago, and we have to respect what he did. He used to play for England; now he's playing for Portugal. That don't mean you can bully him and call him a traitor! Maybe it was a personal decision. You don't know exactly what Angel and his family have been going through these last few years."

 

Gribbin and Gomes' United team-mate Stuart White applauded, "Well said, Cal! Leave him be, lads!"

 

"No, we ain't gonna leave him be!" Warner hissed. He then squared up to Gomes and growled, "We're gonna make your life a living hell tonight, Gomes! You'll never want to play for those Portuguese losers again!"

 

Gomes turned away, shouting, "I've had enough of this! I thought you were my friends!" He then entered the Portugal dressing room, slamming the door shut behind him.

 

England's head coach David Byrne then emerged, asking, "What the hell was that commotion about?"

 

"We were having a go at that traitor Gomes," Turner said.

 

Byrne retaliated, "Well I'm gonna have a go at you lot if you don't enter that dressing room in the next 10 seconds! Now GET A F***ING MOVE ON!"

 

The England players hurried into their dressing room, with Byrne close behind. He then shut the door to deliver some stern words.

 

"If it's true that you lot were having a go at that Portugal player, then I'm not at all happy. There is no point in taking your anger out on your opponents before you play them! You won't have anything left for the match itself!

 

"You have to channel your anger, your passion, your desire into your performances on the pitch. That's where it matters most.

 

"This game's a big one, lads. Win it, and we're almost into the Semis. If we don't, then the pressure will be on our shoulders come Saturday against France. This Group Stage can be unforgiving if you slip up even once, so make sure you go out there and get the job done!"

[CFuller]

***

 

It was fair to say that the Under-21s teams of England and Portugal had become well-acquainted with one another in recent years. They had met in each of the previous two European Championship Finals, and twice in the qualifying rounds for the 2021 tournament.

 

Portugal had finished top of their qualifying pool, with England having to negotiate a play-off against Czech Republic to join them in the finals. Come the second phase of the Group Stage proper, though, the roles had reversed. Now it was England who were leading away, and it was the Esperanças who were on the verge of an early exit.

 

If they lost their latest meeting with England in the northern Italian city of Mantova, Portugal would be eliminated from contention with one game to spare. However, a Portuguese victory would leave all four teams in Group B level on three points. Just hours beforehand, Sandro Kulenovic's goal on the stroke of half-time had earned Croatia a narrow victory over France.

 

England would take firm control of the group - and take a huge step towards the Semi Finals - if they registered what would be their first regulation-time win over Portugal in their previous six Under-21s meetings. The Young Lions could not have wished for a better start.

 

Portugal tried to attack from the outset, only for captain Antonio Guimaraes' long ball to be intercepted by England right-back Peter Turner. Guimaraes' mistake was further compounded when Callum Gribbin outmuscled him to the subsequent punt from Adam Mingay, flicking it ahead of Young Lions striker Lawrence Warner.

 

Warner only had two players left to beat - Guimaraes' centre-back partner Bruno Paz, and goalkeeper David Andrade. The lightning-quick Liverpool striker brushed past the former, and then struck an excellent shot that Andrade could only help touch into the net. Timed at just 20 seconds after kick-off, it was believed to be the fastest goal ever scored at the European Under-21s Championship finals.

 

Conceding so early on should've shaken Portugal into life, but their defence still appeared to be half-asleep in the second minute. Gribbin almost got a second assist in quick succession when he sidefooted a pass to fellow midfielder Sam Field, who drove it just over the crossbar. That would've been a great start to the tournament for Field, who'd missed the opening group win over Croatia through suspension.

 

Fortunately for the Esperanças, Andrade was alert in goal. The 19-year-old Manchester City reserve custodian was making his first international appearance at Under-21s level, but he didn't look out of place when catching a fierce strike from Jonathan Leko in the 8th minute. He then produced an arguably better save three minutes later, getting down to divert behind Reiss Nelson's quickfire shot from a Gribbin cross.

 

Manchester United midfielder Gribbin was the form player in this England team, so it was no surprise to see him double the Young Lions' lead after 18 minutes. Nelson squared Warner's weighted lob into the path of the former Norwich City loanee, who slipped in his fourth goal in as many internationals.

 

England were already in dreamland at 2-0 up, but things became even more absurd after 22 minutes. A fantastic free-kick from Nelson evaded the entire Portuguese defence, allowing West Bromwich Albion's centre-half Adam Mingay to volley home his first international goal.

 

England now led by the same 3-0 scoreline that Portugal had emphatically beaten them by in the 2017 European Championship Final. However, one of their nemeses from four years earlier would quickly add some respectability to the scoreline from the Esperanças' perspective.

 

Less a minute after Mingay had a moment to remember, his colleague and captain Alistair Rattray had a moment to forget. The centre-half - now back at Southampton after a season-long at West Brom - missed his interception from a deep cross by Portuguese left-back Jota. That allowed Lens striker Pedro Marques - playing at his third and final Under-21s Euros tournament - to head the delivery home for 3-1.

 

Just when everyone thought the game had taken a major turn, though, England restored their three-goal cushion. Arsenal midfielder Joe Rankin-Costello made it 4-1 after 25 minutes with a 25-yard blockbuster from Gribbin's right-wing cross. Andrade looked as stunned as anyone in Mantova after the ball rocketed into his bottom-left corner.

 

The Esperanças persevered, with Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Moreira putting a couple of ambitious shots over Mannion's crossbar either side of the half-hour mark. Though he'd been capped 11 times at Under-21s level by Germany, Moreira suddenly switched his international allegiance to his homeland in time for this tournament.

 

Moreira was involved in Portugal's next attack after 38 minutes. He fed the ball to Marques in the England penalty area, and Marques then played it further forward for Manchester City's attacking midfielder Miguel - he of the pink dyed hair - to pull another goal back.

 

England still had a somewhat comfortable 4-2 advantage at the break, but they would have to play the second half without Nelson. The Arsenal forward sustained a dead leg after being nobbled by Portuguese holding midfielder Samuel Mota in the 44th minute. He was replaced before the second half by left-winger Charles Ameobi - another of the Gunners' most exciting attacking prospects.

 

The Young Lions also enjoyed a quick start to the second period, but their fifth goal in the 50th minute came from the right wing rather than the left. Gribbin completed his hat-trick of assists by slicing through the Portuguese defence and picking out Brighton & Hove Albion's Jonathan Leko, who sent England into a stunning 5-2 lead.

 

It had been a miserable evening thus far for former England Under-19s midfielder Angel Gomes, as well as his Manchester United and Portugal team-mate Emerson Candé. That said, the underperforming Esperanças pair did show what they were capable of in the 52nd minute. Striker Candé played a Gomes pass short to Miguel, who was denied his second goal by Mannion's fingertips.

 

Portugal's head coach Rui Jorge cut a concerned figure on the touchline. He made all three of his substitutions in one fell swoop after 56 minutes. Seven minutes later, a couple of the players he brought on would link up to put the outcome of this match back in some doubt.

 

Porto midfielder Afonso Sousa - fresh from a couple of seasons on loan at Guingamp in Ligue 1 - chipped the ball past Mingay for striker Aníbal Soares to run onto. The 18-year-old, who'd already scored three goals in La Liga since joining Barcelona the previous summer, raced away and stabbed in a shot from a tight angle. It was now 5-3.

 

The Young Lions made another substitution after conceding that third goal. Gribbin was given a well-earned rest and replaced with another Manchester United midfielder in Stuart White. Their third and final change would be kept in reserve for some time.

 

England keeper Mannion saved a couple more Portuguese shots over the next few minutes, but he was soon starting to look rather vulnerable. In the 73rd minute, Mannion collided heavily with Guimaraes while trying to gather a cross from Portugal's other substitute Daniel Bragança. In the impact, he overextended the middle figure on his left hand, and a piercing snap could clearly be heard by those nearby.

 

Mannion winced in agony as he signalled to be substituted and attempted to take off his left glove. England physio Derek Wright rushed onto the field and advised him against doing so, instead applying some treatment to the injured finger so that Mannion could play on.

 

The Young Lions' wounded custodian would only be in more pain when Portugal notched up another goal two minutes later. Midfield regista Bragança became this match's ninth different goalscorer when he lashed Miguel's weighted ball into the corner from 20 yards out, having the Esperanças' deficit. Broken finger or not, any goalkeeper would have struggled to keep such an excellent strike out.

 

With his team on the verge of throwing the match away, England's head coach David Byrne went on the defensive. Rankin-Costello was replaced by a holding midfielder in Reece Oxford as the Young Lions retreated into their own half.

 

England's change of approach could have backfired after 85 minutes, when Tymon tripped Portugal right-back Pedro Gonçalves close to goal. Bragança lined up a free-kick, hooking it just wide.

 

The Young Lions withstood one final Portuguese attack at the end of 90 minutes. Candé got his head to a Soares cross and looked certain to find the net until Mannion bravely palmed it behind. The valiant goalkeeper received a congratulatory pat on the back from Tymon afterwards. That save arguably carried as much significance as any of the five goals his colleagues had scored.

 

When referee Andrea Bologna blew his final whistle at full-time, everyone at the Danilo Martelli stadium could be forgiven for wanting to pause for breath. A nine-goal European Under-21s Championship epic had ended with England emerging narrow 5-4 victors.

 

23 June 2021: UEFA European Under-21s Championship Group B - at Danilo Martelli, Mantova

England U21s - 5 (Lawrence Warner 1, Callum Gribbin 18, Adam Mingay 22, Joe Rankin-Costello 25, Jonathan Leko 50)

Portugal U21s - 4 (Pedro Marques 23, Miguel 38, Aníbal Soares 63, Daniel Bragança 75)

ENGLAND U21s LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Will Mannion; Peter Turner, Adam Mingay, Alistair Rattray, Josh Tymon; Sam Field, Joe Rankin-Costello (Reece Oxford); Reiss Nelson (Charles Ameobi), Callum Gribbin (Stuart White), Jonathan Leko; Lawrence Warner.

 

England now knew that they only had to draw with France in Sciacca three days later to secure automatic qualification for the Semi Finals. A loss would potentially leave them hoping that they could get through as the best runners-up, though that would also depend on the result of Croatia's encounter with already-eliminated Portugal.

 

England's two wounded warriors were accessed by the FA's medical staff after the match. Inside-forward Reiss Nelson had sustained a dead leg and would almost certainly be rested for the France game, with a view to returning in the Semi Finals.

 

Sadly, goalkeeper Will Mannion was not so lucky. Having broken his finger during the second half of the Portugal win, Mannion was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. That meant understudies Steve Hilton and Aaron Ramsdale would now battle it out to impress Byrne and claim the number 1 jersey for at least the next match, if not the next two or even three.

[CFuller]

***

 

It was the morning after England's shock FIFA World Cup qualifying draw in Armenia, and the Three Lions couldn't get out of Yerevan quickly enough. During the eight-hour flight back to London, manager Mark Catterall set out to do pretty much anything that would take his mind off the result.

 

Once the plane had landed at Heathrow Airport, reality quickly set in for Catterall and his team. He told his assistant Michael Burke, "These could be a rough few hours, Mick. Kazakhstan was bad enough, but now everyone will be on our backs."

 

"Don't listen to anything the press say, Catts," Burke said. "As long as Angela still has faith in what we're doing, everything's fine. Well... as fine as it can be."

 

After hearing Catterall's phone vibrate in his pocket, Burke added wittily, "Is that the devil calling, now that we've spoken of her?"

 

Catterall retrieved his phone and muttered, "I'll be calling her summat else if this goes badly."

 

Catterall answered the call, which was indeed from Angela Ruskin. The Football Association's chairwoman stated sternly, "We need to talk, Mark. It's about last night... and the last few months, in fact."

 

"That's funny, Angela," Catterall half chuckled, "Cos I need to have a word with you."

 

"4 o'clock in the boardroom. Don't be late."

 

Catterall hung up before turning to Burke and saying, "The headmistress wants me."

 

Burke sighed, "Scary. Just like being at school in Salford all over again, ain't it?"

 

Catterall quickly made his way to Wembley Stadium, arriving 10 minutes before Ruskin's deadline. As he headed towards the boardroom, he bumped into FA chief executive David Whiteman in a corridor.

 

"Oh, Mr Catterall," Whiteman said. "It is always a pleasure to encounter yourself, although I do personally wish that the circumstances were a marked improvement from today."

 

Catterall nodded reluctantly, "Tell me about it, David. Anyway, enough about that. How's Daphne?"

 

"Alas, my dearest wife does not appear to be in the best of spirits. Our son Christopher has just telephoned to inform me that Daphne has been admitted to hospital with an arm fracture. That explains why I am in such great haste to be at her side."

 

"Geez, I hope she gets better soon."

 

"Your concern is appreciated, Mr Catterall. Anyway... now that you have asked your question, it would be inconsiderate of myself not to enquire about the well-being of your close kin."

 

"They're all golden. Jenny, Luke... even Ashley, the last I heard."

 

"Congratulations once again on your daughter's selection for national service, Mr Catterall," Whiteman smiled mildly before shaking Catterall's hand. He then signed off, "I cannot hesitate any longer. May I wish you the very best for your upcoming meeting with Ms Ruskin."

 

The two men then walked in opposite directions down the corridor, with Catterall entering the FA boardroom. After quickly greeting Ruskin and the FA's vice chairman Dexter Poyner, the England boss sat down and asked, "Is this what I think it's about?"

 

"What do you think, Mark?" Ruskin hissed. "We've dropped four points against teams that, with all due respect, should have been comfortably beaten! When qualification for World Cup is in serious jeopardy, you have to get to the bottom of the problem before it gets any worse!"

 

"I'll be honest with you, Angela. I don't think it's quite as bad as you're making out. There's still six games to go, and if we win them all, we'll still be going to Morocco."

 

Poyner said, "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be confident about defeating any team as England manager if we couldn't defeat Azerbaijan."

 

Ruskin corrected him, "I think you meant Armenia, Dexter. You do not want to get those two nations mixed up."

 

Poyner quickly held his hands up and apologised. Ruskin then turned back to Catterall and said, "Like I said, in these difficult times, strong action needs to be taken for the benefit of everyone involved."

 

Catterall flinched back, "You aren't seriously sacking me, are you?"

 

"Of course not," Ruskin said. "If I was, I'd have called Michael in as well. Whatever you may have heard or read about me, I'm certainly not as callous as my predecessor."

 

"Clark Gregory was many things, Angela, but at least he never undermined the England manager behind his back."

 

"EXCUSE ME?"

 

"David Byrne. He said that you're considering killing 'remote management'. Tell me it's not true!"

 

Poyner muttered to Ruskin, "Crumbs. I guess you have to tell him now."

 

Ruskin nodded and then said, "I'm not considering killing it. I am killing it, as of right now."

 

"WHAT?"

 

Poyner said, "The board have agreed that we should have separate managers for all the youth and senior England teams going forward."

 

"I... I can't accept this!"

 

Ruskin warned, "If you want to give me an ultimatum, I'll happily accept your resignation. Is that what you want?"

 

Catterall shook his head and turned away in disgust. That prompted Poyner to sigh and suggest, "Maybe we could... come to a compromise?"

 

"A compromise?" Ruskin asked. "What are you trying to get at, Dexter?"

 

"I don't know Mark all that well, but I can tell he is obviously very passionate about this project of his. He's been working on this for this for five years - that's how long I've been with Darren. Can you imagine how it would've made me feel if you'd told me after five years together that I suddenly wasn't allowed to marry your son?"

 

"What was that?" Catterall asked. "Is that why you gave Dexter this job, Angela?"

 

Ruskin stammered, "Le... let's just forget you ever said that, shall we, Dexter?"

 

Poyner apologised again, and Catterall then said, "Alright, I'll let that slide... for now. But you're right, Dexter. I think we should come to a compromise."

 

"I'm listening."

 

"Give me a couple more chances. If either the Under-21s or the Under-19s win the Euros in the next few weeks, you let me keep managing them. If neither of them win, you can do whatever you want with those teams, and I'll just concentrate on the senior side of things."

 

Poyner nodded, "That sounds fair."

 

"I concur," Ruskin said before offering her hand to Catterall. "Shake on it?"

 

Catterall hesitated for a moment before Ruskin gave him a stern stare. He then shook her hand, muttering under his breath, "I guess there's no going back on this."

 

Ruskin then smiled, "Great. I'm so glad that's all sorted. Just remember, Mark: if you don't deliver, there's no more 'remote management'."

 

"Of course. I'm flying out to Sicily first thing tomorrow to assist the Under-21s."

 

"Erm, couldn't you manage them from back home? That is the whole point of 'remote management', isn't it?"

 

"At this moment in time, I think the lads could do with my leadership."

 

Ruskin tried to interject, but Poyner insisted, "Let Mark go. I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

 

"Fine, you can join the Under-21s in Italy, Mark," Ruskin sighed. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got an interview with Sky News to catch. Jeremy Corbyn's just appointed a new Health Secretary, and I'm going to complain that he gave the job to yet another old white bloke."

[CFuller]

***

 

Though he had missed England's first two matches at the UEFA European Under-21s Championship due to his senior-team commitments, Mark Catterall arrived in Italy in time for their final Group B game. They had returned to Sciacca - the setting of their opening win against Croatia - to take on France.

 

As England had won their first two fixtures, a point against Les Bleus would be enough for them to qualify for the Semi Finals. Things would get a little complicated if France bagged the victory they needed to keep alive their hopes of glory. In that case, they would top the group and England would come second... unless Croatia beat Portugal, in which case the head-to-head records between the top three would determine who went through and who went home.

 

England were desperate to avoid the uncertainty of finishing 2nd, with only one runner-up from the three groups staying in the competition.

 

Liverpool's Steve Hilton was chosen ahead of Aaron Ramsdale to replace the injured Will Mannion in England's goal. Reiss Nelson was rested after he'd sustained a dead leg against Portugal, while the likes of Callum Gribbin, Sam Field and Lawrence Warner were also benched. Arsenal midfielder Joe Rankin-Costello maintained his record of starting every match.

 

France's main men included Liverpool midfielder Nicolas Janvier and his new club-mate Hermillon Aïtchedji - the 19-year-old left-wing sensation having just completed a £23.5million move to Anfield from Lyon. Janvier had no fewer than 35 Under-21s caps to his name, while Arsenal forward Jeff Reine-Adelaide had earned 36.

 

Two other players that England had to be wary of were France's twin strikers Frédéric Mendy and Frédéric Olivier. Those two would go on to wreak plenty of damage to the champions after just five minutes.

 

Aïtchedji lofted an excellent long ball over England captain Trent Alexander-Arnold and down the line for Mendy to run onto. The Lyon forward then crossed the ball into the penalty area, where Olivier outjumped Young Lions defender Ben Sheaf and flicked it beyond Hilton. The 19-year-old from Caen had got Les Bleus off to a flyer.

 

France were topping the group as things stood, but a mistake from Monaco midfielder Steeven Noël in the 12th minute gave England the opportunity to retake the initiative. Noël miscontrolled his interception of a right-wing cross from Ben Brereton, leaving Eddie Nketiah with what would surely be a simple close-range finish. Much to the English fans' horror, Nketiah's strike hit the upright and deflected wide.

 

England tried again on 16 minutes, when Alexander-Arnold crossed to Brereton. Alas, the Nottingham Forest striker's header went straight into the hands of France's goalkeeper and captain Alban Lafont. Moments later, a fierce strike from Young Lions midfielder Stuart White was blocked by Paul Berger in the centre of the French defence.

 

A few minutes after that, England supporters received some encouraging news from Mantova. Croatia had opened the scoring against Portugal, which meant that if things now stayed as they were, three teams would be level on six points. England had a slight advantage on the three-way head-to-head, which meant they were provisionally heading back to the summit.

 

That being said, the Young Lions wanted to secure Semi Final qualification without Croatia's assistance. Frontmen Brereton and Nketiah each had promising equalising attempts caught by Lafont in the 23rd and 25th minutes, while midfielder Neil Campbell skimmed the crossbar in between.

 

The complexion of the group would've changed again had France doubled their lead to 2-0, which would've edged them back up into top spot ahead of England. They threatened to get that second goal after 31 minutes through Rennes winger Corentin Juillard, whose half-volley from Noël's pass was only just diverted over by Hilton.

 

The Young Lions finished the first half with a flourish, though Lafont once again excelled. Nketiah, Rankin-Costello and Sheaf - all Arsenal prospects of past or present - each saw late strikes saved by the 22-year-old Hertha BSC custodian. Though he was regarded as France's second-choice keeper behind Hugo Lloris, Lafont had yet to earn a cap at senior level.

 

Both sides made changes prior to the second period. Crystal Palace's Gilbert Besnard replaced Olivier in the French frontline after the latter twisted his knee late on in the first half. Meanwhile, England coach David Byrne took off a tiring Rankin-Costello and brought on Gribbin, who had a free-kick caught by Lafont in the 48th minute.

 

White and Nketiah also went close to equalising for the Young Lions shortly after the restart. White was then involved in creating England's next shot on target. His cheeky 56th-minute backheel to Campbell was followed by a powerful drive from the Wolverhampton Wanderers playmaker, but he still couldn't get the better of Lafont.

 

Croatia had now stretched their lead over Portugal to 2-0, albeit only for a few minutes. The Esperanças then pulled a goal back, and both Group B games remained delicately poised going into the final half-hour.

 

England rarely relented in their quest for a leveller. Lafont denied the Young Lions once again when catching a shot from White in the 65th minute. Nketiah then wasted another chance before his game was ended by injury in the 72nd minute. Having bruised his head in a collision with France's big centre-half Rachid Medaci, the Cardiff City striker was taken off as a precaution and replaced with Charles Ameobi.

 

None of England's three subs - Gribbin, Ameobi, or midfielder Sam Field - could conjure up a late equaliser. The Young Lions had fought with all their might, but there was no getting through such a well-protected French defence.

 

England would spend much of the closing stages having to withstand French attacks, with Aïtchedji in particular proving to be a handful. After 78 minutes, Aïtchedji got above Alexander-Arnold to nod Noël's deep cross into the side netting. The creative winger then tried to curl a delicate strike past Hilton three minutes from the end, but the Liverpudlian goalkeeper was having none of it.

 

The Young Lions had a couple more cracks at the French goal in the closing moments, but to no avail. Lafont preserved his clean sheet by catching one last attempt from White in the 90th minute. He also watched Gribbin fire an injury-time free-kick wide.

 

England had been beaten 1-0, but they still progressed to the Semi Finals, thanks to a 2-1 win for Croatia against Portugal. Just like in the 2019 tournament, the Young Lions had won their group, despite losing their third match.

 

England's head-to-head record in their three-way battle with France and Croatia saw them head Group B, with their rivals being sent packing. Byrne's Young Lions would now go into the final four alongside Poland, who won a very closely-packed Group A, as well as Italy and Germany, who each accrued seven points in Group C.

 

26 June 2021: UEFA European Under-21s Championship Group B - at Luigi Riccardo Gurrera, Sciacca

England U21s - 0

France U21s - 1 (Frédéric Olivier 5)

ENGLAND U21s LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Steve Hilton; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ben Sheaf, Joe Wright, Ryan Sessegnon; Reece Oxford (Sam Field); Neil Campbell, Joe Rankin-Costello (Callum Gribbin); Stuart White; Ben Brereton, Eddie Nketiah (Charles Ameobi).

 

2021 UEFA European Under-21s Championship Group B (Final Standings)

                                   P     W     D     L     F     A     GD    PTS
1.    Q     England U21s           3     2     0     1     7     5     2     6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.          France U21s            3     2     0     1     2     1     1     6
3.          Croatia U21s           3     2     0     1     3     3     0     6
4.          Portugal U21s          3     0     0     3     5     8     -3    0

 

A random draw was held after the Group Stage to determine the Semi Final line-up. Incredibly, for the third tournament in a row, the two teams who had emerged from the same group - Germany and Italy in this case - would have to play each other once again!

 

That meant England's reward for topping Group B was a theoretically easier Semi against Poland. They would go head-to-head in the southern Italian city of Andria on 30 June, with the victors staying there to contest the Final three days later.

 

Things had opened up very nicely for England in their pursuit of a third consecutive European Under-21s Championship Final, and possibly even back-to-back titles.

[CFuller]

***

 

Four days after winning Group B, England arrived in Andria for the Semi Finals of the UEFA European Under-21s Championship. Only Poland stood between the Young Lions and a place in a third successive Final.

 

The first Semi had taken place 24 hours beforehand. Italy kept alive their hopes of winning the title on home soil, defeating Germany 1-0 in a rematch of their Group C encounter, which had finished goalless. The Azzurri got the decisive goal in the first minute of the second half through Empoli midfielder Matteo De Simone.

 

England manager Mark Catterall and head coach David Byrne took some risks in selecting their starting line-up for this second Semi. Several key players were benched in anticipation of the Final, though Joe Rankin-Costello's 100% starting record remained intact. Cardiff City's Eddie Nketiah was chosen ahead of Ben Brereton and Lawrence Warner to lead the attack, having shown no ill effects of the head injury he'd sustained against France.

 

Poland had ground their way to the last four, drawing their first two group matches against Netherlands and Spain before beating Russia 1-0 to progress. Star playmaker Sebastian Szymanski of Hoffenheim had been capped 21 times by the senior team, while Hamburg right-back Adrian Iwanicki and Reading winger Marcin Kaczmarczyk were also established full internationals.

 

Poland's attack was fronted by Legia Warszawa striker Mateusz Szwed, who wasted little time in running at the England frontline. He was caught offside in the third minute after latching onto a long ball from compatriot midfielder Konrad Handzlik, but it was now clear that the Young Lions would have to be wary of his threat.

 

England's first attack a minute later showed plenty of promise. Brighton & Hove Albion winger Jonathan Leko stood a cross up to the far post, where frontman Nketiah flicked a header just off target. Poland's 6ft 2in centre-back Aleksander Rogalski was a relieved man, having been beaten to Leko's cross by a striker who was four inches shorter.

 

Both teams then won a corner apiece. However, neither Stuart White for England nor Handzlik for Poland could convert them into genuine scoring opportunities.

 

Poland were next to seriously threaten the goal in the 20th minute. Petite winger Daniel Piechowiak - now a free agent after being released by Hamburg - would have impressed any onlooking scouts when he sidestepped England's left-back Ryan Sessegnon and then tried to chip the ball into goal from the corner of the penalty area. Young Lions goalkeeper Steve Hilton was very fortunate to see it clear it crossbar.

 

England had a free-kick opportunity in the 31st minute. Sadly for them, Manchester United midfielder White's set-piece was a poor one by his high standards, and Szwed easily intercepted it before playing it back to his goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki.

 

Though Majecki's subsequent punt was intercepted by England defender Joe Wright, the Biało-czerwoni retook the ball and counter-attacked. A wicked left-wing cross from Lechia Gdańsk's Przemyslaw Macierzynski into the area was volleyed inches off target by Szwed.

 

Poland now looked more likely to break the deadlock, but England knew that a moment of magic could potentially turn the game in their favour. White almost hammered a stunning long-distance shot into the net after drifting past Polish midfielder Adrian Stanilewicz. Majecki managed to tip the ball against his woodwork and deflect it behind.

 

The Young Lions put together another strong attack on 42 minutes. Rankin-Costello and Leko exchanged passes close to goal - with the latter skilfully riding a slide challenge from Poland left-back Piotr Sztybrych in the process - before 'JRC' played a one-two with fellow Arsenal prospect Charles Ameobi. He then hit a promising effort towards goal, only for Majecki to leap up and catch it confidently.

 

Poland went back on the offensive a minute later. Szwed's right-wing cross deflected off Sessegnon to Piechowiak, who centred it first-time towards the back post. None of the England defenders were tracking Macierzynski, who made light work of the cross and prodded the Biało-czerwoni into a 1-0 lead.

 

Majecki saved one more England attempt from Nketiah before the half-time interval. Catterall and Byrne then made a couple of changes to their line-up, with Callum Gribbin and Reiss Nelson - arguably two of their best assets - entering the fray at the expense of White and Ameobi respectively.

 

Poland coach Marcin Dorna also changed things up before the second half, using all three of his substitutions at once. Amongst those who came on was defensive midfielder Aleksander Sopel (no relation to BBC journalist Jon). The tough-tackling Piast Gliwice immediately proved his worth by heading away a corner from Nelson in the 48th minute.

 

Poland then put England under pressure with a couple of free-kicks. Handzlik's direct free-kick in the 55th minute couldn't find the target, so the Malmö midfielder chipped his next effort three minutes later up to centre-back Jakub Sinior, who flicked it wide.

 

On 65 minutes, England enjoyed arguably their best equalising opportunity yet. Nketiah neatly controlled a cross from Sessegnon and played a one-two with Leko before going for goal. However, the Welsh-based striker's drive was turned behind by Majecki, who was determined not to have his sheet dirtied.

 

Nketiah would only be on the field for a few more minutes before Catterall called for his substitution. Taking his place would be the Liverpool striker Lawrence Warner, who'd taken just 20 seconds to score against Portugal a week earlier. He had over 20 minutes here, but could not muster even a shot at goal.

 

If Catterall could pinpoint the exact moment when he knew this wouldn't be England's day, he would probably have said that it was the 73rd minute. Gribbin slipped an excellent pass between a couple of Polish defenders to Leko in the area. Majecki could only push Leko's shot against his left-hand post, but the ball remained in play before being hacked wide by Sztybrych.

 

Majecki would produce a couple more saves from Gribbin in the final 10 minutes. By then, England's players had perhaps already resigned themselves to their fate. They had almost no fuel left in the tank.

 

For the second time in five days, England had thrown everything at the opposition, only to come away with a 1-0 loss. While the France defeat was not terminal for their European Under-21s Championship hopes, this one was. The Young Lions' reign as continental champions had ended, and it was Poland who would go on to meet Italy in the Final.

 

30 June 2021: UEFA European Under-21s Championship Semi Final - at Degli Ulivi, Andria

England U21s - 0

Poland U21s - 1 (Przemyslaw Macierzynski 43)

ENGLAND U21s LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Steve Hilton; Peter Turner, Joe Wright, Alistair Rattray, Ryan Sessegnon; Joe Rankin-Costello, Sam Field; Jonathan Leko, Stuart White (Callum Gribbin), Charles Ameobi (Reiss Nelson); Eddie Nketiah (Lawrence Warner).

 

The disappointment on the faces of Catterall and Byrne was clear to see at the final whistle. After congratulating their Polish opponents and consoling their own beaten players, the manager and coach went down the tunnel and headed for the dressing room.

 

As the England players retreated inside, Byrne turned to Catterall and growled, "Don't come in." Once all the players were in the dressing room, Byrne shut the door from behind him, leaving Catterall to wait outside.

 

"Lads," Byrne sighed when addressing the players. "You know that weren't good enough. You made pretty much the same mistakes today as we did against France. To lose your focus once in the Group Stage, I can forgive; to do it again when it matters most is just criminal.

 

"Poland are a strong team, make no mistake, but you really should have shown more desire to beat them. You really should have taken your chances when they came. I hate to say this, but you've blown it, big time.

 

"Now hit the showers, you lot. I'll speak to you again later."

 

As his players disrobed and got showered, Byrne left the room and confronted Catterall, "We were alright before YOU came along!"

 

Catterall responded, "I beg your pardon?"

 

"Against Croatia and Portugal, we were playing with confidence, with freedom. We looked like the best team at the tournament! Then you come over, and suddenly it feels like the players are in Communist Russia! It's like you've stopped them being able to express themselves!"

 

"HEY! Don't take it out on me! I gave you more responsibility this year because I was away with the senior team. You just f***ed it all up!"

 

Byrne yelled, "Right! That's it! I AM DONE WITH THIS BULLS***!" He then took off his Football Association blazer and threw it at Catterall, before growling, "I resign."

 

"That's great, because I was going to fire you anyway!"

 

Byrne chuckled angrily, "I think you'll find you don't have the power anymore, Catterall! Angela Ruskin's taking back control... and you can't stop her!"

 

Byrne then stormed off as Catterall picked up the jacket from the floor. Coach Colin Cooper opened the door and exited the changing room to ask him, "Where's Dave gone? Did you two have an argument or something?"

 

"Yeah, you could say that," Catterall admitted. "Don't tell the lads just yet, but I think Dave's jacked it in."

 

"That's the first I've heard of it, Mark. He seemed to be pretty happy in the job."

 

Catterall sighed, "Yeah, well... apparently, things are changing within the FA, and Dave doesn't want to be a part of it. I'm starting to think I shouldn't be, either."

 

"Oh, that don't sound good. Look, Mark... can we talk about this later?"

 

"Alright, then," Catterall said. As Cooper headed back inside, Catterall interrupted him, "Don't worry, Col. If it's up to me, you'll still be in a job."

 

"Cheers, Mark," Cooper nodded.

 

The England team left Italy the following morning, returning home in a sombre mood. The FA later confirmed David Byrne's resignation as head coach of the Under-21s team in a short statement, adding that "a new coaching team [would] be appointed in due course".

 

There would, though, be a consolation prize for one of England's young stars come the end of the tournament. Manchester United midfielder Callum Gribbin had captivated many onlookers with his performances, and he was handed the Golden Ball award for the event's best player. He was also the only Englishman to be named in the Best XI.

 

As far as the big prize was concerned, that went to Poland. The Biało-czerwoni claimed a maiden European Under-21s title with a 2-0 win over host nation Italy in Andria. Szwed opened the scoring after 24 minutes, while an own goal from Pierluigi Guerra doubled the Poles' lead and put them on track for arguably their greatest ever triumph.

 

A miserable June had seen England lose one youth title IN Poland, and then lose another TO Poland. Only the UEFA European Under-19s Championship remained in their possession. If Catterall's 'remote management' experiment was to continue any longer, the Young Lions would have to keep hold of that in July.

[CFuller]

Chapter 50 - One More Shot

 

In the space of a few weeks, England had loosened their grip on the FIFA U20 World Cup before squandering the UEFA European Under-21s Championship as well. They still had the European Under-19s title to their name, but for how long?

 

This was the fourth year in a row in which England's Under-19s had qualified for the continental finals, with Ledley King coaching them for a third successive tournament. The 2020 event had ended gloriously for King's men, who battled past Germany after extra-time in a five-goal thriller in Belfast.

 

This time around, Greece would be the venue for the Young Lions' title defence. The tournament would begin on 13 July, with the Georgios Kamaras stadium in Athens set to host the Final on 24 July. As always, the Under-19s Euros would be as much a test of squad depth and rotation as individual talent.

 

Germany had not qualified this time around, having been pipped to top spot in their Elite Round group by England. Former champions Serbia and Portugal had also received an unfortunate draw in that round, as they were both beaten by a France team who were rated by many as favourites to go all the way.

 

Aside from England and France, two other nations who were strongly tipped to reach the business end of the tournament were Czech Republic and Spain. Home advantage would surely help Greece's cause, while Belgium, Sweden and Ukraine completed the eight-team line-up.

 

The Group Stage draw was held about six weeks prior to the tournament itself. This was what everybody ended up with:

 

2021 UEFA European Under-19s Championship Group Stage draw

GROUP A: Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Sweden

GROUP B: England (holders), Greece (hosts), Spain, Ukraine

 

As group draws came, England's wasn't that bad from their perspective. They wouldn't have to encounter either Czech Republic or France until at least the Semi Finals.

 

England's main rivals for top spot were likely to be Spain, who hadn't won this title since 2015 - a surprising statistic for a team of their stature. La Rojita were likely to be strong out wide, as full-backs Ander Arrondo and Pau González were both established in the Under-21s team. Up front, Athletic Bilbao's Ander Imaz was considered an early favourite to be the tournament's top scorer.

 

Host nation Greece would surely be formidable on home soil, and they'd shown their resilience in a friendly against England in September. The Galanolefki came back from 3-0 down in Doncaster to pull it back to 3-2, only to be consigned to defeat by one more English goal in stoppage time.

 

Notably, a couple of Greece's players were based in the Midlands. Leicester City had just recruited poacher Kosmas Efthymiadis on a free transfer from Xanthi. Meanwhile, centre-back Panagiotis Mallios - who grew up in London and started his career at non-league Dulwich Hamlet - was on the books of Coventry City.

 

Ukraine did not have any former Dulwich Hamlet players in their ranks. They did, though, have Sergiy Ischenko - a highly-rated centre-forward at Shakhtar Donetsk. The Zhovto-Blakytni would need him to be at his best if they were to go far.

 

England's first match would see them face Greece in Larisa on 13 July. They would then quickly move on to Nea Smyrni to play Spain on 15 July, and Ukraine on 18 July.

 

If FA chairwoman Angela Ruskin got her own way, this tournament would signal the end of Mark Catterall's 'remote management' experiment. She had promised the England manager that he could retain control of the Under-19s and Under-21s teams if either of them won a tournament over the summer, and this represented his last chance.

 

Catterall was to pick the Under-19s squad and follow their progress from back home, almost certainly for the final time. It would be up to King to deliver the goods on the pitch, just like he had done 12 months earlier in Northern Ireland.

 

ENGLAND UNDER-19s squad - for 2021 UEFA European Under-19s Championship

NAME                      POSITIONS           D.O.B. (AGE)     CLUB            HEIGHT WEIGHT     VALUE
Dave Booth                GK                  16/06/2002 (19)  Man Utd         6'2"   13st 3lbs  £215K   
Josh Vokes                GK                  15/04/2002 (19)  Tottenham       6'2"   12st 12lbs £575K   
Joe Mooney                D (RC), DM          28/01/2002 (19)  Man City        6'1"   13st 5lbs  £245K   
Jordan Laing              D (RC), M (R)       13/04/2002 (19)  Sheff Wed       5'5"   9st 10lbs  £350K   
Nick Ward                 D (LC)              04/03/2002 (19)  Arsenal         6'1"   12st 8lbs  £750K   
Ray Butterfield           D (LC), DM          18/03/2002 (19)  Leeds           6'2"   13st 5lbs  £400K   
Derek Howard              D/M (R)             29/03/2002 (19)  Everton         5'6"   10st 3lbs  £170K   
Ted Lapslie               D/M (L)             18/06/2002 (19)  Arsenal         5'11"  11st 11lbs £5.5M   
Stephen Nugent            D/M (C)             04/06/2002 (19)  Man Utd         6'2"   12st 10lbs £10M    
Darren Bennett            DM, M/AM (C)        21/02/2002 (19)  Watford         5'9"   10st 12lbs £450K   
Ross Moan                 M (R), AM (RLC)     01/02/2002 (19)  Man Utd         5'9"   11st 2lbs  £325K   
Ashley Wells              M (RC), AM (C)      04/07/2003 (17)  Reading         5'8"   10st 7lbs  £135K   
Petros Mavros             M (LC), AM (C)      11/06/2002 (19)  Chelsea         5'10"  11st 4lbs  £1.9M   
Peter Owen                M/AM (C)            22/05/2002 (19)  Tottenham       5'10"  11st 9lbs  £800K   
Ollie Elmes               AM (R), ST (C)      20/06/2002 (19)  Liverpool       5'10"  11st 9lbs  £1.2M   
Paul Hancock              AM (RL), ST (C)     06/04/2004 (17)  Hull            6'0"   11st 4lbs  £170K   
Ben Harvey                AM (RC), ST (C)     20/08/2002 (18)  Liverpool       5'10"  11st 4lbs  £2.5M   
Henry Torpey              AM (L), ST (C)      04/08/2002 (18)  Brentford       6'1"   12st 6lbs  £54K    

 

England retained four players who'd helped them to European glory in 2020. Goalkeeper Josh Vokes was setting out to claim a second winner's medal, and the same was true for the defensive trio of Ted Lapslie, Joe Mooney and the fit-again Stephen Nugent.

 

Lapslie had featured at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Poland earlier this off-season, while Vokes was an unused substitute. England's early exit from that event meant that those two were free to play in another international competition, as was squadmate Nick Ward.

 

Ben Logan was another U20 World Cup competitor who could have featured at the Under-19s Euros as well. However, the Watford midfielder was overlooked by Catterall this time around. Another controversial exclusion from the squad was that of Arsenal striker Anthony Hayward, who'd scored five goals for the Young Lions in September but hadn't quite made the same impact since.

 

Manchester United had more players in this Young Lions squad than any other club, with three. Centre-half Nugent and right-winger Moan were set to serve as captain and vice-captain respectively. Goalkeeper Dave Booth would provide Vokes with strong competition for the number 1 jersey.

 

Lapslie and Ward were the two Arsenal players who were selected, while Vokes and midfield playmaker Peter Owen were situated on the other side of the North London divide. Liverpool strikers Ollie Elmes and Ben Harvey were perhaps the most likely Englishmen to succeed countryman Reece Nicholls as the Golden Boot winner in this competition.

 

Reading midfielder Ashley Wells and Hull City forward Paul Hancock were the youngest players in the squad, and both would remain eligible for the next Under-19s Euros. Indeed, Hancock was so youthful that he would still be available for selection come the 2023 finals.

[CFuller]

***

 

After double disappointment at Under-20s and Under-21s level, the time had come for England's Young Lions to roar again. The holders of the UEFA European Under-19s Championship began their quest for another title in Larisa - the biggest city of Greece's Thessaly region.

 

England would have the crowd firmly on their backs at the Alkazar stadium, as they opened up their defence against host nation Greece. Expectations were high in both camps, but defeat for either team would be potentially devastating in terms of their hopes of reaching the Semi Finals.

 

Group B had already kicked off in Nea Smyrni, where Spain got off to a solid start with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ukraine. Sevilla's Isaac Moreno had scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in the opening minute of the second half.

 

Spain would lie in wait next for England two days later, so Young Lions coach Ledley King knew exactly how important it was that his team got three points on the board immediately. In conjuction with manager Mark Catterall, who was watching on from back home in Staffordshire, King named a strong starting line-up to play the Greeks. Notably, he favoured Manchester United's Dave Booth in goal over regular number 1 Josh Vokes.

 

Booth would be called into action after just four minutes. A defensive clearance from England centre-half Ray Butterfield only went as far as Greece's midfield playmaker Argyris Ntagiantas, who rolled it out right to winger Giannis Karatzas. The 16-year-old from Levadeiakos then unleashed a powerful shot that Booth did well to hold onto.

 

England's first scoring chance came five minutes later, with the half-Cypriot midfielder Petros Mavros creating it. Mavros' long free-kick into the Greek penalty area found Young Lions captain Stephen Nugent, who flicked it wide.

 

Mavros would himself have a couple of opportunities later on. The first of them came in the 15th minute, when a poor clearance from Greece left-back Thomas Kardaris deflected off Darren Bennett and into the penalty area. England striker Ben Harvey latched onto the loose ball and passed it through to Mavros, whose strike sailed just off target.

 

Four minutes later, Mavros won a free-kick 25 yards from goal, having been tripped by the Galanolefki's AEK Athens midfielder Nikos Lykouris. Mavros swerved his set-piece over the wall, but couldn't beat Vladimiros Voutsakelis. The Greek goalkeeper would make another save after 25 minutes to deny Harvey.

 

Then, after half an hour, the hosts countered with a brilliant breakaway move. Ironically, it was AFC Wimbledon's non-Greek-sounding left-winger Steve Walker - born just outside Athens to English parents - who created Greece's opening goal. His cross was flicked towards goal by Leicester City striker Kosmas Efthymiadis, and an uncertain Booth could only spill the header across his own goal line.

 

Greece were 1-0 up, and they would stay ahead at the interval. Voutsakelis produced a fine reflex save in the 35th minute to get to England midfielder Peter Owen's drive from the 'D'. He then tipped over a long-distance drive from Mavros on the stroke of half-time.

 

England went into the second half with a more attacking approach, as left-winger Paul Hancock entered the fray in place of defender Ray Butterfield. Eight minutes after the restart, right-back Derek Howard outmuscled Walker to take the ball and pump it ahead of Ollie Elmes. The Liverpool striker cleared the Greek defence and shot from a tight angle, but Voutsakelis heroically pushed the ball wide.

 

The next quarter-hour or so would be rather frustrating for England, and particularly for Mavros. The Chelsea midfielder tripped Greece's midfield substitute Dimitris Vrachnos in the 66th minute to collect the Young Lions' first booking of the match. On 71 minutes, Mavros surged past anchor man Vangelis Georgiadis to go through on goal, only to fire a shot straight at Voutsakelis.

 

By the 74th minute, though, things were looking up for Mavros again. He caught the Galanolefki off guard by superbly flicking Owen's long ball over the defence and ahead of Elmes. A lethal finisher such as Elmes was never going to pass up the opportunity that came his way, blasting it emphatically into Voutsakelis' top-left corner.

 

England were back level at 1-1, but Greece would have an opportunity to go in front again on 81 minutes. There was some controversy when Young Lions midfielder Darren Bennett was accused of tripping Ntagiantas in an off-the-ball incident. Lykouris took the subsequent free-kick, and Booth was relieved to see it sail wide.

 

At the other end, England spurned a handful of winning chances. Right-winger Ross Moan had two efforts pushed behind by the excellent Voutsakelis, who also made a late save from 'man of the match' Mavros. Meanwhile, the Young Lions had right-back Derek Howard cautioned for an 89th-minute foul on Greece's substitute striker Antonis Bastanis.

 

Though England had narrowly avoided an upset, only claiming one point from their opening fixture was not ideal, especially with Spain up next for them. They would need to drastically up their game against La Rojita in Nea Symrni, otherwise the champions would be staring at the possibility of an early exit from the competition.

 

13 July 2021: UEFA European Under-19s Championship Group B - at Alkazar, Larisa

England U19s - 1 (Ollie Elmes 74)

Greece U19s - 1 (Kosmas Efthymiadis 30)

ENGLAND U19s LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Dave Booth; Derek Howard, Stephen Nugent, Ray Butterfield (Paul Hancock), Ted Lapslie (Nick Ward); Joe Mooney; Darren Bennett, Peter Owen; Petros Mavros; Ben Harvey (Ross Moan), Ollie Elmes. BOOKED: Mavros 66, Howard 89.

[CFuller]

***

 

After stumbling against Greece, England went into their second UEFA European Under-19s Championship group match with a point to prove. They travelled south from Larisa to the Athens suburb of Nea Smyrni - and the home ground of Greek Superleague team Panionios.

 

Spain were top of Group B after the first round of fixtures, having edged past Ukraine 2-1. Ukraine would later join them on three points, defeating hosts Greece by a single goal to kick off the next phase. That meant that England had the chance to go top with four points by seeing off La Rojita.

 

Spain's star striker Ander Imaz had scored 11 top-flight goals in the 2020/2021 season, netting four for his parent club Athletic Bilbao before being loaned out to French side Dijon and bagging another seven. Imaz had also found the net five times for Spain in the European Under-19s qualifiers before getting their first goal at the finals against Ukraine.

 

England did have one Premier League player in Arsenal left-back Ted Lapslie, who'd spent last season out on loan at Watford and would shortly begin a year-long stint with Stoke City. Lapslie and his fellow defenders would need to be on the top of their game against Imaz and co.

 

Dave Booth had looked somewhat shaky against Greece, so Josh Vokes went back in the England goal for this match. Vokes almost got off to a nightmare start in the third minute. The Tottenham Hotspur custodian charged from his line in an unsuccessful attempt to claim Juan Manuel Martínez' free-kick into the box, and he was relieved to see Spain striker Moisés Castro head it over.

 

Two other players who'd been added to England's starting line-up created their first scoring chance on 26 minutes. Full-back Jordan Laing swung an excellent corner to the near post, but winger Paul Hancock could only nod it into the side netting.

 

Spain started to put some more pressure on the champions in the 12th minute, with Castro's mazy run drawing a clumsy foul out of Ashley Wells. The England midfielder was handed a yellow card, which would surprisingly be the only one dealt out by Dutch referee Tom Koekoek in this match.

 

La Rojita then had three excellent shots on target between the 13th and 20th minutes. Atlético Madrid midfielder Martínez was twice kept off the scoreboard by Vokes, who also got his fingers to a volley from Imaz in between.

 

England were happy to sit back and wait for an opportunity to counter. Their moment came when captain Stephen Nugent pressured Martínez into misplacing a pass to Wells, who pumped it up the right flank to Ross Moan. Manchester United's Geordie winger burst forward to latch onto the ball and centre it to striker Henry Torpey, whose shot slipped underneath Spanish goalkeeper Alejandro Berasaluce.

 

Having taken a 1-0 lead against the run of play, the Young Lions now had to defend it. Vokes stood firm in the 36th minute to catch another strike from Martínez. Five minutes later, Castro was denied a chance to go for goal by a fantastic saving tackle from Sheffield Wednesday right-back Laing.

 

With two minutes remaining in the first half, disaster struck for England. Imaz slipped past left-back Ted Lapslie and then drilled in a cross that took an unfortunate deflection off centre-half Nick Ward and went goalwards. Though the ball just about clipped Vokes' left-hand post, the keeper's poor attempts to catch it only resulted in him diverting it into his own net. That was a mistake he had not got away with.

 

England's stunned players must have feared the worst when Castro attempted to fire Spain 2-1 ahead just before half-time. Fortunately for them, Vokes' hands were rather safer on this occasion, catching the Sevilla forward's shot and keeping the scores level at the break.

 

The second half was three minutes old when England's substitute striker Ollie Elmes played an inswinging corner into the Spanish area. Ward's bullet header was cleared off the line by Spain defender Luis Zabalza, while Wells had a follow-up shot blocked by La Rojita's captain Miguel Ángel Micó. It would be a case of third time lucky, though, as Torpey eventually lashed the ball home for his second goal.

 

England set out to bolster their advantage after 53 minutes through another half-time sub. Tottenham midfielder Peter Owen, who'd come on for the tiring Nugent, fired vice-captain Moan's pass goalwards, but Berasaluce gathered it with ease.

 

On 55 minutes, Owen was involved in a one-two with Laing, who then swung a cross into Spain's penalty box from a deep position. Elmes used his pace to get beyond Rojita defender Álvaro Trigo and volley in the goal that put the Young Lions 3-1 to the good.

 

Spain had a chance to halve the deficit almost immediately. Laing's inability to remove Pau González' cross from the England area gave Imaz an opening. The Basque hotshot had a go from a tight angle, but Vokes got down to block the shot before Ray Butterfield cleared.

 

Imaz was not living up to the star billing for La Rojita. He had a couple more shots saved by Vokes in the 69th and 81st minutes before England tightened up somewhat to close out the victory. Laing looked particularly impressive for the Young Lions, bravely blocking Imaz's final attempt one minute from the end.

 

The 'man of the match' award was handed to Torpey at the final whistle, thanks to the Brentford prospect's game-winning double. Elmes could have emulated his fellow England forward by notching up a brace in the 84th minute, but he never looked like finding the net from a tight angle after skipping past Spanish defender Carles Haro.

 

England were now on four points from two games, and leading Group B as the only unbeaten team. A draw in their final group match against Ukraine three days later would see them through to the Semi Finals. If they lost, the Young Lions would need to hope that Spain could not defeat Greece.

 

15 July 2021: UEFA European Under-19s Championship Group B - at Panionios GSS Ground, Nea Smyrni

Spain U19s - 1 (Josh Vokes og43)

England U19s - 3 (Henry Torpey 27,48, Ollie Elmes 55)

ENGLAND U19s LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Josh Vokes; Jordan Laing, Ray Butterfield, Nick Ward (Joe Mooney), Ted Lapslie; Stephen Nugent (Peter Owen), Ashley Wells; Ross Moan, Ben Harvey, Paul Hancock (Ollie Elmes); Henry Torpey. BOOKED: Wells 12.

[CFuller]

***

 

If everything went to plan for England, this next game would mark the halfway point of their UEFA European Under-19s Championship title defence. If nothing did, then it would potentially be the final match of Mark Catterall's 'remote management' experiment, which was now just over five years old.

 

Catterall continued to follow his Under-19s' exploits in Greece from his Staffordshire home. Next up for the Young Lions and head coach Ledley King was one final group match, against Ukraine.

 

England would progress to the Semi Finals if they got at least a point, while a victory would guarantee them top spot. It was also possible that they could qualify for the last four if they lost, but only if Greece avoided defeat against Spain.

 

Ukraine did not have many notable talents in their ranks, but they did have bags of defensive resolve. Goalkeeper Dmitry Kuznetsov looked self-assured when he caught a second-minute drive from England striker Ollie Elmes, who was looking for this third goal of the tournament. The same applied to his strike partner Henry Torpey.

 

In the seventh minute, Shakhtar Donetsk defender Sergiy Alexevych's trip on Elmes saw England awarded a free-kick close to the Ukrainian goal. Set-piece specialist Joe Mooney lined up to take it, but his strike was deflected behind off the aggressive Karpaty Lviv midfielder Mykola Nakonechnyi.

 

Mooney's next free-kick attempt on 10 minutes sailed comfortably over the bar. England midfielders Petros Mavros and Darren Bennett fared slighly better in the 14th and 19th minutes, both forcing saves out of Kuznetsov. The latter strike was tipped behind for a corner, which would indirectly lead to the Young Lions opening the scoring.

 

Mooney's corner was cleared by Ukraine winger Igor Fedorchuk, but only as far as Elmes, who cut it back towards goal. Oleg Kryachko - a central defensive stopper who played for Fakel Voronezh in the Russian Premier League - stuck a leg out to try and divert the ball away from goal, but only scuffed it into his own net.

 

England pursued another goal through another unlikely source in the 26th minute. Mavros' cross was half-volleyed goalwards by Everton right-back Derek Howard, whose wait for a first international goal continued after Kuznetsov clutched the ball to his chest.

 

The Young Lions' last two attempts of the first half were somewhat disappointing. Mavros' 38th-minute strike was blocked by the Zhovto-Blakytni's playmaker Ruslan Davydov. Six minutes later, a heavy first touch from Kryachko allowed Elmes to play a one-two with Torpey before heading the latter's cross over.

 

England had played things a little safe in the first half, but they showed their attacking intent for the second period by replacing Mavros with winger Paul Hancock. Three minutes after the restart, Davydov's foul on England captain Stephen Nugent handed the Young Lions another free-kick. Mooney tried his luck again, but was denied by a strong catch from Kuznetsov.

 

Ukraine had their first official shot at goal after 52 minutes. However, Fedorchuk was never going to find the target with a wildly optimistic long-distance strike from out wide. England made their second substitution shortly after that, resting Mooney in favour of Jordan Laing.

 

On 58 minutes, a deep left-wing cross-shot from Hancock gave the Zhovko-Blakytni a real fright. Kuznetsov desperately pushed the 17-year-old Hull City player's delivery away just before it could fly into this net. Left-back Grygoriy Ponomarenko then nodded the loose ball away from a lurking Elmes.

 

Kuznetsov faced his next major test after 69 minutes. The Zorya Lugansk goalkeeper got down to catch Torpey's header from a cross by Nick Ward, who'd been a consistently solid presence in the England backline. Indeed, the Arsenal defender would be named 'man of the match' after some excellent late interceptions.

 

With Ward and Nugent both in fine fettle, Ukraine just could not get any shots on target. A dismal strike from substitute Artur Grachov in the 83rd minute was as close as they would come to dirtying the clean sheet of England's reinstated goalkeeper Dave Booth.

 

Realistically, Ukraine had to win this match to have any chance of making the Semi Finals. A consummate display from England put paid to the Zhovko-Blakytni's dreams and sent the Young Lions through as Group B winners. Spain qualified for the next round as well, with Ezequiel Crespo's late goal deciding a close battle against Greece.

 

18 July 2021: UEFA European Under-19s Championship Group B - at Panionios GSS Ground, Nea Smyrni

England U19s - 1 (Oleg Kryachko og19)

Ukraine U19s - 0

ENGLAND U19s LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Dave Booth; Derek Howard, Stephen Nugent, Nick Ward, Ted Lapslie (Ray Butterfield); Joe Mooney (Jordan Laing); Peter Owen, Darren Bennett; Petros Mavros (Paul Hancock); Ollie Elmes, Henry Torpey.

 

2021 UEFA European Under-19s Championship Group B (Final Standings)

                                   P     W     D     L     F     A     GD    PTS
1.    Q     England U19s           3     2     1     0     5     2     3     7
2.    Q     Spain U19s             3     2     0     1     4     4     0     6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.          Ukraine U19s           3     1     0     2     2     3     -1    3
4.          Greece U19s            3     0     1     2     1     3     -2    1

 

Group B had offered up few major surprises, and the same could also be said of Group A. Czech Republic won all three of their matches, while France's opening victory over Sweden was enough to send them into the last four as well.

 

That meant Czech Republic would face Spain in the Semi Finals, and England would find themselves up against France. The latter match would be played at the Georgios Kamaras stadium in Athens on 21 July, with the victors staying put for the Final three days later.

[CFuller]

***

 

England Under-19s' recent record against France was excellent, to say the least. Over the past five years, the Young Lions had beaten Les Bleus in three consecutive away meetings, scoring a total of 11 goals.

 

Their next encounter was a rather different one, though. For starters, it was on Greek soil rather than French, and it was a UEFA European Under-19s Championship Semi Final instead of an almost meaningless friendly.

 

France always produced a strong flow of excellent players, and this latest crop was certainly showing plenty of promise. Southampton fans already knew a bit about left-winger Abdou Gado, who'd been part of their youth and development teams for three years now. Les Bleus' hottest prospect could arguably be found on the right flank, where Bordeaux's Dany Bogale had already played in close to 50 Ligue 1 matches.

 

An earlier generation of France players had won back-to-back European Under-19s Championships in 2016 and 2017. England were now potentially 180 minutes from emulating them. Four of their players had already lifted the trophy once before, and a couple of them - defenders Ted Lapslie and Joe Mooney - started this Semi Final.

 

With Stephen Nugent benched, the England captaincy was passed on to his fellow Manchester United youth product Ross Moan. The Geordie right-winger put his body on the line after just two minutes, blocking an early French free-kick from Lamine Gueye.

 

France attacked again three minutes later, and they took full advantage of a high defensive line from England. Corentin Corbel sliced the ball through the defence and to his fellow Rennes striker Arnaud Kouame, who raced clear with just Dave Booth to beat. Once the Young Lions goalkeeper charged from his goal line, Kouame pulled the trigger and got Les Bleus off to a flyer.

 

England launched a positive response in the seventh minute. Moan weighted an excellent ball to Chelsea's attacking midfielder Petros Mavros, whose strike from the edge of the French area was well caught by Grégory Lemaire.

 

Mavros was involved in another England attack on 14 minutes, when he tried to find Ben Harvey with a through-ball into the box. Though French centre-half Nicolas Dubois tackled the ball away from Harvey, he couldn't prevent it from reaching Moan, who hammered it past Lemaire for 1-1.

 

The Young Lions were quickly put back under pressure by Corbel, whose fancy footwork drew a couple of fouls and yellow cards out of central defenders Mooney and Ray Butterfield. Meanwhile, a fantastic run towards goal from Gado in the 19th minute ended with him pulling a shot inches wide.

 

France put together another promising move on 30 minutes. Club Brugge midfielder Sébastien Sabatier neatly controlled a cross from right-winger Jean Rigal, though he was unfortunate not to get it past Booth. Sabatier was then booked for tripping Darren Bennett in the 32nd minute, and his mood wouldn't get any better in the 36th.

 

Lapslie broke up a French attack by clearing the ball off Rigal's feet on the edge of the England area. Harvey collected it in the centre circle and sprayed it out right to Moan before making his way towards the penalty area. Les Bleus' defenders tried to rush back in time to dispel the danger, but when Moan passed Dubois and squared the ball for Harvey to finish, it was too late. England were 2-1 ahead.

 

Moan was denied another England goal in quick succession by Lemaire, but the Young Lions would double their advantage within moments. Central midfielder Ashley Wells - whom Everton had recently signed from Reading - exchanged passes with Mavros before driving home his first international goal, despite a fine attempt from Lemaire to keep it out.

 

If France thought they'd been through the worst, they were sorely mistaken. England continued to run riot in the 39th minute, as an excellent quick passing move involving Harvey, Mavros and Bennett ended with Moan floating in a delightful shot from out wide. His second goal of the afternoon completed a dream three-minute period for the Young Lions, who had taken a 4-1 lead in a matter of moments.

 

Moan was having one of the performances of his young career, but it would sadly be cut short just before half-time. He twisted sharply on his knee as he rushed after the ball following a heavy first touch. Arsenal defender Nick Ward would come on in his place before the second period got underway.

 

England were now looking to protect a comfortable lead, so it was no surprise that France launched the first attack after the resumption. A one-two between Toulouse left-back Aldrich Zouma and Kouame in the 48th minute ended with the latter heading wide.

 

The Young Lions survived another early second-half assault on 57 minutes. Bogale's set-up for Sabatier ended with a lobbed shot deflecting behind off the top of Booth's crossbar. That was followed five minutes later by another attempt from Kouame, who just missed the target.

 

Wells had been rested for Nugent shortly after Sabatier's miss. Nugent audaciously attempted to give England a 5-1 lead in the 64th minute, but he sent fellow Mancunian Mooney's square ball flying well over the top. The Young Lions made their final personnel change soon afterwards, with Lapslie coming off and Derek Howard replacing him.

 

Nugent tried again on 67 minutes, rushing behind the French defence almost unlikely to collect a threaded through-ball from Paul Hancock. Had it not been for the quick reactions of Lemaire, Les Bleus' misery would have surely been further compounded.

 

France's slim hopes of launching a comeback would soon fade away completely. Substitutes Fabrice Denis and Bernard Dumas linked up strongly in the 69th minute, but Roma striker Denis volleyed Montpellier winger Dumas' cross against the post and behind.

 

Though his early mistake could have been a costly one on another day, England goalkeeper Booth finished this match strongly. He pushed behind a deflected Bogale cross on 72 minutes, and then made a couple of late saves from Sabatier to maintain the Young Lions' three-goal advantage from the first half.

 

Exhausted and demoralised, France could not find a way back into contention. Les Bleus - and their long-suffering manager Jean-Claude Giuntini - had once again been trumped by their nemeses from across the Channel.

 

21 July 2021: UEFA European Under-19s Championship Semi Final - at Georgios Kamaras, Athens

France U19s - 1 (Arnaud Kouame 5)

England U19s - 4 (Ross Moan 14,39, Ben Harvey 36, Ashley Wells 37)

ENGLAND U19s LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Dave Booth; Jordan Laing, Joe Mooney, Ray Butterfield, Ted Lapslie (Derek Howard); Darren Bennett, Ashley Wells (Stephen Nugent); Ross Moan (Nick Ward), Petros Mavros, Paul Hancock; Ben Harvey. BOOKED: Mooney 19, Butterfield 22.

 

England had progressed to a second successive European Under-19s Championship Final. On 24 July, they would contest the trophy with Czech Republic, who'd won a 3-2 thriller against Spain in the opening Semi Final. However, the Young Lions would have to try and defend their title without the architect of their late first-half blitz.

 

As suspected, Moan had twisted his knee shortly before half-time. That meant the excellent Newcastle-born winger had no chance of gracing the Final, and England would surely be weaker without his presence.

 

England had already won three major championships at youth level under Mark Catterall's guidance. Could they now claim a fourth?

[CFuller]

***

 

Mark Catterall had just watched England's Under-19s make their way into another European Championship Final. He oversaw their 4-1 demolition of France from the upstairs study at his Staffordshire home. At full-time, he leant back on his chair and raised his fists in celebration.

 

Mark now turned his attentions to another big match involving England, which would kick off just 15 minutes later. It was the Semi Finals of the UEFA Women's European Championship, and England's Lionesses were about to face Germany at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton. The winners would advance to a Final showdown with the defending champions from the Netherlands at Wembley.

 

England's progress to the last four under Emma Hayes had been rather smooth. Denmark, Scotland and Ukraine were all comfortably beaten in the Group Stage before the Lionesses put three goals past Austria without reply at the Quarter Final stage. Now they were up against rather more formidable opposition in 'Die Nationalelf', who had won two FIFA Women's World Cups - in 2003 and 2007 - and a record eight European titles.

 

Mark's 20-year-old daughter Ashley Minton was the youngest player in the England team, making her first appearance at a major tournament. Having torn her Achilles tendon in November, even making it into the squad at all was regarded as an impressive achievement.

 

Ashley had seen a little under half an hour of action thus far, coming on as a substitute against Scotland and Ukraine, but she wasn't used in the other two matches. Come Semi Final time, the energetic Liverpool midfielder was once again named on the bench.

 

Having turned off the computer in the study, Mark came downstairs to - he hoped - see Ashley in action. Jenny was watching a crime thriller on television in the living room, while Luke was reading a Braille book in the kitchen.

 

Mark asked Jenny, "Mind if we switch over now?"

 

Jenny stared at Mark as if he had told her something deeply offensive. She replied sternly, "No."

 

"Ah, so you don't mind..."

 

"No. I said no, you can't switch over."

 

"But England's women are playing in a few minutes! You know Ashley is..."

 

Jenny interrupted Mark, asking, "Is Ashley starting tonight?"

 

"She isn't, no..."

 

"There you go. So what's the point in me handing you the remote to watch England Women play when your daughter's on the bench? Besides, I have to finish watching this series tonight, before it expires from the Sky planner."

 

"Ah, right. I see."

 

"Go back in the study if you wanna watch the football," Jenny stated. "Look... I've got another episode and a half of this, so once that's done, I might let you come in here."

 

Mark nodded with some reluctance and returned to the study, where he watched the first half of the Semi Final. It would not be a pleasant experience for him or for England.

 

Germany had a squad chock-full of brilliant attackers - headed by captain Alexandra Popp, who many regarded as the best female footballer to have emerged in the country since the legendary Birgit Prinz. The 30-year-old Wolfsburg striker had over 60 international goals on her record and was also a four-time winner of the UEFA Women's Champions League.

 

Popp had several pops at goal during an opening period that Die Nationalelf pretty much dominated. It came as no surprise when she eventually found the net in the 20th minute. Popp sauntered past England defender Gabby George to latch onto midfielder Kristin Demann's through-ball and drill in a clinical low shot.

 

Germany were 1-0 up, and only the crossbar prevented Popp from doubling their lead in the 27th minute. The standard of England's defending was rather lacklustre at times, and they were incredibly fortunate not to have been out of the game come half-time.

 

Back in Staffordshire, Mark was cutting a rather flustered figure. After an error from England's star right-back Lucy Bronze was nearly punished by the Germans late in the first half, his cries of anger and frustration could be heard downstairs.

 

"Mum?" Luke asked hesitantly. "Is Dad alright?"

 

"He's fine, love," Jenny replied. "He just gets worked up a lot when watching England. I swear he's more passionate about the women's team than the men's at times... and that's saying something."

 

"That can't be good for his health. I hope Dad doesn't stress himself out too much."

 

"Yeah, Luke... I keep telling him to take things easier, but he can't help himself. That's just how he is."

 

With potential elimination from their home European Championship looming large, England stepped things up in the second half. Forwards Toni Duggan and Danielle Carter each came close to finding the net early on, following a couple of uncharacteristic lapses of German concentration.

 

The action would switch from half to half throughout the period, with the teams taking it in turns to attack one another. As time passed by, Mark became even more frustrated, frequently calling for Ashley to be brought onto the field.

 

With 20 minutes to go, Mark's wish was granted. Hayes delivered some last words of advice to the fresh-faced Scouser before sending her on in place of midfielder Izzy Christiansen, who had given her all throughout the opening 70 minutes but had now run out of steam.

 

Mark sprinted down the stairs with some excitement - and at quite considerable speed for a rather large man in his late 40s. That prompted Jenny to walk out of the living room and exclaim, "JESUS! What do you think you're doing?"

 

Mark took a while to catch his breath before gasping, "Ashley's on! She's on, Jenny!"

 

Jenny sighed, "Five more minutes of this, okay? Then I'll switch over for you."

 

As Mark nodded and slowly made his way back up the stairs, Jenny added, "You need to take care of yourself, Mark Catterall. You're not a young man anymore."

 

Mark returned to the study for a few more minutes, during which Germany's young substitute midfielder Lena Lattwein came periously close to doubling her team's advantage. At the other end, Ashley was struggling to feel her way into the game by the time Jenny called Mark downstairs.

 

Mark settled down with Jenny and Luke on the sofa at the start of another extended spell of England pressure. Carter and substitute Melissa Lawley each wasted openings, while a hopeful drive from Ashley was blocked by Verena Faißt in the German backline.

 

With three minutes remaining, the scoreline was still 1-0 to Germany. Even the most optimistic England fans could be forgiven for losing hope, as Luke did. He told Jenny, "This is rubbish. I'm going to bed now."

 

Mark put his hand up. "Hold up, Luke. This move could lead to something."

 

England had gone direct and upped the tempo in an effort to force an equaliser. A long clearance from George found Ashley just inside the English half. Ashley sprayed the ball out to the left wing for Lawley, who cut inside and then centred the ball into the penalty box. A jet-heeled Carter broke away from her marker to slide the ball home, levelling the scores and sparking scenes of delight in the Catterall household.

 

Luke beamed, "I think I'll stay up a bit longer, then!"

 

The match would now be heading for extra-time unless either team could strike a decisive blow in what little time remained. Two additional minutes were granted by the fourth official, and it was during the first of those that England steeled themselves for another attack.

 

Faißt tried to play the ball out of the back for Germany, only to inadvertently telegraph it to an alert Ashley. Spotting Carter prowling on the edge of the box with a defender standing off her, Ashley lobbed the ball up towards the Arsenal striker. Germany goalkeeper Almuth Schult charged from her line to try and intercept the delivery... but a delicate header from Carter bypassed her and nestled into an empty net!

 

Two late Danielle Carter goals had turned the match on its head. England had beaten Germany 2-1 and were now 90 minutes away from winning the European Championship. For one very proud father in Burton-upon-Trent, it almost became too much.

 

"She's done it," Mark said, his voice now a husk. "Ashley's got England into the friggin' European Final!"

 

Luke was also delighted. "Yes! That's my sister!"

 

"The Final's at Wembley on Sunday. I'm sure the FA will be happy to let me come over for that."

 

Jenny said, "I'm afraid I'll be working on Sunday... so no, if that's what you're asking."

 

"Actually... I was gonna ask Luke if he wanted to come along with me. I know your last visit to Wembley wasn't great, son, but would you be interested in that?"

 

"Of course, Dad. I'd love to be at Wembley when England win a European Final for once!"

 

Mark laughed, "Okay, Luke. It's a date."

[CFuller]

***

 

No nation in the past five years had been as consistently strong as England when it came to youth international football. On 24 July 2021, the Young Lions took part in their seventh major Final at Under-17s, Under-19s, Under-20s or Under-21s level since 2017.

 

England were now on the cusp of successfully defending the UEFA European Under-19s Championship crown they had so doggedly battled for almost a year earlier. If they could defeat the Czech Republic at the Georgios Kamaras stadium in Athens, they would emulate Spain and France in becoming back-to-back winners of this competition.

 

Four Englishmen were looking to add another winner's medal to their collection. Captain Stephen Nugent and left-back Ted Lapslie were both chosen to start this Final, while goalkeeper Josh Vokes and centre-half Joe Mooney would take their places on the bench.

 

Lapslie was the only England player to have started all five of their matches at this tournament. Nugent and his fellow central defender Nick Ward would also maintain their ever-present records.

 

England head coach Ledley King had one major headache before the Final, though. Vice-captain and right-winger Ross Moan had twisted his knee following his virtuoso first-half display in the Semi Final win over France, and he would not play any part in the decisive match. Moan's loss would be a significant one against what was a formidable Czech team.

 

Unlike England, who had drawn their opening group match against Greece, the Czech Republic went into the Final with an impeccable record. They had scored three goals in each of their four matches thus far, comfortably despatching Belgium, Sweden and France in the Group Stage before edging a five-goal thriller against Spain in the Semi Final.

 

Czech coach Jan Suchoparek was a fine defender in his day, so it wasn't a surprise to see him field a strong and experienced backline. The defensive quartet of Petr Turek, Vaclav Prucha, Karel Stepanek and Jan Nemec had an incredible 86 Under-21s caps between them. When the caps of other players were taken into account, that figure surpassed 100.

 

It was further up the pitch, though, where the Czech Republic really excelled. Strikers Jan Divis and Petr Komarek were the joint-top scorers at this tournament, with three goals apiece. Neither man had found the net against Spain, but they were perhaps saving their best for last.

 

Some of the Czech players had experience of gracing a major Final against England before. Stepanek and right-winger Petr Dvorak had both started in the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup Final in Bordeaux, where the Young Lions eventually won on penalties after a goalless draw. Now the 'Little Lions' of the Czech Republic - the Lvíčata - were out for revenge.

 

As King and Suchoparek exchanged handshakes before their sides battled it out in the Greek capital, England's manager Mark Catterall prepared to watch the action unfold from his Staffordshire base. Catterall would occasionally relay tactical instructions and suggestions to King as part of his 'remote management' experiment, which was likely to be cut short if England lost the last of the three youth titles they had held at the start of June.

 

England striker Ollie Elmes didn't have the best of starts to proceedings. The Liverpool hotshot was caught offside twice in the first four minutes, and he was also yellow-carded after seven minutes for a foul on Prucha.

 

Things looked rather more positive for the Young Lions in the 15th minute. After Nemec upended Elmes close to goal, Nugent swung a free-kick into the penalty box from the left. Czech striker Michal Linhart's volleyed clearance only went as far as the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Peter Owen, whose sublime first-time shot rocketed past goalkeeper Radim Kares.

 

England were now 1-0 to the good, and a couple of their defenders hoped to extend that lead midway through the first half. Lapslie's 21st-minute free-kick was deflected behind off Stepan Barda in the Czech defensive wall. Ashley Wells' subsequent corner wasn't the best, but another free-kick four minutes later was fired inches over the crossbar by Mooney.

 

The Czechs themselves hoped to draw level from a free-kick in the 28th minute, after their midfielder Jan Prazak had been brought down by Darren Bennett. Dvorak took the set-piece and tried to power it over Dave Booth's head, but the Yorkshire-born goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to tip it clear.

 

The rest of the first half was somewhat cagey, although the Czech Republic did have another great equalising chance on the stroke of half-time. Turek's half-volley from a Dvorak corner thundered off the England crossbar and was nodded out of the area by Ward, at which point the referee called a halt to proceedings.

 

England had only a slender lead at the break, so Catterall opted to make a couple of personnel changes before the second half kicked off. He advised King to take off both Wells and Elmes, and replace them with Ray Butterfield and Ben Harvey. King agreed.

 

Suchoparek would also make some alterations to the Czech Republic line-up, though not until the second half was a few minutes old. Barda and Linhart were the two men who came off, with Dukla Praha forward Komarek and Viktoria Plzeň's terrier-like playmaker Dusan Soukup their respective replacements.

 

Those changes unsettled the Lvíčata for a while, and England were looking good to go 2-0 up before the hour. Harvey had a vicious strike diverted behind by Mladá Boleslav's brave defensive stopper Prucha in the 59th minute. Right-back Derek Howard then swung a promising corner into the Czech area, but Ward couldn't direct his header towards goal.

 

By the 60th minute, though, the tide was turning. Dvorak skipped past Lapslie near the touchline and then attempted to drill a cross into the six-yard box for Komarek. Dvorak miscued his delivery, which appeared to be drifting straight out of play until Booth's poor attempts to catch it resulted in him conceding a soft corner. It would be a costly mistake from the Manchester United goalkeeper.

 

Moments later, Dvorak lifted a corner into the England box. Up went Slovan Liberec left-winger Robert Smetana, who outjumped Owen and flicked the ball beyond Booth from a difficult angle. The Czech Republic were level at 1-1.

 

Smetana's equaliser began a strong spell of play for the Czechs. After 64 minutes, Tescoma Zlín's midfielder Lukas Vintr weighted a fantastic ball ahead of Komarek, who surged clear of his marker Butterfield and tried to drive in another goal. Booth came to England's rescue by pushing the ball behind.

 

Soukup and Prazak also missed chances for the Czech Republic midway through the second period. Their shots were bookended by a couple of England bookings to Bennett and Lapslie, who had upended Turek and Dvorak respectively.

 

The referee would reach for another card in the 73rd minute. After England's final substitute Paul Hancock swung a right-wing cross to Nugent, the Young Lions' skipper was brought to ground by a very late two-footed challenge from Vintr. Fully aware of his actions, the Czech middleman was already heading towards the tunnel before the ref had issued him with a red card.

 

Vintr's moment of stupidity left the Czech Republic a man light, and gave England a great opportunity to retake the lead and retain their title. However, just four minutes after one Lukas became a zero, another turned into a hero.

 

Nugent's trip on Dvorak in the 77th minute gifted the Czech Republic a free-kick 30 yards from goal. Right-winger Lukas Hric - who'd replaced Smetana immediately after Vintr's dismissal - lifted the set-piece over England's wall and towards Booth, who got a glove to the ball but couldn't keep it out of the net. The 10 men were now leading 2-1.

 

The minute following that goal saw further frustration for England's Young Lions. Firstly, Brentford striker Henry Torpey - a hitherto peripheral figure in this match - powered a Harvey cross goalwards, only for Kares to push it away. Moments later, Nugent clumsily felled Komarek to collect England's fourth booking of the game.

 

England went more attacking during the final 10 minutes, hoping to utilise the pace of Hancock and Harvey out wide. Hancock was scythed down after 86 minutes by Nemec, whose yellow card was the only blot on the Czechs' disciplinary record, Vintr's dismissal notwithstanding.

 

Hull City winger Hancock would also have what proved to be England's final shot of the match in the 89th minute. The Humbersider beat Nemec to a right-wing cross from Howard, and then tried to knock a header beyond Kares. The Lvíčata goalkeeper was untroubled, and the Young Lions' hearts noticeably sank.

 

England had worn themselves out in throwing everything at the Czech Republic, and they were finished off by a fantastic assist from Soukup in injury time. Butterfield and Ward were both unable to keep up with the fresher legs of Komarek, who latched onto Soukup's through-ball and slipped it beyond the onrushing Booth for 3-1.

 

Komarek's fourth goal of the tournament had secured him the Golden Boot, as well as the Czech Republic's first ever European Under-19s Championship. Their teenage starlets had succeeded where the Under-20s had failed two years earlier, beating England to a major title.

 

24 July 2021: UEFA European Under-19s Championship Final - at Georgios Kamaras, Athens

England U19s - 1 (Peter Owen 15)

Czech Republic U19s - 3 (Robert Smetana 61, Lukas Hric 77, Petr Komarek 90+1)

ENGLAND U19s LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Dave Booth; Derek Howard, Stephen Nugent, Nick Ward, Ted Lapslie; Joe Mooney (Paul Hancock); Darren Bennett, Ashley Wells (Ray Butterfield); Peter Owen; Henry Torpey, Ollie Elmes (Ben Harvey). BOOKED: Elmes 7, Bennett 64, Lapslie 67, Nugent 78.

 

Almost exactly a year to the day that they'd claimed a third youth championship in reasonably quick succession, England had now lost them all. Few of their Under-19s players could be consoled after the final whistle, though King put a reassuring arm around an especially devastated Booth, who would come in for severe criticism over his second-half performance.

 

The Young Lions then collected their runners-up medals from the tournament organisers, walking mournfully past the trophy that Nugent had lifted 12 months earlier. Instead, the honour of hoisting that trophy into the air would go to the Czech Republic's captain - 1.FC Slovácko left-back Turek.

 

For England's injured winger Moan, the disappointment was quelled somewhat when he received the European Under-19s Championship Golden Ball. The Manchester United prospect, who'd notched up two goals and two assists at this tournament, had been voted the event's leading player ahead of the victorious Dvorak and Divis.

 

Moan was one of three English players named in the Best XI, standing alongside Sheffield Wednesday defender Jordan Laing and Chelsea midfielder Petros Mavros, neither of whom had played in the Final. Torpey was named amongst the substitutes thanks to his two goals in the group win over Spain.

 

Though England were heartbroken at the result, they had still enjoyed another strong Under-19s Euros. Not only was this their second successive Final, but they had also made it to the last four for a fourth year on the trot. Considering the cut-throat nature of a qualifying process in which only seven teams could join the host nation at any given finals tournament, that was an incredible record surpassed by no other UEFA member.

 

King had been the head coach of England's Under-19s for the last three seasons, producing some outstanding results. However, the 40-year-old former defender now felt that he had nothing left to achieve in that particular job.

 

Upon his return to England, King announced his resignation from the Football Association after five years working with the Under-19s - the first two of which had been as an assistant coach to Matthew Wells. King would now focus solely on his full-time job as an Under-23s coach at his beloved Tottenham Hotspur.

 

Catterall had now lost the head coaches of both his Under-21s and Under-19s teams. He would soon find that the England set-up's big summer shake-up was only just beginning.

[CFuller]

***

 

Barely 24 hours after England lost the UEFA European Under-19s Championship Final in Athens, another of the country's national teams found themselves tantalisingly close to tasting continental glory. This time, England manager Mark Catterall had an even greater interest in proceedings.

 

On the Sunday afternoon of Sunday 25 July, Catterall and his 13-year-old son Luke were amongst thousands of supporters who convened on Wembley Stadium for the Final of UEFA Women's Euro 2021. The defending champions from the Netherlands were about to put their title on the line against host nation England, for whom Mark's daughter Ashley Minton was set to feature.

 

Ashley had done incredibly well to recover from a serious Achilles injury sustained on her England debut just seven months before the tournament. The Liverpool midfielder had since made substitute appearances in three of the Lionesses' five matches, setting up the winning goal in the Semi Final victory over Germany. Now she and her compatriots were 90 minutes from becoming the first England senior team to win a European Championship.

 

The England team bus arrived at Wembley 45 minutes before kick-off, with many home fans having waited patiently to greet their heroes. The players and coaching staff stepped off the bus one-by-one, and when Ashley set foot on the car park tarmac, she caught a glimpse of her father and half-brother.

 

Ashley asked her manager Emma Hayes with some trepidation, "Boss... d'you mind if I have a quick word with my family?"

 

Hayes smiled, "Course not. Go ahead."

 

Captain Steph Houghton remarked, "Don't be too long, Ash!"

 

While her team-mates headed into the stadium, Ashley made her way towards the supporters and hugged Mark, telling him, "You didn't have to wait for me, Dad!"

 

"We just wanted to be with you, Ash. Ain't that right, Luke?"

 

Luke said, "I'm really excited for you, sis. The European Final!"

 

Ashley gently touched Luke's right arm and said, "I'm glad you came. I'm gonna work extra-hard to win it for you."

 

"How are you feeling, girl?" Mark asked. "I made that same journey as you last year, and let me tell you... I was nervy as hell!"

 

Ashley said, "This is just surreal! I'm about to play for England... at Wembley! Even when I was a little girl, I never thought this was ever gonna happen! I don't know how I'm gonna cope!"

 

Luke suggested, "Treat it like you'd treat another game. Just imagine you're back at school playing with your classmates."

 

"That's sound advice, son," Mark nodded. "And my advice to you would be to get back to your team ASAP. You don't wanna lose your place in the team, d'ya?"

 

Ashley laughed and said, "Of course not. I'll see you soon."

 

"Best of luck, Ashley," Luke smiled. "I don't think you'll need it, though."

 

"Do us proud," Mark added before a beaming Ashley gently jogged into the stadium to link up with her team-mates.

 

Some time later, Mark took Luke into the VIP area, where they would watch the match with Ashley's mum Kat and step-dad Craig. About 15 minutes before kick-off, the FA's vice-chairwoman Angela Ruskin sat down next to Mark, who said, "Angela."

 

"Mark," Ruskin replied. "I know what you want to ask me... but we had a deal."

 

"I understand. Maybe it is time for me to let go of the youth teams."

 

"It's probably long overdue, to be honest. Look... can we talk more about this another time, when we've got new managers in place?"

 

"Of course," Mark nodded, before changing the subject to the match. "Exciting, isn't it? My little girl could be about to win England's first major senior title for 55 years. If only her grandad could see her now..."

 

"He was Brian Catterall, wasn't he?" Ruskin asked. When Mark nodded, she continued, "He was a great man, and a true ambassador for women's football. Back in the early 1970s, he and several other male professionals petitioned the FA to stop banning women from playing on their pitches."

 

"Wow. He never told me about this when I was growing up. How d'you know all this?"

 

"Funnily enough, my father Jim Ruskin - God rest his soul - played with your father at Blackpool for a while when they were young men. Dad got a transfer to Peterborough United in 1971, just before I was born."

 

"So football runs in your family?"

 

"It goes all the way back to my great-grandmother, who played with the great Lily Parr for Dick, Kerr Ladies in Preston during the 1920s. They would draw huge crowds of over 50,000 people at their peak. Indeed, they were so popular that the dinosaurs at FA banned women's football because they thought it was hurting the men's game. An England win tonight - in the 100th anniversary year of that terrible injustice - would be a massive game-changer."

 

Ruskin then turned to Mark and stated, "I might have a business background, Mark, but I'm just as passionate about football as you are."

 

The English and Dutch players then emerged from the Wembley tunnel, prompting Craig to call out excitedly, "Here they come!"

 

Luke asked, "Ashley is starting, isn't she?"

 

Kat shook her head. "Our Ash is on the bench again, but I'm sure she'll come on at some point. Mark my words, Luke."

 

Following spine-tingling renditions of the respective national anthems, the first half-hour of this Euro Final would be rather cagey. England survived a couple of early attacks from the reigning champions, who had impressively scored 15 goals in their previous five matches at this tournament. For a while, though, both teams struggle to string passes together.

 

The breakthrough would come after 32 minutes. A fast-paced Netherlands attack broke down when star forward Lieke Martens was dispossessed on the edge of England's box by Millie Bright. The Chelsea defender hoofed it up to her club-mate Fran Kirby - dubbed 'Mini-Messi' due to her diminutive frame and sublime technique. After gliding past the Dutch full-back, Kirby selflessly squared the ball into the box for Toni Duggan to stab in the opening goal.

 

England had moved ahead, but they would be pegged back within just two minutes of the restart. Barcelona hotshot Martens showed why she had been awarded the Women's Ballon d'Or twice when she took the ball from 25 yards out and curled it majestically towards the top corner of the goal. Though Lionesses keeper Mary Earps got a glove to the shot, she could only help it into the net, and the scores were level.

 

England soon started to show real anxiety in front of their home fans. Duggan and midfielder Jordan Nobbs each wasted opportunities to restore the advantage before the half-time whistle blew. At 1-1, the European title was still very much up for grabs.

 

Whatever Hayes said to her players in the dressing room certainly seemed to rejuvenate them for the restart. Five minutes into the second period, Kirby thrilled the Wembley spectators again by pouncing on a heavy first touch from Netherlands centre-half Danique Kerkdijk and dribbling with the ball into the penalty area.

 

As she was being closed down by another Dutch defender, Kirby played a cheeky backheel to midfielder Jade Moore, whose fierce drive from the edge of the box rocketed past goalie Sari van Veenendaal. The Lionesses were now 2-1 to the good.

 

The Oranje now knew in uncertain terms that they could not let Kirby control proceedings. The 28-year-old was subjected to some rough treatment from opposing defenders for the next quarter-hour. One particularly robust challenge from Kerkdijk in the 66th minute left Kirby wincing in pain as she held her left knee.

 

"Fran's down," Kat gasped. "If she's gotta come off... I guess that means our girl's coming on!"

 

Mark nodded, "Looks like it. They're similar players, aren't they? Ashley might add some fresh energy to the team."

 

About a minute later, the fourth official raised her board to confirm that Ashley Minton's opportunity had arrived. England's number 16 was coming on in Kirby's place, making just her fifth senior international appearance in the European Championship Final.

 

Before Ashley could make her mark, though, England saw their lead erased once more. The 70th minute proved to be a moment to forget for Bright, who blocked a centre from Dutch forward Lineth Beerensteyn but couldn't stop the deflection from ending up in her own net. 2-2 - game on again.

 

The Oranje quickly pushed forward, desperate to take the lead for the first time. Their first opportunity to make it 3-2 came on 74 minutes, but Earps produced a reassuring catch for England after Beerensteyn had broken through her defence's offside trap.

 

A couple of minutes later, the Lionesses countered. Substitute central midfielder Georgia Stanway found Ashley hovering around the Netherlands' penalty arc and knocked a well-executed pass to the young Scouser. Ashley duly knocked the ball past Kerkdijk, only to be blocked off by Dutch left-back Siri Worm. Ashley tripped over Worm's outstretched left leg, convincing the referee to blow her whistle and point to the penalty spot.

 

"PENALTY!" Kat shrieked, as if she was acting in an old Co-op advert.

 

"That was a very clumsy challenge," Mark stated. "Knowing Ashley as I do, she would've stayed on her feet if she could."

 

As van Veenendaal - the Dutch captain - made her misgivings clear to the referee, Duggan picked up the ball and prepared to take the penalty before being interrupted by her own skipper Houghton, who had sprinted forward from defence to tell her, "It's not yours, Toni."

 

Duggan had a rather puzzled look on her face as Houghton continued, "Give it to Ash. She won the pen, so she takes it. Emma's orders."

 

Duggan reluctantly accepted Hayes' managerial decision from the touchline and handed the ball over to Ashley. She wished her fellow Liverpudlian the best of luck, saying, "Break a leg, Mints."

 

Back in the VIP area, Mark gasped, "Oh my... Ashley's taking it! She's taking the damn penalty!"

 

"God, I can't look!" Kat yelped, putting her hands over her eyes. Luke in turn covered his ears, quietly repeating the phrase, "Please don't miss, please don't miss..."

 

Craig asked, "How you feeling, Mark? You must be hoping this ain't like the last time a Catterall took a penalty at a big tournament, eh?"

 

"Geez, cheers for the reminder," Mark groaned.

 

Ashley placed the ball onto its spot and then laid her eyes on van Veenendaal before taking a few steps back. 12 yards, and a world-class Dutch goalkeeper, were all that separated the youngest player in the England squad from putting her country within touching distance of becoming continental champions.

 

As soon as the referee blew her whistle, Ashley turned towards the VIP box and said under her breath, "This is for you."

 

Then she sprinted towards the penalty spot, pausing very briefly before striking the ball right-footed as powerfully as she could. For one moment, a nation held its breath.

[CFuller]

2020/2021 Season Summary

 

Premier League

Final Table

                                   P     W     D     L     F     A     GD    PTS
1.    C/CL  Man Utd                38    29    7     2     92    18    74    94
2.    CL    Arsenal                38    27    5     6     83    34    49    86
3.    CL    Liverpool              38    20    10    8     76    44    32    70
4.    CL    Everton                38    18    13    7     71    41    30    67
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.    EL    Man City               38    21    4     13    71    51    20    67
6.    EL    Tottenham              38    19    10    9     57    41    16    67
7.    CL    Chelsea                38    18    6     14    66    55    11    60
8.          Norwich                38    16    9     13    49    48    1     57
9.          Newcastle              38    16    9     13    56    62    -6    57
10.         Southampton            38    14    10    14    46    47    -1    52
11.         Stoke                  38    12    13    13    52    49    3     49
12.         Watford                38    13    6     19    44    63    -19   45
13.         West Ham               38    12    8     18    41    53    -12   44
14.         Crystal Palace         38    11    10    17    54    64    -10   43
15.         Wolves                 38    11    9     18    48    67    -19   42
16.         Leicester              38    13    2     23    43    75    -32   41
17.         Bournemouth            38    10    8     20    40    66    -26   38
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18.   R     Sunderland             38    6     11    21    40    65    -25   29
19.   R     West Brom              38    7     6     25    28    67    -39   27
20.   R     Brighton               38    5     8     25    35    82    -47   23

 

Awards

PFA Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd)

FWA Footballer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd)

PFA Young Player of the Year: Ousmane Dembélé (Man Utd)

Golden Boot: Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd, 37 goals)

Manager of the Year: José Mourinho (Man Utd)

PFA Team of the Year: David De Gea (Man Utd); Elseid Hysaj (Man Utd), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea), Jairo Riedewald (Man Utd), Luke Shaw (Man Utd); Ousmane Dembélé (Man Utd), Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal), Paul Pogba (Man Utd), Antoine Griezmann (Man City); Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd), Paulo Dybala (Arsenal)

 

Managerial Movements

Leicester - Steve Clarke sacked on 5 December; Stevie Crawford appointed on 18 December

Wolves - Stevie Crawford moved to Leicester on 18 December; Ben Petty appointed on 2 January

Bournemouth - Walter Mazzarri sacked on 19 December; Ivaylo Petev appointed on 3 January

Stoke - Ryan Giggs sacked on 19 December; Ian Cathro appointed on 3 January

Chelsea - Antonio Conte sacked on 26 December; Roger Schmidt appointed on 10 January

West Brom - Shaun Derry sacked on 29 December; Walter Mazzarri appointed on 12 January

Man City - Stefano Pioli sacked on 19 January; Lee Carsley appointed caretaker on 19 January

Sunderland - David Moyes sacked on 6 February; Peter Bosz appointed on 22 February

Brighton - Alex Neil sacked on 17 February; Scott Fitzgerald appointed on 4 March

Man City - Lee Carsley ended caretaker spell on 6 June; Zinedine Zidane appointed on 6 June

 

Leading Transfers

DATE        NAME                      POSITIONS           FROM            TO              FEE (POTENTIAL)
01/07/2020  Ousmane Dembélé           M/AM (RL)           Dortmund        Man Utd         £82M
01/07/2020  Gonçalo Guedes            AM (RL)             PSG             Man City        £81M
11/08/2020  Iñaki Williams            AM (RLC), ST (C)    FC Bayern       Chelsea         £34.5M (£45.5M)
13/01/2021  Naby Keïta                M (C)               RB Leipzig      Liverpool       £29.5M
12/07/2020  Diego Llorente            D (RC)              Stoke           Man City        £28.5M (£36.5M)
02/08/2020  Oliver Burke              M/AM (R)            RB Leipzig      Arsenal         £26M (£34.5M)
11/07/2020  Josip Brekalo             M/AM (RL)           Wolfsburg       Man City        £23M (£39M)
01/07/2020  Hicham Bennouna           ST (C)              AA Gent         Chelsea         £23M
01/07/2020  Thilo Kehrer              D (C), DM, M (C)    Hertha BSC      Liverpool       £22.5M (£33.5M)
19/07/2020  Giovanni Troupée          D (R)               Sunderland      Liverpool       £20M (£36.5M)

 

Also in England

Championship

Promoted: Huddersfield (1st), Aston Villa (2nd), Leeds (4th)

Also in Play-Offs: Burnley (3rd), Sheff Wed (5th), Fulham (6th)

Relegated: Coventry (22nd), Blackburn (23rd), Barnsley (24th)

 

League One

Promoted: Plymouth (1st), Walsall (2nd), Wigan (4th)

Also in Play-Offs: Port Vale (3rd), Burton (5th), Northampton (6th)

Relegated: Southend (21st), Dag & Red (22nd), Oxford (23rd), Carlisle (24th)

 

League Two

Promoted: Swindon (1st), Crewe (2nd), Rochdale (3rd), Leyton Orient (6th)

Also in Play-Offs: Colchester (4th), Bristol Rovers (5th), Crawley (7th)

Relegated: Stevenage (23rd), Gateshead (24th)

 

National League

Promoted: Boston Utd (1st), Tranmere (3rd)

Also in Play-Offs: Newport (2nd), Mansfield (4th), Hampton & Richmond (5th)

Relegated: Eastbourne Boro (21st), Chester (22nd), Macclesfield (23rd), Torquay (24th)

 

National League North

Promoted: Morecambe (1st), York (3rd)

Also in Play-Offs: FC Halifax (2nd), Nuneaton (4th), Solihull Moors (5th)

Relegated: Bradford PA (20th), Spennymoor (21st), North Ferriby (22nd)

 

National League South

Promoted: Forest Green (1st), Braintree (4th)

Also in Play-Offs: St Albans (2nd), Billericay (3rd), Oxford City (5th)

Relegated: Kingstonian (20th), Hendon (21st), Sutton Utd (22nd)

 

Promoted from Regional Leagues

Frickley, Hayes & Yeading, Kettering, Merthyr Town, Nantwich, Staines

 

Domestic Cups

FA Cup: Huddersfield 3-2 Crystal Palace

EFL Cup: Tottenham 1-0 Norwich

Community Shield: Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal (3-2 penalties)

EFL Trophy: Cambridge 1-0 Bradford

FA Trophy: Ilkeston 1-0 Dulwich Hamlet

 

Europe

UEFA Champions League: Man Utd 0-0 Porto (3-0 penalties) - at Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid

UEFA Europa League: Chelsea 1-0 Benfica - at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-Étienne

UEFA Super Cup: Man Utd 3-2 FC Bayern (aet) - at Red Bull Arena, Wals-Siezenheim

 

Awards

Best Player in Europe: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Golden Shoe: Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd)

Golden Boy: Drissa Traoré (Rennes)

 

Dutch Eredivisie

Top Three: Ajax (1st), Vitesse (2nd), PSV (3rd)

Relegated: Heracles (16th), Willem II (17th), Go Ahead (18th)

Promoted from Eerste Divisie: De Graafschap, NAC, Sparta

 

French Ligue 1

Top Three: PSG (1st), Monaco (2nd), Lyon (3rd)

Relegated: Nancy (18th), Bastia (19th), Le Havre (20th)

Promoted from Ligue 2: Montpellier, Metz, Nantes

 

German Bundesliga

Top Three: Leverkusen (1st), FC Bayern (2nd), RB Leipzig (3rd)

Relegated: Braunschweig (16th), Werder Bremen (17th), Karlsruhe (18th)

Promoted from 2. Bundesliga: Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Nürnberg

 

Italian Serie A

Top Three: Napoli (1st), Roma (2nd), Milan (3rd)

Relegated: Empoli (18th), Atalanta (19th), Ternana (20th)

Promoted from Serie B: Pescara, Bari, Cagliari

 

Portuguese Primeira Liga

Top Three: Porto (1st), Benfica (2nd), Sporting (3rd)

Relegated: Arouca (17th), Académica (18th)

Promoted from LigaPro: Tondela, Feirense

 

Russian Premier League

Top Three: Zenit (1st), Spartak Moscow (2nd), Krasnodar (3rd)

Relegated: Lokomotiv Moscow (15th), Ural (16th)

Promoted from FNL: Baltika, SKA Khabarovsk

 

Scottish Premiership

Top Three: Celtic (1st), Hearts (2nd), Rangers (3rd)

Relegated: St Mirren (12th)

Promoted from Championship: Dundee Utd

 

Spanish La Liga

Top Three: Real Madrid (1st), Barcelona (2nd), Atlético (3rd)

Relegated: Levante (18th), Eibar (19th), Córdoba (20th)

Promoted from La Liga 2: Alavés, Las Palmas, Almería

 

Global

FIFA Club World Cup: Man Utd 7-1 Palmeiras - at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

 

Awards

Ballon d'Or: 1st - Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd), 2nd - Lionel Messi (Barcelona), 3rd - Paulo Dybala (Arsenal)

FIFA World Player of the Year: 1st - Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd), 2nd - Lionel Messi (Barcelona), 3rd - Paulo Dybala (Arsenal)

World Soccer World Player of the Year: 1st - Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd), 2nd - Lionel Messi (Barcelona), 3rd - Paulo Dybala (Arsenal)

FIFA/FIFPro World XI: Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern); Alessandro Florenzi (Barcelona), Javi Martínez (Milan), Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid), David Alaba (FC Bayern); James Rodríguez (Real Madrid), Thomas Müller (FC Bayern); Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Paulo Dybala (Arsenal), Eden Hazard (PSG); Robert Lewandowski (Man Utd)

 

Leading Transfers (not including Premier League)

DATE        NAME                      POSITIONS           FROM            TO              FEE (POTENTIAL)
14/06/2020  Renato Sanches            M (C)               FC Bayern       PSG             £83M
20/07/2020  Daniele Rugani            D (C)               Juventus        Barcelona       £66M
04/07/2020  Thomas Lemar              M (L), AM (C)       Monaco          Real Madrid     £58M
01/02/2021  Luka Jovic                ST (C)              Benfica         Dortmund        £44.5M (£63M)
20/06/2020  Romelu Lukaku             ST (C)              Atlético        PSG             £39.5M (£49.5M)
09/07/2020  Felix Passlack            D/WB (R)            Dortmund        FC Bayern       £35.5M (£54M)
04/08/2020  Isco                      M (RL), AM (C)      Real Madrid     Juventus        £32M (£43.5M)
31/08/2020  Levin Öztunali            M/AM (R)            Mainz           FC Bayern       £31.5M
06/08/2020  Serge Aurier              D/WB (R)            Man City        PSG             £25M
03/01/2021  Roel Mertens              ST (C)              KRC Genk        Juventus        £24.5M

 

[efcfan]

Looks like Mark is going to have to get his next hires right. Out of curiosity, how often does Catts go to matches to scout players?

[CFuller]

16 minutes ago, efcfan said:

Looks like Mark is going to have to get his next hires right. Out of curiosity, how often does Catts go to matches to scout players?

I... ahem, I mean Mark doesn't attend matches to scout players. All English players of reasonable ability or potential who could play for the Under-19s, Under-21s or seniors are scouted individually - usually every six months, to make sure their reports are up-to-date.

To clarify what has been said above, the Under-21s and Under-19s will have new managers from next season. Mark was previously in charge of all their matches, with the assistant managers acting as unofficial 'head coaches'. Mark will now concentrate solely on taking the senior team to the 2022 World Cup, which in turn will give me a little more time to focus on his and his family's stories.

This change of focus is partly because I've become so annoyed with certain youth competition bugs that I don't want to keep making convoluted explanations for in my writing (Spanish flu, anyone?). Primarily, though, it's because I've become bored of managing the youth teams - it's too easy now, frankly. I also don't think you as readers would be particularly interested in another two-year slog with the Under-19s, 20s and 21s when Catts has already won three tournaments and reached another two Finals with the age-group teams.

Anyway... Season 6 of "An Impossible Man" will start at some point in early 2019. Until then, may you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

[CFuller]

Chapter 51 - Everything Has Changed

 

"Now here's a chance for England to counter. It's Georgia Stanway... now Minton... takes it into the box and goes down! Was that a foul from Worm? IT WAS! ENGLAND HAVE A PENALTY! Ashley Minton has won a penalty for England, and now they have the chance to go 3-2 up in the European Championship Final!"

 

BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce could hardly contain his excitement as the Final of UEFA Women's Euro 2021 at Wembley Stadium took a potentially decisive twist. England and the Netherlands were deadlocked at 2-2 when, with 14 minutes to go, Ashley Minton was seemingly upended in the Dutch area by a clumsy standing tackle from defender Siri Worm.

 

Despite being the youngest player in the England squad, 20-year-old Minton was entrusted with taking the resultant penalty. Standing with the ball 12 yards from goal, she stared into the eyes of Netherlands keeper Sari van Veenendaal before momentarily turning to the crowd and muttering something under her breath.

 

Pearce picked it up from there in the commentary box. "This has to be the biggest moment of this very talented young woman's life. Ashley Minton, to give England the lead again... OH NO, SHE'S HIT THE BAR! But here comes Moore with the REBOUND!!! Jade Moore scores her second of the night, and England go from agony to ecstasy in a matter of seconds!"

 

A fortnight had passed since that potentially career-defining moment for Ashley. She was re-watching the Final on television at her father Mark Catterall's home. Mark's wife Jenny and their son Luke had also sat down to relive the match.

 

"That was some rebound strike, to be fair," Mark told Ashley, who had cringed momentarily after seeing her penalty miss again in 4K ultra-high-definition.

 

Ashley nodded, "Jade was unplayable that day. Dug me out of a big hole as well."

 

"Well, at least your miss didn't cost the team. I don't know how I would've felt if she hadn't scored."

 

Luke asked, "Yeah, but that won't stop people saying that Catteralls can't score penalties, will it?"

 

"Just be happy that things turned out alright in the end, son," Mark said.

 

The final 13 minutes of regulation time saw England defend stoically against renewed pressure from the Netherlands. A series of excellent saves from goalkeeper Mary Earps kept the Lionesses 3-2 ahead before the fourth official raised her board, signalling three minutes of stoppage time.

 

In the first additional minute, Earps hoisted a goal kick deep into the Dutch half. Worm tried to head the ball back into opposition territory, but England striker Toni Duggan intercepted it and knocked it down to Ashley. The young attacking midfielder then dribbled upfield, cutting through a gap between the Netherlands' centre-halves.

 

Pearce grew ever more excited as he commentated, "Great header from Duggan to Minton... and now Minton's going for goal on her own! Could this be the final blow! IT IS!!! Ashley Minton has secured the win with her first international goal! ENGLAND WOMEN ARE THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS!"

 

"And there it is," Jenny smiled as she applauded.

 

"I'll remember that moment 'til I die," Ashley said. "Nothing gives you quite the same buzz as scoring for your country."

 

"Or winning a major championship for your country," Luke added.

 

"Yeah, that too."

 

"So where's your medal?"

 

"Mum's keeping it in a very safe place... for now. At least until I've settled into my new digs."

 

"You're flying the nest then?" Mark asked.

 

"I've already left. I was lodging with one of the Liverpool girls last season, but now that I've left... oh, wait, I never told you I left Liverpool, did I?"

 

Jenny shook her head. "No, you didn't. So who are you playing for now?"

 

Luke said, "Manchester United have a girls' team now. I'd love it if you went from Liverpool to United."

 

Ashley laughed, "Nah, it's not United. I've gone to Birmingham."

 

"Ah, Birmingham City. That's the club you played against on your Liverpool debut three years ago, ain't it?" Mark asked. When Ashley nodded, he gave her a follow-up question, "So why Birmingham?"

 

"Basically, Liverpool don't want me no more. They've got this new coach from Germany who's brought in her own players, so I needed to join another club to play regular football and keep my England place."

 

"Liverpool are idiots to let you go," Luke said.

 

"I s'pose, but I'm deffo gonna prove them wrong, Luke. Birmingham's a great club with a fantastic set-up. They ain't won a lot lately, but I wanna change that."

 

Mark asked, "So... where are you living now, Ash?"

 

"Lichfield."

 

"Lichfield? That's not too far from here, is it?"

 

Ashley then brought up her boyfriend Lawrence Warner's recent loan move from Liverpool to Stoke City. "Yeah, well, Loz has gone to Stoke for the year... and we've thought about moving in together for a while, so we've rented a place that's close to both our teams. No more Skyping or long commutes for us!"

 

"I'm pleased for the both of you," Mark said. "I just hope you're not putting Loz's career over your own."

 

"I'm not, Dad. We're both very happy where we are right now."

 

"Good. Just saying."

 

The five then watched the TV as the England players - including Ashley - walked up the Wembley steps and collected their European Championship medals. At the end of the line was captain Steph Houghton, who collected the trophy from UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin and lifted it into the air.

 

"Life won't be the same again for you, Ashley," Jenny stated. "I wouldn't be surprised if women's football went mainstream after this."

 

"I won't let fame change me, if that's what you're suggesting, Jenny," Ashley replied.

 

"I'm only saying that people will know all about you now. Just look at what happened to England's women cricketers and rugby players when they won their World Cups a few years back. Now they're respected just as much as their male counterparts, if not more."

 

Mark added, "And of course, your success will inspire us men to strive for glory ourselves. What you and the other Lionesses have achieved at Wembley could be a pivotal moment, not just for women's football, but for English football as a whole."

 

Ashley smiled, "Yeah. I hope we've made a positive difference."

[CFuller]

***

 

When Mark Catterall was appointed as England manager in 2016, his plan to take charge of all teams from the Under-19s onwards was considered a major gamble. Managing the various age-group teams remotely while simultaneously assuming direct control of the senior side was something no national team boss had ever dared to do before. Many people reckoned that the experiment would fail spectacularly.

 

In the end, 'remote management' was regarded to be an unqualified success. England's football squads had never been so consistently strong at all levels, and not a year went by without a team getting to a major tournament Semi Final at worst.

 

The seniors had confounded all expectations at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, reaching the Semi Finals before being edged out in extra-time by eventual champions Belgium. They then followed that up by reaching the UEFA Euro 2020 Final, only to lose 1-0 at Wembley, with Cristiano Ronaldo's spectacular free-kick retaining the trophy for Portugal.

 

The Under-21s competed in two European Championship Finals, also against Portugal. A crushing defeat in 2017 was followed two years later by a successful revenge mission, as the Young Lions prevailed in a penalty shoot-out to take the trophy home.

 

That victory at the Under-21s Euros had come just weeks after England secured their first global trophy since 1966. They overcame their spot-kick nerves to beat the Czech Republic in the Final of the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup. Mind you, the Under-20s didn't exactly hit the heights in the 2017 or 2021 tournaments, twice losing in the Last 16 to African opposition.

 

Then there was the Under-19s. They narrowly failed to qualify for the European Championship in 2017, but successfully made it to the next four tournaments. The Young Lions roared with all their might in 2020, overcoming Germany in extra-time to complete Catterall's collection of youth trophies. They were not quite able to retain it 12 months later, thanks to a Czech side hell-bent on vengeance themselves.

 

While the youth squads had thrived, though, the senior team's recent results had been very unconvincing. Their fairytale run at Euro 2020 masked some dreadful results: a 3-1 loss against Denmark, home draws against Austria and Ivory Coast, and - most worrying of all - humiliating shutouts in Kazakhstan and Armenia.

 

Those latter two results had left England's hopes of even qualifying for the 2022 World Cup hanging by a thread. The Football Association determined that urgent action had to be taken before the Three Lions missed their plane to Morocco.

 

FA chairwoman Angela Ruskin - who took over from the disgraced Clark Gregory in 2020 - had decided to call a halt to the 'remote management' strategy after five years. Moving forward, Catterall would only be in charge of the senior national team, with specialist managers appointed to oversee the Under-21s and the Under-19s.

 

Ruskin had approached several prominent coaches about taking charge of the Under-21s. Garry Monk and Gary Rowett each rejected Ruskin's advances, as did a certain charismatic Bristolian named Ian Holloway, who would have left some journalists salivating at the mouth had he taken the job.

 

After weeks of speculation, a new manager was finally appointed at the end of July to succeed former head coach David Byrne. That man was 51-year-old Paul Ashworth - a little-known East Midlander who'd spent most of his coaching career in Latvia and Nigeria.

 

Ashworth had been given his first senior management job in English football in December 2020, succeeding Luke Williams as manager of League One strugglers Oxford United. Ashworth was sacked after less than five months at the helm, having won just six of his 22 matches in charge as the U's were relegated to League Two.

 

Despite his spotty record with Oxford, the FA had seen enough in Ashworth to give him the biggest opportunity of his career. He was regarded as an excellent tactician with a strong reputation for nourishing talented youngsters.

 

Ashworth's appointment as Under-21s manager was not without controversy. Paul was the elder brother of Dan Ashworth - the FA's former technical director, who'd lost his job when Catterall was named England manager. Dan was later implicated in the scandal surrounding former England women's boss Mark Sampson's treatment of Nigerian-born forward Eniola Aluko and subsequently banned from football for four years.

 

Paul Ashworth's assistant manager would be Colin Cooper. The Middlesbrough icon and former England defender had held a coaching role with the Under-21s for half a decade now and was highly-regarded by colleagues and players alike. It was Catterall's idea to promote Cooper to his new role, with the pair having got along very well during their time together.

 

Aaron Danks remained on the coaching staff, as did goalkeeping coach Alec Chamberlain. They would later be joined by Adam Lallana - a 50-cap England midfielder who'd retired from playing the previous summer. Now aged 33, Lallana would begin his new career within the FA set-up while studying for his UEFA coaching badges.

 

There was also a new physiotherapist for the Under-21s, following the retirement of Derek Wright. He was replaced with former Manchester United youth-team physio Amanda Johnson, who had most recently worked at the ASPIRE Academy in Doha, Qatar.

 

The Under-19s were in need of new leadership as well, following Ledley King's decision to leave the FA and focus on his work with Tottenham Hotspur. Goalkeeping coach Mark Beeney also left his England post, having recently been promoted to a first-team role at Chelsea after many years in the youth set-up.

 

The new Under-19s manager was none other than the legendary Frank Lampard. Capped 106 times by the Three Lions, 43-year-old Lampard had been groomed as a coach by the FA since retiring from playing in 2016. He would continue the attacking philosophy implemented by Catterall at all levels.

 

Lampard's fellow coaches were all England internationals themselves. His assistant would be Des Walker, who'd worked alongside him for the past three years and would continue to provide invaluable defensive advice.

 

All-time record scorer Wayne Rooney stayed on as an attacking coach, and he was now accompanied by former team-mates James Milner and Ben Foster. The versatile Milner - capped 61 times between 2009 and 2016 - had just called time on his playing days after six years at Liverpool. New goalkeeping coach Foster - who made eight appearances for England - had hung up his gloves in 2019 after ending his career with West Bromwich Albion.

 

Matt Salmon - the only Under-19s staff member who had never played at any level, let alone internationally - was retained as physio. The 29-year-old former Mansfield Town employee had worked with the FA for two years.

 

That just left the matter of Catterall's set-up for the senior team. For the first summer since 2017, that would remain completely unchanged, with no retirements or new faces.

 

'Catts' and his assistant Michael Burke remained at the helm as they strived to get England through choppy waters and into the 2022 World Cup. Tony Adams, Warren Joyce, Phil Neville and David Platt also stayed put, as did goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers and fitness coach Chris Neville. The backroom was completed by physios David Fevre and James Haycock.

 

In a widely-acclaimed article that appeared in The Guardian in August, their chief football writer Adrian Pike hailed the senior coaching set-up as "an easily-forgotten England team, but one which is almost as important as the side that takes to the pitch". He added:

 

Quote

"Just as Mark Catterall's plans to deliver major tournament success to England have evolved, his coaching team at St George's Park has slowly evolved also into one of the most envied set-ups around. Each man lends invaluable experience and possesses unique qualities that makes this particular team greater than the already-substantial sum of its parts.

 

"Tony Adams - England's captain at Euro 1996 - succeeded Glenn Hoddle as tactical coach in the wake of last year's European finals. Since then, he has provided the defensive know-how and passion that made Arsenal so formidable in the early 1990s and at the start of Arsène Wenger's great 21-year tenure. His former Gunners colleague David Platt's best days as a manager might have been behind him before he celebrated his 40th birthday, but Platt's remarkable attention to detail has helped coach England's leading attackers into fine technicians.

 

"Phil Neville - one of the youngest of Fergie's Fledglings - has a winning mentality honed from his experiences of unprecedented success with Manchester United. Together with the hard-working former United youth coach Warren Joyce, they have instilled discipline into an England defence that has yet to concede a goal in the qualifying rounds for this year's World Cup.

 

"The contributions of fitness coach Chris Neville and goalkeeping guru Tim Flowers are rarely acknowledged, even by the more informed Three Lions supporters. They have worked with the England manager since his first day in the top job - indeed, Neville was first appointed by Catterall's predecessor Roy Hodgson - and they each possess incredible determination to get the best out of their players.

 

"Unlike most of his colleagues, Michael Burke - Catterall's assistant, and his best friend since childhood - never got to represent the Three Lions in an all-too-brief playing career curtailed by injury. The diminutive and chipper Salfordian is primarily focussed on the attack and has been charged with turning Harry Kane from an inconsistent international centre-forward to a bona-fide England goal machine.

 

"And then there is the main man himself. Dismissed by some on the non-footballing right-wing as an aloof socialist madman, Mark Catterall is a complex character aptly nicknamed the 'Impossible Man'. While not always the most hands-on of coaches, Catterall's weird and often wonderful experiments have helped to build team spirit and bring about some truly memorable victories. Since the retirement of the late, great Ray Wilkins in 2018, he has also become the team's father figure, lending helpful words of wisdom to his young charges.

 

"With 227 England caps - and 14 appearances in major tournament squads - between them, this is a coaching set-up to rival even the Germany national team for experience. Having fallen short in their attempts to end England's long trophyless run while they were still playing, they now possess the desire to ensure this current generation of Lions does not suffer similar disappointment. And to be honest, even after the debacles of Astana and Yerevan, who would honestly bet against them?"

 

[CFuller]

***

 

The 2021/2022 season saw Manchester United look to make yet more history. Having already won four successive Premier League titles and back-to-back UEFA Champions Leagues, José Mourinho and his 'dream team' were bidding to continue their recent dominance of football's biggest prizes.

 

Mourinho had a strong contingent of English defenders, headed by left-back Luke Shaw. He would add another full-back to his ranks to the summer, bringing Kyle Walker to Old Trafford after his contract at Tottenham Hotspur expired. The 31-year-old Yorkshireman would initially provide cover for first-choice right-back Elseid Hysaj, though he would surely need to start regularly to regain the England place he'd lost after UEFA Euro 2020.

 

United retained the services of centre-backs Brendan Galloway and Axel Tuanzebe, albeit only as understudies to the likes of Eric Bailly, Jairo Riedewald and Antonio Rüdiger. Galloway featured in only one of the Red Devils' opening three PL matches this season - all victories - though he played a significant role in their Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup wins over Huddersfield Town and Chelsea respectively.

 

Tuanzebe's only involvement in Manchester United's opening fixtures had been in the Community Shield at Wembley. He headed home what would be the first of five goals scored against Huddersfield. Tuanzebe would later be the subject of loan offers from both Juventus and Real Sociedad, though Mourinho turned down their advances, as he wanted to retain the 23-year-old for his squad.

 

Phil Jones also seemed to be staying put at Old Trafford, even though the experienced defender was determined to leave for regular first-team football. After two seasons on loan at Norwich City, Mourinho decided to keep attacking midfielder Callum Gribbin around his squad as well. However, injuries to his groin and heel had hampered Gribbin's hopes of breaking into the first-team at United.

 

And what about Marcus Rashford? The homegrown forward already had enough on his plate trying to battle for regular first-team football in a team which already included luminaries such as Ousmane Dembélé, Robert Lewandowski and Bernardo Silva.

 

Then Manchester United brought out their chequebook once again for their now-annual superstar summer signing. Joining a squad already bursting at the seams with exceptional attacking talents was France winger Kylian Mbappé. The explosive 22-year-old cost £58million from Monaco, which seemed like a bargain when many news reports had suggested the fee would be as high as £150million.

 

Rashford had made just nine league appearances for United last season and would surely have to move on to regain his place in Mark Catterall's England squad. The 23-year-old was earning a modest £60,000 per week and would have been a great signing for many top-level clubs, but he decided to stick it out for the time being. His reluctance to move away from Manchester prompted Sky Sports pundit and ex-England defender Jamie Carragher to say, "He's in real danger of becoming another Raheem Sterling - another case of what might have been".

 

Speaking of Sterling, the mercurial winger had finally decided to cut ties with Manchester City after six largely unhappy years. New Citizens manager Zinedine Zidane had put him up for sale for £16.5million - a cut-price fee that Rafa Benítez and Arsenal just could not resist.

 

Though born in Jamaica, Sterling had been principally raised in London, and the 26-year-old trickster relished the prospect of returning to his home city. He took just 21 minutes to endear himself to Gooners everywhere by scoring on his Arsenal debut at Vicarage Road against Watford. With Sterling on fire from the outset, Arsenal emulated United by winning their first three league matches, potentially setting the scene for another fierce title challenge.

 

Like Arsenal's newest hero, stalwart midfielder Jack Wilshere had enjoyed a strong start to the season. Unfortunately for young left-back Josh Tymon, so had his Scottish rival Kieran Tierney. Tymon was now too old for the England Under-21s squad, and he would have to wait patiently for the first senior call-up many people had tipped him to receive for some time.

 

Manchester City began brightly as well, picking up seven points from their first three matches. Michael Keane and John Stones continued their strong central defensive partnership under Zidane's management. Now aged 28 and 27 respectively, they were arguably at the peak of their powers.

 

England captain Jordan Henderson entered his second decade at Liverpool, though he missed their opening-day victory over Norwich City through suspension. Nathaniel Clyne filled in at left-back for the opening fixtures while Ben Chilwell completed his recovery from an Achilles injury.

 

Merseyside rivals Everton got off to a rather rockier start, with two unconvincing home draws and a defeat at Arsenal. They were also comfortably beaten by Lyon in their UEFA Champions League Playoff, subsequently dropping down into the UEFA Europa League.

 

Despite that, Toffees boss André Villas-Boas was expected to keep faith in goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and right-back Calum Chambers. However, Mason Holgate's hopes of re-establishing himself in the starting line-up after injury had been dented by the arrival of Serbia centre-half Matija Nastasic from Schalke 04. Question marks were also hanging over Ross Barkley, who had been very ineffective early on this term.

 

Harry Kane had been anything but ineffective for Tottenham Hotspur so far, with the England vice-captain having scored five goals in as many matches. Left-back Danny Rose and playmaker Dele Alli had also fared well, though midfielders Eric Dier and James Ward-Prowse were somewhat hit-and-miss.

 

For once, Callum Wilson was not the only Englishman with a realistic chance of getting regular first-team football at Chelsea. The striker was now accompanied by 20-year-old right-back Peter Turner, who made his PL debut for the Blues on the opening day, and returning Manchester City loanee Will Hughes. Whether Turner and/or Hughes could nail down regular spots for club and country remained to be seen.

 

Turner had benefited enormously from a loan spell at Stoke City last season. The Potters had signed a couple more of England's brightest prospects on temporary deals this time around. Striker Lawrence Warner was loaned in from Liverpool, and he was joined at the Bet365 Stadium by Arsenal's teenage left-back Ted Lapslie.

 

Another Liverpool forward who went out on loan to a middling club was Willie Field. The 19-year-old had provided 36 goals and 15 assists for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship last term, earning him his first senior England caps. However, as of the end of August, Field was still waiting to make his Premier League debut for loan club Southampton.

 

Arsenal's 20-year-old left-winger Charles Ameobi had hoped to make his top-flight breakthrough at Huddersfield Town this term after staying with the Championship and FA Cup winners for another loan spell. Sadly, Ameobi tore his calf muscle on the opening day of the season in a dangerous slide tackle from Stoke full-back Jon Flanagan, who broke his own foot in the process. Both men would face three months on the sidelines.

 

Things were looking more positive for another of England's 'new generation'. Wolverhampton Wanderers' creative midfielder Neil Campbell, also 20, entered his second PL season with serious aspirations of breaking into the national team. Campbell had also publicly declared his desire to play for a top club in the future, and a strong campaign would go some way to catching the big boys' attention.

 

That was the state of play after the first few games of the season. Catterall now had to name his England squad for the next batch of FIFA World Cup qualifiers, both of which were at home against so-called minnows. If the Three Lions didn't take maximum points from those fixtures, it would surely end any realistic hopes they had of going to Morocco together on their summer holidays.

 

Notably, this was the first time since taking the helm that Catterall had no part in naming the Under-21s and Under-19s squads, which were now managed by Paul Ashworth and Frank Lampard respectively. As previously mentioned, he was now working exclusively with the big boys.

 

ENGLAND squad - for matches vs Liechtenstein (H) and Kazakhstan (H)

NAME                      POSITIONS           D.O.B. (AGE)     CLUB            CAPS  GOALS HEIGHT WEIGHT     VALUE
Jack Butland              GK                  10/03/1993 (28)  Stoke           19    0     6'5"   14st 13lbs £16M    
Fraser Forster            GK                  17/03/1988 (33)  Southampton     10    0     6'7"   15st 8lbs  £2.8M   
Freddie Woodman           GK                  04/03/1997 (24)  Everton         5     0     6'1"   11st 4lbs  £5.5M   
Calum Chambers            D (RC)              20/01/1995 (26)  Everton         26    0     6'0"   11st 6lbs  £20M    
Michael Keane             D (RC)              11/01/1993 (28)  Man City        39    0     6'1"   13st 3lbs  £27.5M  
John Stones               D (RC)              28/05/1994 (27)  Man City        54    1     6'2"   12st 3lbs  £34.5M  
Eric Dier                 D (RC), DM, M (C)   15/01/1994 (27)  Tottenham       65    6     6'2"   13st 7lbs  £38M    
Brendan Galloway          D (LC), DM          17/03/1996 (25)  Man Utd         8     0     6'2"   14st 0lbs  £29.5M  
Reece Oxford              D (C), DM           16/12/1998 (22)  West Ham        0     0     6'3"   11st 13lbs £7.25M  
Nathaniel Clyne           D/WB (R)            05/04/1991 (30)  Liverpool       50    0     5'9"   10st 7lbs  £10M    
Luke Shaw                 D/WB (L)            12/07/1995 (26)  Man Utd         48    2     6'1"   11st 11lbs £37M    
Danny Rose                D/WB/M (L)          02/07/1990 (31)  Tottenham       40    2     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £6.25M  
Lewis Cook                DM, M (C)           03/02/1997 (24)  Bournemouth     4     1     5'9"   11st 2lbs  £12.25M 
Jordan Henderson          DM, M (C)           17/06/1990 (31)  Liverpool       84    4     6'0"   10st 7lbs  £10.75M 
Jack Wilshere             DM, M/AM (C)        01/01/1992 (29)  Arsenal         76    11    5'9"   10st 3lbs  £13.5M  
Raheem Sterling           M (RL), AM (RLC)    08/12/1994 (26)  Arsenal         35    3     5'7"   10st 12lbs £31.5M  
Nathan Redmond            M/AM (RL), ST (C)   06/03/1994 (27)  Southampton     23    5     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £19.5M  
Jesse Lingard             M/AM (RLC)          15/12/1992 (28)  Celta           9     0     5'6"   10st 3lbs  £16.5M  
James Ward-Prowse         M/AM (RC)           01/11/1994 (26)  Tottenham       22    4     5'8"   10st 5lbs  £25M    
Dele Alli                 M/AM (C)            11/04/1996 (25)  Tottenham       67    6     6'1"   12st 1lb   £38M    
Lawrence Warner           AM (RC), ST (C)     28/12/2000 (20)  Stoke           0     0     6'0"   12st 6lbs  £10.75M 
Daniel Sturridge          AM (C), ST (C)      01/09/1989 (31)  Valencia        55    30    6'0"   12st 6lbs  £3.3M   
Harry Kane                ST (C)              28/07/1993 (28)  Tottenham       67    31    6'3"   13st 0lbs  £35.5M  

 

Raheem Sterling had not been part of the England squad since UEFA Euro 2020. After a year in the international wilderness, the erstwhile Manchester City winger had finally earned a recall, having returned to form with new club Arsenal. The diminutive attacker would give England some much-needed quality out wide, where they had looked rather weak in recent qualifying matches.

 

Meanwhile, Jesse Lingard's penchant for bouncing in and out of the Three Lions' set-up continued. The Celta Vigo forward was given what many pundits saw as his final opportunity to make his mark at international level. If he couldn't stamp his class over either Liechtenstein or Kazakhstan at Wembley, it was perhaps likely to deter Mark Catterall from ever selecting him again.

 

There was also a recall for AFC Bournemouth's playmaker Lewis Cook. The Yorkshire-born creator had enjoyed a good start to the season with the Cherries, who were 5th after just three Premier League games. A couple of Cook's team-mates - centre-half Harry Maguire and winger Jordon Ibe - had also been mooted for call-ups, but they perhaps needed to show more consistency at club level before Catterall would seriously look at them.

 

'Catts' selected a couple more uncapped players this time around as he continued to experiment. Many West Ham United fans were interested in how their homegrown ball-playing defender Reece Oxford would fare for his country. 23-year-old Oxford had graduated from the Under-21s set-up, with whom he had won a European title in 2019, and was expected to make his senior debut imminently.

 

The same applied to Stoke City's on-loan Liverpool frontman Lawrence Warner. The 20-year-old had come off the bench to score the winning goal on his Stoke debut, at home to newly-promoted FA Cup holders Huddersfield Town. Warner was now set to follow Peter Turner and Willie Field by becoming the latest so-called 'newgen' player to earn full England honours.

 

A twisted ankle had prevented Wolverhampton Wanderers striker James Wilson from adding to his first England cap, which he'd gained in the UEFA Nations League Semi Final loss to Germany in June. James' older namesake Callum Wilson suffered the same injury for Chelsea in their away league win at Stoke, meaning that he could not be recalled just yet.

 

Ross Barkley's poor start to the campaign saw the Everton midfielder axed from Catterall's line-up. Michail Antonio, Josh Sims and Axel Tuanzebe were also dropped after being named in the previous squad. While Sims and Tuanzebe were still young enough to realistically hope for long careers with the Three Lions, Norwich City forward Antonio was now 31 years old and would have to do very well to regain his place.

 

Tottenham Hotspur's midfield aggressor Eric Dier maintained his presence in the squad, even though he would miss the Liechtenstein match through suspension. Six other players - including Dier's club-mates Dele Alli and Danny Rose - were a booking away from incurring bans as well.

[CFuller]

***

 

More than two months hitting another stumbling block in their pursuit of the FIFA World Cup, England's international footballers were ready to go again. The senior squad arrived at St George's Park on Monday 30 August to prepare for upcoming qualifiers at home to Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.

 

As always, manager Mark Catterall was one of the first staff members to turn up at the training ground that morning. After getting changed, Catterall headed over to his team's training pitch. He was surprised not only to find that one of his players was already putting himself through his paces, but also that he had company.

 

Liverpool striker Lawrence Warner - on loan at Stoke City - was taking penalties against goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers. After banging one emphatically into Flowers' top-right corner, his partner Ashley Minton applauded, saying, "Good one, Loz... but just you watch this."

 

Ashley took the ball from Flowers and placed it on the penalty spot. She then stepped back before starting her run-up, feinting with her right leg before calmly drilling the ball into the net with her left.

 

"Ain't that allowed, Ash?" a bemused Loz asked.

 

"Yeah, it's totally legit," Ashley nodded. "You've just gots to get it spot-on, else you'll look like that Italian lad from a few years back."

 

"Simone Zaza," Mark called out.

 

Ashley turned to see her father and gasped, "Oh... hello, Dad! Me and Loz were just having a penalty shoot-out with Fred here."

 

"It's Tim, actually," Flowers corrected her.

 

Loz said, "Yeah, we've had four kicks each so far. I'm 4-3 up."

 

Flowers interjected, "Actually, it's still 3-3, Loz. Your third penalty didn't actually..."

 

Flowers didn't get the chance to finish his sentence before Mark asked Ashley, "What you doing here?"

 

"Birmingham Ladies are training here this afternoon before we go to Everton tonight. I just thought I'd get a little practice in before the other girls. The coach won't mind."

 

"I'm sure she won't," Mark nodded. "In fact, I'll don't think she'll mind if you train with us for a couple of hours... if you fancy that."

 

Ashley turned to Loz, who said, "Why not? I'm sure the lads will be thrilled to be playing with a European champion."

 

The rest of the England men's squad then arrived at the pitch en masse, with Manchester City defender Michael Keane said, "Be on your best behaviour, boys! Looks like we've got a lady in our presence!"

 

"Since when d'ya chat so posh, Keano?" his club-mate John Stones asked with some bemusement.

 

The players unanimously welcomed Ashley to training with open arms, but her boyfriend's presence wasn't so warmly received by one established squad member.

 

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere squared up to Loz and snarled, "What the hell are you doing here, Warner? You ain't good enough or tough enough to be with the big boys yet."

 

Another Arsenal man - winger Raheem Sterling - quickly intervened. He pulled Wilshere and told him, "Cool it, mate. He deserves to be in the team as much as any of us."

 

"Bollocks to that," Wilshere growled. He then pointed at Warner and shouted, "You're only in the team 'cos you're shagging Catterall's daughter! Ain't that right, Mr Daddy's Girl?"

 

Warner angrily shoved Wilshere to the turf and yelled, "I dare you to say that to me again, you southern softie!"

 

Assistant manager Michael Burke then sprinted onto the pitch to break the pair up, roaring, "Pack it in, you two! You are England footballers! You aren't supposed to fall out until we're actually at a tournament!"

 

Wilshere got back onto his feet and nodded, "Sorry, Mick." Warner repeated the apology and offered a handshake to try and end the feud quickly, but the older player blanked him and started talking to Sterling instead.

 

Burke walked back to the touchline and sighed to Mark, "Christ on a bike, Catts. Even my baby granddaughter shows more maturity than our boys at times!"

 

Mark asked of the recent addition to Burke's family, "How is little Alice, then?"

 

"Oh, she's an angel... and she's growing up real fast! I can't believe it's been only six weeks since Charlie had her."

 

"You still getting used to being a grandad?"

 

Pointing to some greying strands in his otherwise ginger hair, Burke said, "Slowly but surely, Mark. I just hope I've got a few more years yet before I spend my afternoons watching 'Countdown' in my slippers!"

 

"And Julia?"

 

"Jules... she's not taking it too well, to be frank with you. She's yearning to be as young and fit as she was before we had kids. I don't think there's a beauty product in the country she ain't used to try and make herself like Emilia Fox."

 

"Jesus. Proper mid-life crisis, then?"

 

Burke nodded and said, "It'll all hit home in the end. I ain't looking forward to that day."

 

The training session began with the players practising their attacking moves. Sterling, Wilshere and Harry Kane had all been especially impressive, with Ashley also showing flashes of brilliance. However, one player had caught the eye for the wrong reasons.

 

At the end of the hour, coach Warren Joyce called Warner aside and gently chastised him, "What's up with you, Loz? You were missing all over the place. Even Ashley scored twice as many goals as you did! I know it's your first time, lad, but if anything, you looked too desperate to impress."

 

"It's just nerves, that's all."

 

"Yeah, but I don't think it was nerves that made you all lethargic in them final five minutes."

 

Warner was now in some pain, which he weakly tried to disguise, prompting Joyce to ask, "Right, lad. I'll ask you an honest question, and I want an honest answer from you. You aren't carrying some kind of injury, are you?"

 

Warner sighed, "My groin. It feels a bit swollen."

 

"That'll likely be a hernia, then," Joyce stated. "How long have you been feeling like this?"

 

"Since Thursday morning, when the England squad came out. That's why I missed the Norwich City game over the weekend. I told the Stoke gaffer [Ian Cathro] not to say nothing, 'cos I didn't want to miss this opportunity."

 

"You're a silly boy, then, aren't you? You can't exactly run a hernia off without making it worse or without anybody noticing! I think you need to see the physio."

 

Warner huffed, "Fine," and angrily threw a drinks bottle aside before walking gingerly off the pitch with England physio David Fevre. A concerned Ashley called out, "Loz? Where you going?"

 

"**** off, Ash!" Loz barked. "F*** THIS F***ING S***!"

 

Loz's short outburst left Ashley on the verge of tears, but Wilshere told her, "Forget about him. He's just a silly little boy who couldn't hack it with the men. But not you; you've got balls."

 

Kane agreed, "We could do with another forward like you, to be fair. We don't care if you're a boy or a girl. So long as you can go out there and get some goals..." He then offered a handshake, "you're one of us."

 

Ashley smiled as she shook Kane's hand, but her boyfriend would not be once England's medical staff had assessed him. As suspected, Warner had aggravated a hernia and would require surgery, thus ending his brief first taste of life in the senior national squad.

 

The man - Ashley was, rather disappointingly, ineligible - who took Warner's place in the side was Marcus Rashford. Despite being way down the pecking order when it came to forwards in José Mourinho's all-conquering Manchester United side, Rashford was given yet another chance to showcase his skills at international level.

 

With both Wilsons out injured, and teenage sensation Willie Field struggling to make his mark at Southampton, Catterall was rather low on alternative striking options. Should anything happen to either Kane or Daniel Sturridge prior to the visit of Liechtenstein, he would have a serious headache to contend with.

[CFuller]

***

 

England had already tripped up twice in their attempts to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After shock goalless draws in Kazakhstan and Armenia, another shut-out would likely be fateful for under-pressure manager Mark Catterall.

 

Were England to fail to find the net against Liechtenstein at Wembley, it would surely go down as the darkest day in their international footballing history. Though the Blues-Reds had recorded a surprise 1-0 home win over Armenia in their most recent Group 5 qualifier, they'd already lost their opening three fixtures by an aggregate score of 10-0.

 

Liechtenstein were managed by national icon Mario Frick - their all-time top scorer with 16 goals in 121 caps. Their most familiar player to English fans was 32-year-old goalkeeper Benji Büchel, who was a free agent after spending six seasons at Oxford United.

 

England's first-choice goalkeeper Jack Butland was given the day off by Catterall, who rewarded 33-year-old Fraser Forster's recent good form for Southampton with a recall to the starting XI. This was the Northumbrian's 11th international cap, but his first since the 2018 World Cup 3rd Place Playoff against Chile.

 

Catterall left most of his key men - including Dele Alli, Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane - on the bench, saving them for the visit of Kazakhstan three days later. Eric Dier would definitely not play any part against Liechtenstein, as the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was serving a suspension for picking up two yellow cards earlier in the tournament.

 

With Henderson and Kane out of the starting XI, Manchester City centre-half John Stones got to captain England at the start of an international match for the first time. Stones had recently been appointed as vice-captain to Antoine Griezmann at the Etihad Stadium by new City manager Zinedine Zidane. Leading his country out onto the Wembley turf would be another landmark moment for the 27-year-old Yorkshireman.

 

This would also be a big day for Stones' central defensive partner for both club and country. In the fourth minute, Michael Keane got his head to an inswinging corner from Tottenham playmaker James Ward-Prowse. Though his header was cleared off the line by 34-year-old Liechtenstein debutant Marco Mathys, Keane volleyed in the rebound, to the delight of the home fans.

 

That was Keane's first international goal, having taken 40 caps and nearly five years to find the net. The Mancunian was quickly mobbed by most of his England colleagues, including his great friend Stones.

 

The Three Lions were now seeking another goal to further appease the home crowd. A fantastic solo run up the right flank from Nathan Redmond in the seventh minute got supporters excited. The Southampton winger then swung an excellent cross to Valencia striker Daniel Sturridge, who somehow powered it wide.

 

Another opportunity arose on 10 minutes, as attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard lifted a free-kick into the Liechtenstein penalty area. Unfortunately for England, Stones headed it just wide of the target.

 

There was further disappointment for Lingard a minute later, when his shot from a Redmond cross by centre-half Mario Bühler - one of several FC Vaduz players in the away line-up. Moments later, England full-back Luke Shaw's left-wing delivery was knocked down by Sturridge to Redmond, whose low drive was pushed behind by Büchel.

 

Liechtenstein withstood the Three Lions' advances again on 20 minutes. Büchel turned away a strike from Ward-Prowse, and then caught Marcus Rashford's header from the subsequent corner by 'JWP'.

 

Manchester United forward Rashford needed to make a statement here, having only been called up by Catterall as an injury replacement for Lawrence Warner. He appeared to feel the pressure in the 25th minute, snatching at a first-time pass from Sturridge on the edge of the Blues-Reds' area.

 

Ward-Prowse delivered another corner into the box on 28 minutes, but Keane's header was well off target. When Büchel made light work of an audacious volley by Ward-Prowse three minutes later, some England supporters made their frustrations very vocal. They would finally be satisfied by a moment of pure brilliance in the 38th minute.

 

AFC Bournemouth's tough-tackling midfielder Lewis Cook had been the subject of a £32.5million offer from Liverpool on transfer deadline day, but the Cherries resolutely turned it down. Cook showed why his club valued him so highly with a delightful 20-yard half-volley from a Shaw cross, rocketing it past a helpless Büchel. That was his second goal for England, and it gave them a 2-0 half-time lead.

 

Catterall wasn't completely satisfied with England's first-half performance, mind. He was particularly disappointed that Rashford had not taken his opportunities. Attacking midfield maestro Dele Alli came on in Rashford's place, with the similarly ineffective Lingard shifted over to a more natural left-wing role.

 

Alli was causing Liechtenstein problems as early as the 48th minute, when midfielder Vinzenz Flatz tripped him close to goal. Flatz was booked, and the same fate awaited Cook after he clashed with Mathys seven minutes later.

 

England's bid to score a third goal got underway in earnest after 57 minutes. Liechtenstein captain Marcel Büchel brought Alli down in a dangerous position, and the subsequent free-kick from Ward-Prowse was headed wide by Stones.

 

Ward-Prowse was one of England's most productive players here, though Redmond was himself making a strong case to be named 'man of the match'. After 61 minutes, the Brummie collected a crossfield pass from Ward-Prowse and then dribbled forward before drilling a cross to Sturridge at the near post. Sturridge really should have finished it off with a clinical close-range finish, but he half-volleyed it high and wide.

 

That latest miss had pushed Catterall's patience too far. Sturridge was substituted immediately, with Kane being given an unexpected run-out. The Tottenham hotshot was perhaps the last person Liechtenstein wanted to see enter the fray.

 

Kane took his time to settle into the game, but Shaw was soon well and truly dominating play on the left flank. A marauding run from the Manchester United wing-back in the 76th minute ended with him trying to drill a low cross to Kane in the six-yard box. Büchel got his gloves to the cross, but an uncomfortable parry was an ominous sign of things to come for the Blues-Reds.

 

Catterall then brought on his third substitute, as Arsenal winger Raheem Sterling replaced Lingard to make his first England appearance since UEFA Euro 2020. Sterling almost notched up an assist within three minutes of coming on, but his pull-back to Cook was fired into the hands of a more composed Büchel.

 

By the 84th minute, though, it was abundantly clear why League Two Oxford had ditched Büchel in the summer. He spilled another cross from Shaw, and this time, he did not get away with it. Kane rushed to the loose ball and then cut in his 32nd England goal to secure all three points for the Three Lions.

 

However, Kane wasn't finished there. Catterall's vice-captain rounded off a comfortable home victory by converting a drilled cross from Redmond in stoppage time. Kane finished with two goals, and England with four. The hosts' dominance was so obvious that Liechtenstein hadn't even put the ball into their penalty area once, let alone registered a shot on goal.

 

As for who was named man of the match, that honour ultimately went to Shaw. The 26-year-old, who was now just one cap away from reaching his half-century for England, had once again shown why he was regarded as one of the most dynamic and energetic left-backs of his generation.

 

England remained in 2nd place in Group 5 at the halfway point of the World Cup qualifiers. Greece still led the way by a single point, though they almost choked on a 3-0 half-time lead in Armenia before holding on for a 3-2 victory. Meanwhile, Bosnia & Herzegovina's hopes of qualification were further dented by a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan, whose impressive campaign continued.

 

3 September 2021: FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 - at Wembley, London

England - 4 (Michael Keane 4, Lewis Cook 39, Harry Kane 84,90+1)

Liechtenstein - 0

ENGLAND LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Fraser Forster; Nathaniel Clyne, Michael Keane, John Stones, Luke Shaw; Lewis Cook, James Ward-Prowse; Nathan Redmond, Jesse Lingard (Raheem Sterling), Marcus Rashford (Dele Alli); Daniel Sturridge (Harry Kane). BOOKED: Cook 55.

[CFuller]

***

 

It was the Sunday afternoon after England's 4-0 victory over Liechtenstein. After coaching his players through a light training session at St George's Park ahead of their next home match against Kazakhstan, Mark Catterall returned home to spend the rest of the day with his family.

 

Mark's wife Jenny was quietly reading a crime novel in the living room while their son Luke was gently playing the guitar. Mark greeted them, "Afternoon, Jen. How's it going, Luke?"

 

Jenny looked up from her book and smiled, "Hello, love! How's your day been?"

 

"It's been a nice, proper chilled-out day, Jen. We're feeling confident that we can get a result tomorrow."

 

"That sounds good. I'm sure the boys will play a lot better than they did last time."

 

Mark smiled awkwardly, "Well, if they play any worse than last time, then I'll be about as popular as a banker who steals toys from Great Ormond Street!"

 

He then turned to Luke, who was still playing away on his guitar, even when asked again, "How are you, Luke?"

 

Mark's voice grew sterner as he asked, "Can you talk to me, Luke? Or have you gone deaf as well as blind?"

 

Jenny exclaimed, "MARK!" as Luke stopped playing and retorted, "What's your problem, eh, Dad?"

 

Mark growled, "My problem is you won't talk to me when I ask you a simple question!"

 

"That's because I'm concentrating on this, okay? I just wanna make sure I'm feeling right for when I..."

 

"When you what?"

 

Jenny said, "Oh, we should've discussed this earlier. Luke wants to start recording videos of himself performing music, so that he can put them up on YouTube."

 

"Sorry? Can you run that by me again?"

 

"I want to be a musician, Dad," Luke said. "A proper one. When I did that Elton John musical at the end of the school year, I knew that this was what I wanted to do when I grow up."

 

Jenny explained, "So Luke wants to start putting his music out there on the internet, for other people around the world to listen to... and I'm going to help him with that."

 

"But he's only 13, Jenny!"

 

"Justin Bieber was 12 when his first video went online. Besides, many of Luke's favourite musicians have started their careers on YouTube - Ed Sheeran, James Bay, Gabrielle Aplin..."

 

"Charlie Puth as well," Luke added. "This is my dream, Dad."

 

Mark was still unconvinced. "Don't you think it's a bit early, son? Shouldn't you be concentrating on your school studies before you give music a go?"

 

Jenny asked, "How old were you when you started playing football, Mark? And I mean in proper competitions, rather than just school matches or kickabouts with your mates."

 

"I was 11. Me and Mick Burke won the Greater Manchester Under-12s Cup together. I still don't see how that's... oh."

 

Jenny nodded, confident that she and Luke had won the argument. Mark shrugged, "I guess that's fair enough," and then said, "Look, I'm just gonna be gone for about five minutes. David Whiteman phoned me while I was driving back home; there's something he wants to discuss over on Skype."

 

Jenny sighed, "If you must, but don't be too long. Sunday is family day, don't forget."

 

"Of course. I'll be back soon."

 

Mark then made a retreat to his study, where he began a Skype call with David. The FA's veteran chief executive was at home with his eldest son Christopher - a 50-something retired investigative journalist who looked every bit his father's offspring, even down to the rimmed glasses.

 

"Hello, David," Mark said. "I hope you won't keep me too long."

 

David said, "Mr Catterall, that is - and has indeed never been - my primary intention."

 

"And who's this strapping young lad beside you? It ain't Chris by any chance, is it?"

 

"Christopher Arthur Henry Whiteman-Fortescue," came the reply. "Although I suppose you may decide to shorten my name to Christopher, or even Chris, if you prefer."

 

David added, "Christopher is a considerably more relaxed fellow on the subject of naming customs than myself. The last person who committed the solecism of referring to one as... Dave... was subjected to a prolonged blank stare."

 

Mark then said, "So why do you want to talk to me, then?"

 

"Are we correct to presume that you have frequently informed yourself of the developments regarding Michael Love?"

 

"I can't say my whole world has revolved around it, no."

 

"And what about the suspected homicide of Señor Ricardo Arce from six months previous?"

 

"Again, no. Why?"

 

Christopher said, "Okay, so I can safely assume that you read neither The Times nor the Sunday Times."

 

David turned to his son and told him, "Mr Catterall is more accustomed to perusing the journalism of the Daily Mirror, Christopher."

 

"Oh. My deepest sympathies, Mr Catterall."

 

Mark was starting to grow somewhat impatient as Christopher picked up a copy of the Sunday Times and said, "Apologies. I shall immediately get to the point. A Ukrainian gentleman has been on trial in Switzerland in connection with the murder of Ricardo Arce, whom you might recall was the chief executive of the Spani-"

 

Mark interrupted, "Yeah, yeah, I remember. And I know who you're talking about. He's Dimitri something..."

 

"Dmytro Lyubov. Well... under the weight of overwhelming evidence against him, Mr Lyubov immediately pleaded his guilt and shall be imprisoned for the remainder of his life."

 

David added, "And that is where today's edition of the Sunday Times becomes significant. An investigation has found that Dmytro Lyubov... is the brother of Michael Love."

 

Mark groaned, "Oh God, I should have known! It was so bloody obvious!"

 

Christopher explained that Michael Love was actually born Mykhaylo Lyubov in the Ukrainian city of Odessa - then part of the Soviet Union - in the 1950s. When he was 18, Mykhaylo defected to the United Kingdom, anglicised his name, and enrolled at Brunel University London. His parents and his younger brother Dmytro stayed behind the Iron Curtain, and he would not be reunited with them until the Soviet Union dissolved in the 1990s.

 

Mark tried to make sense of this. "So let me get this straight. The guy who murdered that fella from the Spanish FA... he's the uncle of the British Attorney General, Juno Love?"

 

David said, "Yes, that does come across as being especially peculiar."

 

A thought then popped into Mark's head. "Hold on. His brother's the deputy editor of The Sun..."

 

"And he was previously editor-in-chief of The Times."

 

"So why's a Murdoch paper turned on one of its own?"

 

Christopher chuckled before pointing out, "My dear fellow, as of last January, The Times is no longer under the umbrella of News UK or the Murdoch family. They sold the publication to a very wealthy businessman from Qatar."

 

"Not bloody Saoud Hussein, surely?!"

 

David nodded, "One and the same, Mr Catterall. As of a matter of fact, I have encountered Mr Hussein on numerous occasions since he terminated his interest in buying Wembley Stadium. At one of those meetings, he discussed the very matter of adding The Times to an already considerable business portfolio in the United Kingdom."

 

"Is there anything in this country he won't buy?"

 

"That is a question best posed to the man himself, Mr Catterall."

 

Mark scratched is head, "So what are we looking at here? Did Michael Love order his kid brother to kill the Spaniard? Did Juno ask for a special favour from her weird uncle in Ukraine? What motive could they possibly have had?"

 

David and Christopher though silently for a few seconds before the latter shrugged and said, "That I do not yet know."

 

"You're an investigative journalist, Chris. Aren't you looking into this?"

 

Christopher sighed, "Indeed, I have, Mr Catterall, but nothing points towards Michael whatsoever. As far as I could gather, the two brothers have consistently had a strained relationship in adulthood, so it seems highly improbable that one would enquire for the other's assistance, especially with regards to criminal matters.

 

"Believe me, I have scoured in every old nook and cranny for an answer to this mystery, but I have yet to uncover anything of value. With everything under consideration, it is impossible to state with any confidence that the Love family in Britain had any involvement in Ricardo Arce's demise."

 

Mark groaned again, "Jesus Christ, this is doing my head in."

 

"I shall of course re-examine the case at another time, should another potential lead come to light."

 

David added, "In the meantime, Mr Catterall, I would suggest you do not concern yourself too greatly over the situation. Do try to concentrate on football, lest tomorrow's result against Kazakhstan is not an improvement on the result of the original fixture."

 

"I sure will, David. Anyway, I'd best shoot off, or I'll have hell to pay with Jenny! It was nice speaking to you!"

 

The Whitemans said their goodbyes before Mark logged off. As he left the study, he could hear guitar music playing from Luke's bedroom, and that the door was slightly ajar. He slowly walked up and looked through the gap to see his son performing a rendition of the James Bay song "Let It Go".

 

Mark was visibly moved and felt a catch in his throat. Jenny gently walked up behind him and whispered, "You see what I mean? Our little bird has a voice that needs to be heard."

 

Mark whispered in reply, "I understand now, Jen. I understand."

[CFuller]

***

 

25 March 2021 was not a date Mark Catterall wanted to remember. 165 days later, the British press were doing their best to make sure he didn't forget it.

 

The goalless draw in Kazakhstan that had opened England's qualification campaign for the 2022 FIFA World Cup had been seared into the minds of many a supporter. Ahead of the Group 5 rematch at Wembley Stadium, the newspaper headlines carried a common theme: England could ill afford to embarrass themselves again.

 

The Sun predictably borrowed elements of their front page from 'Borat'. Underneath a photograph that depicted a smiling Harry Kane as Sacha Baron Cohen's most infamous creation was the crudely-written headline: "Please, come and beat Kazakhstan. If you not success... YOU WILL BE EXECUTE."

 

The Times declared that the match was "Catterall's shot at redemption", and The Daily Mail claimed that anything other than a convincing victory would spell the end of Catterall's reign as England manager. Their headline simply read, "DON'T CHOKE NOW".

 

Catterall had earned widespread criticism in Astana for resting several key players and giving debuts to three players, including a 19-year-old Willie Field. He was sure to give Kazakhstan the utmost respect this time around, reinstating the likes of captain Jordan Henderson, ball-winner Eric Dier and striker Harry Kane to his starting XI.

 

Despite that, the England defence was missing the Manchester-based trio of Luke Shaw, Michael Keane and John Stones. All three men were a booking away from incurring an automatic one-match suspension. With England due to visit Greece in their next qualifier in a month's time, Catterall decided not to risk them this time around.

 

Shaw's Manchester United colleague Brendan Galloway, still only 25, would form one half of a relatively inexperienced central defensive partnership. Alongside him was the 22-year-old West Ham United defender Reece Oxford, who became the latest player to earn a maiden senior cap under Catterall.

 

As expected, England put the Kazakhstani unknowns under pressure as soon as the referee blew his whistle to kick off proceedings. After just 20 seconds, Dier swerved a shot from Kane's pass inches wide of goal.

 

The Three Lions quickly launched another early attack, only for Kane to be stopped in his tracks by a clumsy challenge from one of the Kazakhstan midfielders. Islambek Kuat, who played for Luch-Energiya Vladivostok in the Russian second tier, was duly issued with a yellow card.

 

The Qarşığalar committed an even costlier foul in the second minute, when Galloway was bundled over in the area by visiting left-winger Dmitrii Shomko. England were awarded a penalty, which Kane emphatically fired beyond the reach of goalkeeper Stas Pokatilov. The team who couldn't score over 90 minutes in Astana had needed less than three to break the deadlock at Wembley.

 

England captain Henderson was soon looking to join his vice-skipper Kane on the scoreline. After six minutes, the Liverpool midfielder pounced on a poor headed clearance by Anatoly Romanov from James Ward-Prowse's free-kick. Henderson's header took a heavy deflection off 18-year-old Kazakh centre-half Igor' Abdrakhmanov, but it didn't quite catch Pokatilov off his guard.

 

The hosts were in full flow by the 10th minute. Jack Wilshere dribbled through a large gap in the Kazakhstan defence after collecting a square ball from Ward-Prowse, and the Arsenal playmaker then doubled England's advantage with a coolly-taken 12th international goal.

 

A minute later, a trio of Tottenham players came to the fore. Dier searched out the unmarked Danny Rose on the left flank, and the full-back surged forward before drilling the ball across for Kane to tap it in. Kazakhstan were about 3,500 miles from home, and there now seemed to be a similarly large gap in the quality of the two teams.

 

Many punters at Wembley were now speculating over how many more goals England would add to their three. The more optimistic supporters probably weren't counting on Denis Drozdov putting in a brave shift in the centre of the Kazakhstani defence. The brave 21-year-old deflected a Wilshere half-volley inches wide in the 16th minute, and then threw himself in front of a strike from Marcus Rashford five minutes later.

 

This was clearly not going to be Rashford's day if his first-half performance was anything to go by. The Manchester United striker did get into some promising positions for England, but he had no fewer than four shots saved by Pokatilov, including two within a matter of moments midway through the half. However, Rashford had few excuses for missing a sitter in the 33rd minute, when he headed Calum Chambers' cross over from point-blank distance.

 

The Three Lions had perhaps lost their way after those three early goals. Rose audaciously shot from far out after receiving a free-kick from Ward-Prowse in the 36th minute, but he was well off target. That was to be their last chance to add to their advantage before the break.

 

Catterall made one change before the second half, as Ward-Prowse was rested for Dele Alli. The enigmatic Tottenham midfielder would soon make his mark, though not before one of England's less experienced players had a moment to savour.

 

The second period had barely started when Kane was bundled to the ground by a clumsy tackle from Abdrakhmanov. Wilshere lifted the free-kick into the Qarşığalar area, where Galloway leapt up to power a header beyond Pokatilov for his first England goal.

 

Kazakhstan's response to going 4-0 down was to, at long last, go on the attack. They briefly caught the England defence napping in the 52nd minute, when substitute winger Dauren Kotov marked his international debut with a sublime cross to the Qarşığalar's record scorer Sergei Khizhnichenko. The burly 30-year-old's header was caught by Jack Butland, who produced his first save of the evening. It would also be his last.

 

In truth, Kazakhstan never looked like threatening England's record of not having conceded a single goal in the World Cup qualifiers. By the end of this international break, they would be one of only two UEFA members to hold that distinction. The same could also be said of European champions Portugal, though to be fair, they were in a five-team group and thus had played fewer matches.

 

England's next attack, in the 56th minute, would see them take a 5-0 lead. Newcomer Oxford intercepted a slack pass from Kazakhstan's star midfielder Bauyrzhan Islamkhan and hoisted it over the top of the defence. Kane just about managed to breach the offside trap, and he ferociously volleyed Oxford's through-ball home to wrap up a magnificent hat-trick.

 

The visitors were now well and truly on a hiding to nothing. The England onslaught looked like continuing in the 64th minute, but Henderson's near-post header from a Wilshere corner was just off target.

 

Five minutes later, Catterall took Kane off, cueing a standing ovation for the 28-year-old goal machine. On came the much-maligned Raheem Sterling, who now had about 20 minutes to get his England career up and running again.

 

Alli had recently been criticised for not working hard enough on international duty. He answered his critics in the 73rd minute with his first goal for the Three Lions since the Group Stage of UEFA Euro 2020. Though Dele's initial strike at goal was blocked by Abdrakhmanov, the rebound slipped past Pokatilov for a 6-0 lead.

 

Catterall now had plenty of time to give AFC Bournemouth's Lewis Cook another run-out in midfield, as a replacement for Henderson. England also had enough time to complete the rout with a magnificent seventh goal.

 

With six minutes left on the clock, Wilshere laid the ball forward to an open Sterling just outside the penalty area. The wing wizard dribbled into the box and cut past a couple of defenders before swerving in a shot that had Pokatilov utterly stumped. Sterling had waited a little over four years to add to his three previous England goals, so nobody could begrudge him for displaying the widest smile in west London afterwards.

 

While the 0-0 had not been completely forgotten, putting seven unanswered goals past Kazakhstan this time around had helped Catterall to answer his critics. This was his second-biggest victory as England manager, eclipsed only by the 8-0 demolition of Gibraltar in March 2019.

 

England's World Cup qualification hopes now looked rather brighter. They were still one point adrift of Greece, but the Group 5 leaders had only mustered one goal in their away victory over Liechtenstein and were anything but convincing. That boded well for the Three Lions' next match on 8 October in Piraeus, where they would hope to topple the Greeks and take the initiative.

 

England would also travel to Bosnia & Herzegovina in October. The Zmajevi inexplicably went 3-0 down in Armenia, but then fought back tremendously, with three goals in seven minutes earning them a draw. That hard-earned point moved Bosnia into 3rd place above Kazakhstan and kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the finals.

 

6 September 2021: FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 - at Wembley, London

England - 7 (Harry Kane pen3,11,56, Jack Wilshere 10, Brendan Galloway 46, Dele Alli 73, Raheem Sterling 84)

Kazakhstan - 0

ENGLAND LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Jack Butland; Calum Chambers, Reece Oxford, Brendan Galloway, Danny Rose; Jordan Henderson (Lewis Cook); James Ward-Prowse (Dele Alli), Eric Dier; Jack Wilshere; Harry Kane (Raheem Sterling), Marcus Rashford.

 

2022 FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 (After 6 rounds)

                                   P     W     D     L     F     A     GD    PTS
1.          Greece                 6     5     0     1     16    5     11    15
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.          England                6     4     2     0     17    0     17    14
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.          Bosnia & Herzegovina   6     2     2     2     11    11    0     8
4.          Kazakhstan             6     2     2     2     4     13    -9    8
5.          Liechtenstein          6     1     0     5     1     15    -14   3
6.          Armenia                6     0     2     4     7     12    -5    2

 

[CFuller]

***

 

It was truly astounding how a single result could change a media outlet's perception of a football team. Such was the relationship between the England national team and the journalists who wrote about them.

 

Less than six months after lambasting the Three Lions for failing to win in Kazakhstan, those same reporters were lauding them in the aftermath of a 7-0 demolition of the Qarşığalar. Vice-captain Harry Kane predictably dominated the back pages after netting a hat-trick.

 

Underneath their main match report, The Sun - not for the first time - grovelled to the England manager in a piece headlined, "Mark Catterall: An apology".

 

They wrote, "In the recent past, SunSport has been guilty of ridiculing Mark Catterall as a cartoon character and a buffoon, perhaps unfairly. It has now come to our attention that Mr Catterall is - in fact - a very competent manager who yesterday masterminded England's first win by at least seven goals over semi-competent opposition since 1987. We would now like to extend our sincerest apologies to Mr Catterall and put our past disagreements aside."

 

Nearly 34 years had passed since a Gary Lineker-inspired England thrashed Turkey 8-0. The Three Lions' only victories by seven- or eight-goal margins since then had come against San Marino and Gibraltar - also 8-0 in 2013 and 2019 respectively. That The Sun were now classing Kazakhstan as "semi-competent opposition" seemed a little amusing, considering that it was only as recently as March that they regarded the Central Asians as absolute no-hopers.

 

Though the senior squad was hogging the headlines, more than one England men's team had been at action on 6 September. It had been a mixed day for the Under-21s and the Under-19s, who were now out of Catterall's control for the first time since 2016.

 

At Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, the Under-21s had beaten Northern Ireland in their second European Championship qualifier. The opening goal had come after just nine minutes from local boy Joe Mooney - now on loan at Brentford - while Manchester United striker Sam Ward later added another two.

 

Five days earlier, Paul Ashworth's Young Lions had beaten Serbia 5-1 in their opening Group 3 fixture in Belgrade. Ward had scored there on his Under-21s debut, with Ross Moan, Willie Field, Gareth Robinson and Glenn Shepherd also on target after József Nagy had opened the scoring for the hosts. Those two victories had already left England in a good position to qualify for the finals.

 

However, things weren't looking so rosy for the Under-19s - now coached by the legendary Frank Lampard. Having mustered a creditable 0-0 away draw against Portugal in their opening friendly, England's new bunch of teenage tyros went home to Crewe, where they were sent crashing down to earth.

 

After withstanding an early barrage of shots at the Alexandra Stadium, Slovenia took the lead in the 57th minute through Iztok Zupanc. Though Liverpool's Ben Harvey soon equalised, the hosts were floored two minutes from time by a stunning drive from the edge of their penalty area by Mitja Bracko. England had lost 2-1, sustaining their first home defeat at Under-19s level in close to four years.

 

The Sun used that Slovenia defeat to catapult themselves back to their usual form. Under the headline "FAT FRANK'S A SLO COACH", they criticised what they saw as tactical naivety on Lampard's part, and questioned whether he was the right fit to succeed Ledley King as head coach of the Under-19s side.

 

The senior squad was now set to break up until their next FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October - against Greece and Bosnia & Herzegovina. Before that, the coaches had breakfast at a luxury hotel in west London on Wednesday morning.

 

Defensive coach Tony Adams was reading The Sun's back pages when their story about the Under-19s' shock defeat caught his eye. He scoffed, "The future's bright, then."

 

Assistant manager Michael Burke glanced at the paper and gasped, "Slovenia beat our Under-19s? Blimey!"

 

"I never thought that Lampard would be much of a coach anyway. Always seemed a bit soft whenever I played him."

 

"I wouldn't write him off straight away, Tone... but yeah, that ain't good. If an England team had ever lost at home to Slovenia on Catts' watch, the press would've hung, drawn and quartered him."

 

Warren Joyce said, "It's just a friendly, anyway. I'm sure he was just testing some boys out ahead of the next European qualifiers. Better to have an off-day now than next month."

 

David Platt asked, "It finished 2-1, then, did it? Who scored our goal?"

 

"Ben Harvey," Adams replied. "One of them three-dozen strikers Liverpool have at the minute."

 

Platt's eyes widened before he said, "Ah. I don't know what Frank was thinking when he picked Ben Harvey, then. He's too old to play for the Under-19s in the next European Championships."

 

"Come to think of that, David," Burke said as he glanced at the England line-up. "I recognise a lot of them players from the last Euros. Surely they are too old as well."

 

Adams laughed, "What was the f***ing point of that then, eh? Frank might as well have brought all of us back to play the Slovenians!"

 

Phil Neville remarked, "Blimey! I'd love to see the look on Catts' face when he finds out about what Lampard's gone and done!"

 

Burke said, "He'd probably say something like..." The chipper Salfordian then cleared his throat before impersonating Catterall's gruffer Lancastrian accent, "Oh, bloomin' hell! That's what you get for putting a f***ing Tory in charge of an England team!"

 

The other coaches split their sides laughing, except goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers, who shrugged, "I don't get it. What's so funny?"

 

Catterall then came over to their tables and asked, "What's all this commotion about, lads?"

 

A startled Adams quickly chucked the newspaper into a nearby bin and smiled innocently, "Nothing, Catts. How's the family?"

 

"They're golden. Thanks for asking."

 

Burke said, "If you must know, we were all having a laugh about Frank Lampard and the Under-19s. Did you hear they..."

 

Catterall interrupted Burke as he sat down, "Yeah, I know. I had BBC Breakfast on while I was in the shower. Don't ask me why, though; their main news story was about a badger that looked like the snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan."

 

"You should never have been taken off them youth teams, Catts," Adams said. "They were doing just fine until that new chairlady came along and ruined everything!"

 

Platt sternly stated, "Now, now, we don't slander our boss without the full facts, else she won't be our boss anymore."

 

Adams grumbled, "You always have to be the voice of reason, don't you, Dave?"

 

"Yeah, you really get on our wick at times," Neville added. "And I've had it up to here with your pointless facts and stats that nobody in the world is interested in!"

 

Platt retorted, "Well, I'm not one here who had a drink problem, Tony. And at least I scored penalties at the Euros instead of conceding them, Phil!" The latter comment was in reference to England's final match in the Group Stage of UEFA Euro 2000. Neville's clumsy foul on Romania striker Viorel Moldovan saw him concede an 89th-minute penalty, which Ionel Ganea then converted to consign the Three Lions to a tournament-ending 3-2 defeat.

 

"Enough!" Catterall barked. "The players might have been at each other's throats in Armenia a few months ago, but that don't mean it's your turn!"

 

Platt nodded, "Sorry, fellas. I kind of overstepped the mark there. I've not done that since I lost my job managing Nottingham Forest in 2001."

 

Platt glumly offered handshakes to Adams and then Neville, which they each accepted. Catterall told his team-mates from Euro 1996, "We must set an example to the current players. We need to show the never-say-die team spirit that we had when we were playing together at Euro '96, all four of us."

 

"I think you mean all five of us," Flowers said. He had been an unused backup to first-choice goalkeeper David Seaman at that tournament.

 

Catterall said, "Yeah, all four of us have been there, done that, bought the T-shirt..."

 

"And worn it so many times that the colours have faded in the wash," Burke quipped.

 

"Exactly. No offence to Mick and Joycey, but we're the coaches that the players look up to the most, because we've been in their positions before, at European Championships and World Cups."

 

"No offence taken," Joyce said.

 

"Actually, I've never played at a World Cup," Neville pointed out. "That's not to say I never could or never will..."

 

Catterall brushed over Neville's hopeful remark and continued, "We've set the benchmarks for the new generation, and now they're beating them. They've already got to the European Championship Final, but if they really want to be regarded as great players, they've got to better what David did in 1990."

 

"By reaching the World Cup Final," Platt said.

 

"Exactly. So let's pull together and get them there!"

[CFuller]

Chapter 52 - Time For Heroes

 

There were three days to go until Mark Catterall named his next England squad. They would have two crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers ahead of them in October, with visits to Greece and Bosnia & Herzegovina set to have a huge impact on their presence (or otherwise) at Morocco 2022.

 

Catterall and his assistant Michael Burke had spent their Monday morning meeting some of the country's most renowned nutritionists at St George's Park. The pair sought their advice on how best to prepare their players for those crucial matches.

 

Burke rushed home after lunch, so that he could take on babysitting duties for his two-month-old granddaughter Alice. Meanwhile, Catterall used some of his spare time to speak over the phone to one of England's overseas players.

 

"¡Hola, Señor Lingard!" he said cheerily.

 

Celta Vigo forward Jesse Lingard replied, "¡Buenas tardes, Señor Catterall! ¿Cómo estás y de qué querías hablarme?"

 

A bewildered Catterall answered uncertainly, "You're welcome."

 

"What do you want, gaffer?"

 

"I wanted to see how you're getting on."

 

"Erm, we're getting along as well as we could be. We beat Real Sociedad 1-0 yesterday, so that was good."

 

Catterall's tone became rather less cheerful as he said, "That was your first win of the season, weren't it?"

 

"Yeah, but we drew a load of games, didn't we? The SQUAD's pretty close-knit and we don't let our heads drop, y'know?"

 

"You know, Jesse, I've been thinking," Catterall sighed. "Your performances in La Liga of late... they've not been spectacular, have they?"

 

Lingard said, "I ain't a spectacular player, to be honest with you, gaffer. I just do my job to the best of my abilities."

 

"Except you don't even do that with England. I've given you 10 caps, and the number of times you performed to an acceptable level, I can count 'em on a clenched fist. Even against Liechtenstein a few weeks back, you were far too passive, and you just weren't incisive enough. How can I expect you to take on the likes of Brazil and Portugal if you don't show up against the smaller teams?"

 

"I promise I'll show you exactly what I can do if you give me another chance."

 

Catterall stated categorically, "I'm sorry, Jesse, but your time's up. You've had more second chances than Ravel Morrison, for goodness sake! I can't put this country's World Cup hopes at the feet of a Manchester United reject who won't do anything with it!"

 

Lingard stammered, "W-w-what are you saying, gaffer? I'm not in the England s-s-SQUAD anymore?"

 

Catterall sighed again and said, "We have to move on. There are some talented younger forwards on the fringes who need to be given opportunities - Jordon Ibe, Reiss Nelson, even Raheem Sterling again. You'd just be taking up a squad place that would be put to better use elsewhere."

 

Lingard paused for a moment and reluctantly agreed, "I can't argue with that, gaffer. I've had my chances and blown them. I guess you should look to the future without me."

 

"Thanks for being so understanding, Jesse," Catterall said. "One more thing. Are you with Daniel Sturridge by any chance?"

 

"No, I ain't. We're actually at home to Valencia at the weekend, funnily enough. Why, what did you wanna ask him?"

 

"Nothing, really. It's just... if you bump into him at the Valencia game, could you tell him to buck up his ideas? Between you and me, I'm this close to dropping him from the squad as well."

 

Lingard hesitated, "Erm... okay. I dunno if Studge is gonna be there, to be honest with you. He's only started, like, one game for Valencia this season, and that was on the first weekend."

 

"Alright. Thanks anyway."

 

Catterall returned home a few hours later. His wife Jenny excitedly opened the door and gestured, "Hi, Mark! Quick, come upstairs! There's something I want to show you!"

 

Mark followed Jenny upstairs to the study. On her computer monitor was a web video of their son Luke performing the piano instrumental "Für Elise" by the legendary German composer Ludwig van Beethoven.

 

"Luke's going viral!" Jenny beamed. "He's had 50,000 views in 24 hours - and 5,000 likes! We've also had comments from a couple of famous YouTubers calling him the new Beethoven!"

 

Mark remained unmoved. "Calm down, love. You're getting carried away. And besides... Beethoven was deaf, not blind."

 

"Why does that even matter? Luke's doing what he loves, and he's already got himself a big audience! This is massive!"

 

Mark replied sarcastically, "So what's he gonna do next? Sell out the Royal Albert Hall on his 14th birthday? Perform at President Kanye West's inauguration when he's 16? You need to get real and get some perspective, Jenny!"

 

"Don't you see? Luke's already on course to make a career for himself, three years before he even leaves school! Don't you remember when Luke was born, and Dr Ravenhill told us his disability would be a burden on us for the rest of our lives? Now look! Luke is proving him wrong!"

 

Mark muttered under his breath, "That Ravenhill was a callous bastard." He then took a long, hard look at the screen and noticed something he found odd.

 

"Luke Pilkington," he muttered under his breath.

 

Jenny asked, "Sorry?"

 

"You published his videos under the name Luke Pilkington - your maiden name."

 

"Yeah, so? Pilkington's his middle name as well, isn't it?"

 

Mark raised his voice, "Don't he wanna be a Catterall no more? IS THAT IT, JEN? Does Luke hate his old man now?"

 

"No, no, you've got it all wrong! If I'd uploaded them as Luke Catterall, people would've been giving him abuse and saying, 'Oh, he's Mark Catterall's son; he's just trying to live off his dad's name'. At least with the name Pilkington, all this love and attention he gets is purely because he's a talented musician!"

 

Mark shook his head and then referred to an American musical drama TV series as he argued, "I still don't buy it. Do you remember what happened in 'Nashville'? There's this episode in the second season when Rayna and Teddy's 13-year-old daughter Maddie had a huge row with her parents. She then put a music video online under her biological father Deacon's surname, out of spite for her parents!"

 

"What the hell? I've never even watched that series?"

 

"You watched 'Apeldoorn' when it was on Channel 4 last year, didn't you? That was the Dutch remake."

 

Jenny realised, "Oh, yeah! Now I understand what you're getting at! I loved that show!"

 

"Luke ain't Maddie, is he?"

 

Jenny laughed, "Oh, God, no. He's not Anouk, either." Mark stared blank-faced before Jenny clarified, "Anouk is Ilse's eldest daughter in 'Apeldoorn'."

 

Jenny put a hand on Mark's left shoulder and reassured him, "Luke still loves you, Mark. He just understands that he's not using his dad's name because Mummy wants to protect him from all the bad people on the Internet. You get that now?"

 

"Yeah, I understand," Mark nodded. He then asked, "Nobody's twigged who his parents are yet, have they?"

 

"Not yet. I've had one guy asking if he's Kevin Pilkington's son, but that's about it."

 

"Let's hope it stays that way, eh?" Mark smiled before inviting his wife to a hug.

[CFuller]

***

 

September 2021 was not a good month in which to be a world-class left-footed footballer.

 

The footballing world was left in shock on 11 September, when Lionel Messi - whom some people argued was the greatest player of his generation - sustained a serious injury whilst playing for Barcelona at home to Valencia.

 

It was in the 29th minute that the Argentine megastar went down hurt after a hefty collision with a Valencia defender. With Messi grasping at his left knee wincing in pain, it was obvious that something had gone horribly wrong. Barça went on to win the match 3-1 after a second-half brace from Luis Suárez, but all the focus after the game was on the severity of Messi's injury.

 

The following day, all became clear. A scan revealed that Messi had torn his anterior cruciate ligaments and would be out for a minimum of seven months. He now looked set to miss the rest of the season, and possibly even the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

 

The upcoming finals in Morocco was expected to be Messi's international swansong - a final chance to add the World Cup winner's medal that many reckoned prevented him from being considered the best footballer ever. He had been a losing Quarter Finalist with Argentina in 2006 and 2010, before suffering more heartache in losing the 2014 Final to Germany in extra-time. He did not play at Russia 2018, due to a combination of ill-discipline and a major falling-out with then-manager Edgardo Bauza.

 

The prospect of Messi missing another World Cup when he was at the peak - or thereabouts - of his powers mortified many of his followers. Social media was awash with the hashtag #Pray4Leo, along with a few over-the-top pleas for FIFA to postpone the World Cup until their favourite player was back to full fitness. Of course, this being football Twitter, there was also a flood of eloquently-crafted comments such as, "messi is overrated lol," and, "As if he's torn his ACL and won't be able to walk pain-free for the best part of a year! He's a crybaby if you ask me!"

 

A little under a fortnight after Messi's injury, English football fans were growing concerned about one of their own. While this injury was nowhere near as severe, it still had the potential to be hugely significant as far as England's World Cup qualification hopes were concerned.

 

It was Thursday 23 September. Manchester United had begun their pursuit of a fifth straight Premier League title by winning five of their first six matches, most recently beating arch-rivals Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford. As per usual, left-back Luke Shaw had been in excellent form for the champions.

 

Then, during a morning training session in preparation for the Red Devils' visit to Crystal Palace, Shaw was involved in a hefty, accidental collision with French forward Anthony Martial. The 26-year-old Londoner broke his arm in the impact and was ruled out for the next three weeks.

 

Up until then, Shaw had stayed clear of the major injuries that had blighted his early career, most notably when he broke his leg on UEFA Champions League duty in 2015 aged just 20. This was only the third time since that painful encounter in Eindhoven against PSV that Shaw had sustained an injury which ruled him out for more than a few days.

 

During a tenure at Old Trafford that was now in its sixth season, United boss José Mourinho had had a love-hate relationship with Shaw, while relations between him and Martial were similarly frosty. He laid into both players during his press conference later that afternoon.

 

Mourinho told the media, "I think Luke Shaw does not look after himself too good; I tell him this every week. He had all these injuries very young because he did not train properly, and now he is at a very good age for a footballer, but he still doesn't learn. For me, you cannot be called a world-class player like Marcelo, like Ashley Cole, like Nuno Valente, if you don't listen to your manager.

 

"Martial also is a player who does not listen. He is still the same little boy he was at Monaco six years ago - the same little boy in attitude, in physical shape, in performances."

 

Mourinho finished off his mini-rant with some astonishing claims. "Sometimes I think Martial is a spy, a double agent sent from Manchester City to try and sabotage Manchester United." The 58-year-old Portuguese coach then smiled - for the first time since anyone at United could remember - and said, "If he is a spy, then he is not a very good spy."

 

England's manager Mark Catterall was also unhappy about Shaw's injury, for a different reason. He was getting ready to announce the senior squad that would travel to Greece and Bosnia & Herzegovina for their penultimate batch of World Cup qualifiers. For the first time since taking the helm, Catterall was unable to select the man who was now his undisputed first-choice left-back.

 

Tottenham Hotspur's Danny Rose was now in line to start in both October internationals. Beyond him, Catterall didn't have much in the way of alternative left-back options.

 

Liverpool defender Ben Chilwell - who'd damaged his Achilles tendon late in the previous season - was slowly returning to full fitness and was unlikely to be risked. 22-year-old Josh Tymon was not yet a regular starter at Arsenal, while Southampton veteran Ryan Bertrand had not featured for England since Catterall's appointment. There was even a train of thought suggesting that Shaw's United team-mate Brendan Galloway - primarily a centre-half - should play on the left flank in lieu of his stricken colleague.

 

Whoever Catterall went with, he would surely need to make the right call. At this stage in the World Cup qualifiers, the margin for error was growing narrower by the round. With four matches to play in Group 5, England were one point behind Greece, who occupied the only automatic qualification place. Were they to stay 2nd, the Three Lions would need to hope that they were amongst the three best-performing runners-up to go through as well.

 

Having already dropped four points away from home against rather weaker opposition, England knew that defeat to the Greeks and/or the Bosnians would put them in danger of missing the finals. Were they to prevail in Piraeus and Zenica, though, it would take a truly astonishing November collapse to stop them qualifying.

 

ENGLAND squad - for matches vs Greece (A) and Bosnia & Herzegovina (A)

NAME                      POSITIONS           D.O.B. (AGE)     CLUB            CAPS  GOALS HEIGHT WEIGHT     VALUE
Jack Butland              GK                  10/03/1993 (28)  Stoke           20    0     6'5"   14st 13lbs £13.75M 
Fraser Forster            GK                  17/03/1988 (33)  Southampton     11    0     6'7"   15st 8lbs  £2.6M   
Freddie Woodman           GK                  04/03/1997 (24)  Everton         5     0     6'1"   11st 4lbs  £5M     
Calum Chambers            D (RC)              20/01/1995 (26)  Everton         27    0     6'0"   11st 6lbs  £20.5M  
Michael Keane             D (RC)              11/01/1993 (28)  Man City        40    1     6'1"   13st 3lbs  £27M    
John Stones               D (RC)              28/05/1994 (27)  Man City        55    1     6'2"   12st 3lbs  £34.5M  
Eric Dier                 D (RC), DM, M (C)   15/01/1994 (27)  Tottenham       66    6     6'2"   13st 7lbs  £38M    
Brendan Galloway          D (LC), DM          17/03/1996 (25)  Man Utd         9     1     6'2"   14st 0lbs  £29M    
Reece Oxford              D (C), DM           16/12/1998 (22)  West Ham        1     0     6'3"   11st 13lbs £8.5M   
Nathaniel Clyne           D/WB (R)            05/04/1991 (30)  Liverpool       51    0     5'9"   10st 7lbs  £9.75M  
Danny Rose                D/WB/M (L)          02/07/1990 (31)  Tottenham       41    2     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £5.25M  
Josh Tymon                D/M (L)             22/05/1999 (22)  Arsenal         0     0     5'9"   11st 2lbs  £15M    
Lewis Cook                DM, M (C)           03/02/1997 (24)  Bournemouth     6     2     5'9"   11st 2lbs  £13.25M 
Jordan Henderson          DM, M (C)           17/06/1990 (31)  Liverpool       85    4     6'0"   10st 7lbs  £9.75M  
Jack Wilshere             DM, M/AM (C)        01/01/1992 (29)  Arsenal         77    12    5'9"   10st 3lbs  £12.25M 
Raheem Sterling           M (RL), AM (RLC)    08/12/1994 (26)  Arsenal         37    4     5'7"   10st 12lbs £33M    
Jordon Ibe                M/AM (RL), ST (C)   08/12/1995 (25)  Bournemouth     0     0     5'9"   10st 12lbs £11.75M 
Nathan Redmond            M/AM (RL), ST (C)   06/03/1994 (27)  Southampton     24    5     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £20.5M  
James Ward-Prowse         M/AM (RC)           01/11/1994 (26)  Tottenham       24    4     5'8"   10st 5lbs  £24.5M  
Dele Alli                 M/AM (C)            11/04/1996 (25)  Tottenham       69    7     6'1"   12st 1lb   £38M    
Daniel Sturridge          AM (C), ST (C)      01/09/1989 (32)  Valencia        56    30    6'0"   12st 6lbs  £2.9M   
Harry Kane                ST (C)              28/07/1993 (28)  Tottenham       69    36    6'3"   13st 0lbs  £34M    
Callum Wilson             ST (C)              27/02/1992 (29)  Chelsea         41    13    5'11"  10st 7lbs  £22M    

 

Taking Luke Shaw's place was arguably the best young left-back in the country. Josh Tymon was in his third season with title-chasing Arsenal and had shown consistent improvement since his £28million transfer from West Ham United in 2019. Tymon had served mainly as an understudy to Scotland's Kieran Tierney while at the Emirates Stadium, though he'd still made 39 Premier League appearances for the Gunners thus far.

 

The uncapped Yorkshireman had been given the nod ahead of Liverpool's Ben Chilwell, who had only just come back from injury. Had Chilwell been fully fit, Catterall would almost certainly have favoured the 24-year-old, who'd already won two senior England caps.

 

Tymon's call-up meant that Arsenal were in the unusual position of having three players in the England squad. Playmaker Jack Wilshere was very much a core member of Catterall's team these days, while a rejuvenated Raheem Sterling was on his way to becoming one after scoring four goals in his first seven PL games for the Gunners.

 

The other newcomer in the England squad for these crunch matches was AFC Bournemouth winger Jordon Ibe. The 25-year-old had, along with Lewis Cook, been a key player for a Cherries side who'd started the season strongly. Ivaylo Petev's team had suffered only one defeat in six matches thus far and were still in the PL's top six.

 

Another reason behind Catterall's decision to call up Ibe had been his long-running friendship with Sterling. The London-bred widemen had both been signed by Liverpool in their teens (Sterling from Queens Park Rangers in 2010, and Ibe from Wycombe Wanderers in 2012) and had got along well together on Merseyside. Though their careers had since taken them in rather different directions, the England boss hoped that bringing Ibe and Sterling back together would pay off.

 

Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Callum Wilson returned to the national team for the first time since the previous November. Poor form and injuries had hampered Wilson since then, but a record of three goals and three assists in nine matches for the Blues thus far this term suggested that he was back on the right track.

 

The enigmatic Marcus Rashford had been dropped, as he was still being regularly ignored by José Mourinho at Manchester United. Another Mancunian whose England career appeared to be on hold was Jesse Lingard. Inconsistent form for Celta Vigo, and his continued failure to perform on the international stage, had prompted Catterall to discard the 28-year-old pocket rocket. Many pundits were now questioning whether he would give Lingard any further opportunities.

 

There was no recall for Stoke City forward Lawrence Warner, whose maiden England call-up in late August had been wrecked by a hernia. The on-loan Liverpool youngster had not featured for the Potters since his untimely setback. Wolverhampton Wanderers' James Wilson would have to wait a bit longer to add to his solitary cap, despite scoring twice and creating a third goal during a 5-1 home win over Stoke in mid-September.

 

'Catts' kept faith in star striker Harry Kane, even though he had rather gone off the boil at Tottenham Hotspur of late. The experienced Daniel Sturridge kept his place in the squad as well, despite a lack of first-team football with Valencia in recent weeks. The latter selection would come in for special criticism from some media outlets.

[CFuller]

***

 

It was the morning of Monday 4 October, and the England team had reconvened at St George's Park for their penultimate batch of FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Later in the week, they would fly out to Athens to play Greece - their main rivals for automatic qualification - before heading over to Bosnia & Herzegovina for what was likely to be a similarly stern test.

 

Mark Catterall addressed his players before the start of their training session, "Right, lads. You've got a big week or so ahead of you, so I expect nothing but your best efforts from now until Bosnia.

 

"We cannot afford any more slip-ups... unless you actually want to have the summer off. Is that clear?"

 

The players murmured their affirmation, before Catterall turned his attention to the two newest members of the group - Arsenal left-back Josh Tymon, and AFC Bournemouth winger Jordon Ibe. "You'll notice that we've got a couple of new faces in the ranks. You more experienced lads have been very welcoming to the other players who've come through of late, and I expect you to do the same with Jordon and Josh."

 

Captain Jordan Henderson nodded, "Of course, gaffer."

 

Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook turned to his club-mate Ibe and said, "You'll be fine, mate. Just don't go concussing Jack [Wilshere]."

 

Ibe smiled, "Jordon will try not to."

 

Valencia striker Daniel Sturridge - who, at 32, was the oldest outfield player in the group - argued, "Ain't that one of the problems with us at the minute, though? That we're bringing through too many kids at the same time?"

 

Catterall asked, "What do you mean?"

 

"I mean if you kept some faith in us older lads, instead of expecting the kids to step up straight away, maybe we wouldn't be under so much pressure to beat Greece and Bosnia! Get qualification out of the way first, and then look to give youth a chance!"

 

"I've always believed that if you're good enough, you're old enough..."

 

"Yeah, but Willie [Field] was 19 when you played him in Kazakhstan! He weren't good enough OR old enough!"

 

Catterall exclaimed, "Could you stop using Willie against me? And if you'd let me FINISH WHAT I WAS SAYING, I'd have said that high-pressure competitive internationals tell you a lot more about a player's character and temperament than meaningless friendlies. That's why I've brought in so many younger players this year."

 

Henderson said, "The gaffer's right, to be fair, Studge. How're you s'posed to know if a young player is ready if you don't throw them in at the deep end?"

 

Sturridge conceded, "Fair point, Hendo. Sorry, gaffer."

 

"Apology accepted," Catterall said. "But you in particular really need to up your game this week. Unless we see more of the Daniel Sturridge who ripped Greece apart last time out, then for all we know, this might be your last chance."

 

"Of course. I'll do everything I can to keep my spot."

 

"Good. Now Tony [Adams] and Warren [Joyce] will take you all through today's drills."

 

Later in the session, Catterall watched a training match to observe some of his less experienced players. Cook was on the ball in midfield, looking for passing options when Ibe called out from the right wing, "Jordon's open!"

 

Cook played the ball out to Ibe, who took on Tymon before crossing into the six-yard box. Sturridge broke free from the young West Ham United centre-back Reece Oxford to get a foot to the cross, but he slid it past the far post.

 

As Sturridge let out a cry of frustration, Catterall gave Ibe a thumbs-up gesture and said, "Good effort, Jordon."

 

As Ibe sprinted over to the touchline, Catterall added, "You showed some great movement there, lad."

 

"Thank you. Jordon really wants to show you what Jordon can do."

 

"Well, a bit more like that, and Jordon might be in the first-team soon enough. Carry on."

 

Ibe sprinted back onto the pitch with an extra spring in his step. Michael Burke turned to Catterall and asked, "Doesn't Ibe seem a bit... Bob Dole to you?"

 

"He shouldn't be on the dole, that lucky git," Adams muttered. "He earns almost as much in a week as I did in two months back when I was playing."

 

"No, I meant Bob Dole - the American politician. He always spoke about himself in the third person, and Jordon does the same."

 

Catterall laughed, "Haven't we got more serious things to worry about?"

 

"Come to think of it, I've always wondered why he has 'JORDON' on his shirt."

 

Adams snarled, "It's a f***ing liberty, ain't it? As far as I'm concerned, you should never have your first name on the back of your shirt... unless you're from Brazil. Or Spain. Or Portugal."

 

"What did you say, Tony?" replied Dele Alli, who was stretching nearby.

 

"It ain't got nothing to do with you, Dele!"

 

Burke told Catterall, "I hope he ain't got an ego complex or summat, cos that could cause problems. You remember what Sweden were like when they had Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], don't you? Now everybody's saying they play so much more like a team ever since he retired."

 

Catterall chuckled, "Come off it, Mick. What are you thinking, comparing Jordon Ibe to Zlatan? You might be a grandad now, but I didn't think you would go senile this quick!"

 

Meanwhile on the pitch, an increasingly confident Ibe decided to take Tymon on again after receiving a long pass from Henderson. On this occasion, however, Tymon prevailed with an excellent standing tackle that knocked the ball from Ibe's feet. The 22-year-old then calmly stroked it to Oxford to build up a counter-attack.

 

"GREAT TACKLE, JOSH!" Adams called out. He then told Catterall, "He's the real deal, that Tymon. I ain't seen a left-back like him since Ashley Cole!"

 

Burke muttered, "Oh God, another youngster with a possible ego complex..."

 

"I'm not kidding! He's quick, strong, got bags of energy, and he's calm as anything. That boy is going places, I tell you!"

 

"If one of those places is Morocco, you might not be wrong there," Catterall said.

 

Burke gasped, "Steady on, Catts! He's only been in the senior team for ten minutes, and you're already thinking of taking him to the World Cup!"

 

"IF we qualify," Catterall stated, determined as ever to stress that nothing was guaranteed.

 

"What about Luke Shaw and Danny Rose? I know Luke ain't here right now 'cos of his injury and all, but Danny's not done bad himself, has he?"

 

"Alright... what if one of them breaks their leg in February? We need a contingency plan."

 

"There's Ben Chilwell at Liverpool, I suppose. But then he's had more injuries than... I dunno... someone playing in a high-intensity 'counter-pressing' system on Football Manager 2019."

 

"Which is why I think Josh might come into the picture. I'll give him a chance at some point in the week - if not on Friday, then certainly against Bosnia next Monday. If he impresses me, then you have to say he's in the conversation."

 

Adams said, "He won't let you down, Mark. Arsenal have a brilliant track record when it comes to English full-backs. We've had Ashley, we've had Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Kenny Sansom... Carl Jenkinson."

 

Burke jokingly suggested, "And Kieran Tierney as well. Did you know he could've played for England 'cos he was born on the Isle of Man? Maybe we should call him up and see if he wants a quick change of nationality. I mean, it's not as if he's going to be playing at a major tournament for Scotland any time soon, is he?"

 

"Nah, you're alright, Mick," Catterall smiled. "Besides, I agree with Tony. Josh is more than just a poor man's Kieran Tierney. He's got the potential to become a very, very fine defender."

[CFuller]

***

 

There were a little over 24 hours to go until England's away FIFA World Cup qualifier against Greece. On the evening before the match, manager Mark Catterall decided to treat some of his players and coaches by taking them out to one of the most popular restaurants in southern Athens. The FA's communications director Ava Leggett also came along.

 

The England squad members were shown to their tables, where they would soon be asked for their orders, by a young black-haired woman.

 

"Good evening, gentlemen... and madam," the waiter smiled. "Can I take your orders please?"

 

"Ladies first," Leggett declared hastily. "I'll like a salad for starters, and a bottle of Mandilaria red wine as well."

 

The waiter smiled, "Of course, madam. Mandilaria is a great choice, if I say so myself."

 

Catterall was surprised at Leggett's choice of beverage. "I didn't have you down as an alky, Ava."

 

Leggett's voice started to crack as she replied, "Well, my boyfriend just broke up with me after six years... so I could do with something strong right about now!"

 

"Geez... I didn't realise. Sorry to hear about that."

 

Leggett shook her head. "I always knew Steve Turner was a f***ing tosspot... but I just don't know what he sees in that bitch Olivia Connolly off ESPN! Yes, she's got a sexy Irish accent and the stunning looks of Shailene Woodley, but ESPN don't even have a TV channel over here anymore! All they've got is a poxy website that nobody ever reads!"

 

Captain Jordan Henderson was the first player to place his order. "Could I have a tuna salad for starters? And a briám - that's like a ratatouille, ain't it? I'll have that."

 

"It is indeed, sir," the waiter said. She then glanced at Jack Wilshere, who said, "I'll have a tiramisu, please."

 

"Tiramisu? I think that is an Italian dessert."

 

"Oh, sorry, I meant taramosalata! Must've read that wrong! And for a main course, I'll have the chicken and potatoes."

 

Newcomer Jordon Ibe then placed his order, asking, "Can Jordon get the Greek salad, please? And could Jordon also get the spaghetti with lobster as well?"

 

The waiter nodded, "The astakomacaronada - a good choice, sir."

 

Ibe's AFC Bournemouth team-mate Lewis Cook said, "I'd like that as well, please - the spaghetti and lobster. But I'll have a tuna salad for starters."

 

Catterall was then asked to place his order. He said, "I'm not big on appetisers, so I'll just have some pita bread to start with. And I'd like some kokkinisto stew for my main."

 

Catterall's assistant Michael Burke asked, "Could I have the cabbage salad... and the loukaniko? The sausage?"

 

"Absolutely, Mr Hucknall," the waiter smiled, before winking suggestively.

 

"Oh no, I may be a ginger bloke called Mick, but I ain't that fella!" Burke laughed. "And I'm spoken for, ta very much!"

 

Seconds later, a male waiter took a stumble while carrying a bowl of onion soup across the room. The bowl spilled over the lap of Michael Keane, who stood up and screamed in searing pain.

 

John Stones quipped to the female waiter, "I'll 'ave what he's 'aving, doy."

 

The man apologised profusely to Keane, who winced, "Yeah, it's okay, mate. These things happen. I don't think the missus will be too pleased, mind."

 

As Catterall took Keane outside to get him a change of clothes, the rest of the players and coaches ordered their starters and main courses. Once they had finished and the waiter left to place their orders, David Platt glanced at Burke and asked, "You know who that woman reminds you of, don't you?"

 

"Yeah," Burke nodded. "Mrs Evans - my old art teacher, God rest her soul."

 

"No, I meant Nana Mouskouri - that Greek singer from the 70s. That girl was a real dead ringer, just without the glasses. She was a great singer, easily in my top 90 of all-time."

 

"I ain't sure that lass is a great singer. For one thing, we ain't heard her perform yet! Should we ask her to sing summat when she comes back?"

 

Platt growled, "I'm not talking about the waiter, you numb-nuts! Ah... actually, that's not a bad put-down, to be fair. I'll write it in my notebook for future reference."

 

Three hours later, once the squad had finished their meals and had their desserts, Catterall thanked the chefs and waiters before leading his group outside. The last one to leave was Leggett, who staggered out of the restaurant with Stones holding her left arm tightly to keep her on her feet.

 

"I reckon Ava's right addled, gaffer," Stones told Catterall. "Think she's 'ad more drinks than Chumbawamba."

 

Catterall hissed, "How many of them red wines did you have, Ava?"

 

Leggett slurred, "I don't know... about three, four... seven. [Hic]!"

 

"Well... at least Tony Adams ain't here to see this." Adams - who infamously struggled with alcohol addiction during the early 1990s - had skipped the meal to conduct a Q&A session with Athens' second-largest Arsenal fan club.

 

Leggett then chanted, "OPA!" and jumped up, landing hard on her right ankle before collapsing to the floor.

 

"Jesus Christ!" Catterall exclaimed. "What the hell do you think you're playing at? You're a 37-year-old woman, for crying out loud, not some teenage girl on a night out!"

 

Half-laughing and half-crying as Stones helped her onto her feet, Leggett replied, "I think... I think I broke something!"

 

"Oh, lord. You really are in a right old state, Ava Leggett."

 

Arsenal winger Raheem Sterling said, "I don't think she's the only one." Noting that his club colleague Wilshere was looking a bit peaky, Sterling asked, "You alright, Jack? You don't look too good."

 

It was at that moment that Wilshere rushed over to a nearby plant pot and retched, spilling the leftovers of his meals inside.

 

"Aww, mate!" Sterling recoiled. "That's proper minging!"

 

"I guess that answered your question, Raheem," quipped Keane.

 

Catterall sighed, "For f***'s sake, not this as well," and walked over to Wilshere before asking. "What's up, fella? You haven't been drinking seven Mandilarias like Ava has, have you?"

 

Wilshere groaned, "No, boss. I haven't drunk for ages - like, six days. I ain't smoked since this morning, either."

 

"So what's happened?"

 

"I think... that Taraji P Henson, or whatever it was. I think that was a bit dodgy."

 

Everton's former Arsenal defender Calum Chambers joked, "I thought it was only those Spurs softies who couldn't handle foreign food!"

 

"Not now, Cal," Burke told Chambers. "Jack looks in a real bad way."

 

Catterall asked Wilshere, "So your taramosalata... you're saying it was a bit off. Could it be food poisoning?"

 

Wilshere groaned, "Maybe one of the chefs... spiked it, you know? So I wouldn't be able to play tomorrow?"

 

"I'm not sure what to think of that. I mean, it's not unheard of..."

 

Wilshere gasped, "Oh no, the-", and then vomited into the pot again.

 

Catterall shouted, "SOMEBODY GET HIM SOME WATER, FOR F***'S SAKE!" As Burke rushed back inside, Catterall continued, "Keep an eye on Jack for me. I'm gonna have a word with the bosses and get to the bottom of this!"

 

The manager followed Burke back into the restaurant, muttering, "This is the last thing I f***ing need right now."

[CFuller]

***

 

England had reached a pivotal point in their quest to reach the 2022 FIFA World Cup. An away win against Greece - their biggest threat in Group 5 - would see the Three Lions leapfrog the Galanolefki into top spot. Another victory in Bosnia & Herzegovina afterwards would make qualification theirs to throw away.

 

Of course, England's last two away trips in the World Cup qualifying progress had not gone to plan. Failure to put any goals past either Kazakhstan or Armenia earlier in the year had raised fears amongst supporters that they would seriously struggle against stronger opposition. The fact that the Three Lions had won just one away fixture (not including major tournament finals) since the start of 2020 was further cause for concern.

 

However, when his team arrived at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in the Athens suburb of Piraeus, Mark Catterall had hatched a plan. The manager had employed a 4-4-2 diamond in England's last World Cup qualifier, which had seen them put seven goals past Kazakhstan at Wembley. He would adopt that formation from the outset again, as opposed to the 4-2-3-1, which had proven so ineffective in Astana and Yerevan.

 

Catterall banked on his midfield overwhelming a Greek team whose strengths lay in defence - specifically in the centre, where they had Chelsea's Kostas Manolas and Borussia Mönchengladbach's Stefanos Evangelou.

 

The job of England's attacking midfielder was to harass those two centre-halves and help create chances for strikers Harry Kane and Callum Wilson. With Dele Alli struggling for fitness, and Jack Wilshere suffering from the effects of food poisoning, that role was given to Raheem Sterling - a winger by trade.

 

Wilson had long been criticised by Three Lions supporters for not being prolific enough against half-decent opponents. Over half of the 29-year-old Chelsea frontman's 13 international goals had come against Gibraltar, and he'd only found the net once in the two years since England's last meeting with the Iberian minnows.

 

Wilson would take just 45 seconds to make his doubters eat their words. England left-back Danny Rose - deputising for the injured Luke Shaw - sent an early throw-in to Kane just outside the Greek penalty area. Kane then drilled the ball across the area for Wilson to power it in at the near post.

 

That goal was the first England had scored away from home in the World Cup qualifiers. They could have also conceded a goal for the first time after three minutes, but Jack Butland showed great resolve to catch a header from the Galanolefki's target man Kostas Mitroglou.

 

Three minutes later, the visitors streamed forward again. Sterling skilfully controlled a flick-on from James Ward-Prowse before moving it out left to the Three Lions' other central midfielder Lewis Cook. After gliding effortlessly past the almost static Greece right-back Stelios Kitsiou, Cook squared the ball for Kane to hammer it into the top corner.

 

England were 2-0 up, and another goal looked likely in the 8th minute, when Ward-Prowse weighted a fantastic ball ahead of Sterling. The Arsenal attacker would have found the net had it not been for a last-ditch save from Kyriakos Pagonas. The 22-year-old Greece shotstopper had been the first-choice goalie at Eredivisie giants Ajax since leaving Barcelona's B team in late January.

 

Mitroglou then had a couple of chances to restore some early pride for the Galanolefki. He horribly headed wide a Kostas Fortounis free-kick in the 13th minute, and then had a volley deflected behind by England defender Michael Keane in the 16th. Cook then intercepted Fortounis' corner, beginning a counter-attack that eventually resulted in Kane's 20-yard drive being parried by Pagonas.

 

Greece's most promising attack of the first half came a couple of minutes later. Heerenveen midfielder Charis Charisis lobbed a pass out right to Angers winger Giorgos Manthatis, who chested it skilfully past Rose before half-volleying inches past the far post.

 

The Galanolefki had another potential attacking threat on the left wing, at least before Dimitris Diamantakos pulled up with a tight groin after half an hour. The spirited Hertha BSC wideman tried to run on for as long as possible, but he was clearly struggling and would be substituted early in the second period.

 

The hosts would go into that second half trailing 3-0. Eight minutes before half-time, Wilson was brought down in the area by Kitsiou, who conceded a penalty that Kane slotted beyond Pagonas' reach. The England vice-captain had now accrued seven goals from his last three outings.

 

With such a comfortable lead, Catterall now felt that the tie was as good as run. He switched back to a 4-2-3-1 formation, and rested Kane in favour of giving an international debut to AFC Bournemouth's right-winger Jordon Ibe. Sterling moved to the left wing, and Ward-Prowse was pushed further forward into the supporting role behind lone striker Wilson.

 

Catterall's changes would immediately pay dividends by giving England a 4-0 advantage. After 48 minutes, Ward-Prowse angled a long pass wide to Ibe, who had the beating of Greece's left-back and captain Kostas Stafylidis. The newcomer crossed low to Wilson, who escaped heavy pressure from a couple of home defenders before tapping the ball in at Pagonas' near post again.

 

Off the back of his second goal, Wilson now sought a hat-trick. It appeared that his moment had come in the 53rd minute, but he couldn't meet another sublime Ibe cross with a clean or even accurate volley.

 

When Greece launched an increasingly rare attack two minutes later, England needed a stroke of luck to maintain their run of clean sheets. Rose cleared substitute winger Dimitris Kolovos' cross out of the penalty area, only to find Fortounis on the edge of it. The flamboyant Olympiacos midfielder unleashed a vicious strike that deflected off England captain Jordan Henderson, and then Butland's left-hand post, before the keeper palmed it out of harm's way.

 

Sterling and Wilson then missed chances to pile further misery onto the Galanolefki before the hour mark. After a dull 10-minute spell, Catterall then used his second substitution, sending Alli on for Henderson. The captaincy was passed on to Manchester City centre-back John Stones.

 

Controversy when ensued in the 74th minute, after Ward-Prowse swung a corner delivery into Greece's penalty area. Several home defenders rushed to try and clear the danger before Mitroglou appeared to beat the ball away with his hand. That was perhaps what persuaded the referee to award England a second penalty, much to the aggravation of the Galanolefki.

 

As Wilson was already on two goals, there was no question of him taking the penalty either. There was no question of him missing it either, with Pagonas being comfortably beaten from 12 yards for the second time. 5-0 to England.

 

Catterall made his final change not long afterwards. Rose - one of several players risking a potential suspension against the Bosnians if they got booked here - was the man who came off. 22-year-old Arsenal left-back Josh Tymon took his place, becoming the Three Lions' latest senior debutant.

 

Alli narrowly missed a chance for 6-0 in the 79th minute, but England would indeed score again a minute later. In truth, it was gifted to them by Stafylidis, whose underhit back-pass to Pagonas was pounced on by a wide-eyed Wilson. Once Wilson lashed in perhaps the easiest of his fourth goals in Piraeus, the young Greek goalkeeper launched an angry tirade at his captain.

 

As far as Greece were concerned, this was the match from hell. There was no glimmer of redemption, not even when Mitroglou forced a last-minute save out of the still-unbeaten Butland. Their four-match winning streak had been well and truly broken.

 

Meanwhile, the most convincing away victory of Catterall's England reign had sent out a clear message to their rivals. The Three Lions were back, and they now meant business.

 

England had gone top of Group 5 by two points, and they would consolidate that position if they could beat Bosnia & Herzegovina in Zenica three days later. The Zmajevi remained six points adrift in 3rd place following a 3-0 home win over Liechtenstein. Kazakhstan's slim hopes of an unlikely qualification were also still intact after they put two unanswered goals past table-proppers Armenia.

 

8 October 2021: FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 - at Georgios Karaiskakis, Piraeus

Greece - 0

England - 6 (Callum Wilson 1,48,pen75,80, Harry Kane 6,pen37)

ENGLAND LINE-UP (4-4-2 Diamond): Jack Butland; Nathaniel Clyne, Michael Keane, John Stones, Danny Rose (Josh Tymon); Jordan Henderson (Dele Alli); James Ward-Prowse, Lewis Cook; Raheem Sterling; Callum Wilson, Harry Kane (Jordon Ibe).

[mark wilson27]

Well that was a bit of a spanking. Must say I really enjoyed the banter that you portrayed in the training ground posts. Had me giggling

21 hours ago, CFuller said:

"Come to think of it, I've always wondered why he has 'JORDON' on his shirt."

 

Adams snarled, "It's a f***ing liberty, ain't it? As far as I'm concerned, you should never have your first name on the back of your shirt... unless you're from Brazil. Or Spain. Or Portugal."

 

"What did you say, Tony?" replied Dele Alli, who was stretching nearby.

 

"It ain't got nothing to do with you, Dele!"

 

[CFuller]

9 hours ago, mark wilson27 said:

Well that was a bit of a spanking. Must say I really enjoyed the banter that you portrayed in the training ground posts. Had me giggling

Typical, isn't it? We can't beat Kazakhstan or Armenia away from home, yet we can go to Athens and put six goals past Greece, with your long-lost brother Callum looking like a world-beater! 

I'm not a huge fan of the 'banter' culture myself, but that brand of comedy seems to work well in this story. I'm sure you'll notice over the coming weeks that I've been able to put more effort into those off-the-pitch posts since ditching the youth teams and concentrating on the senior squad. They do require considerably more imagination to write than the match reports, but the end results are usually worthwhile. I hope that shows from a reader's perspective.

[CFuller]

***

 

It was the morning after England thrashed Greece to take a huge step towards securing qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The players and coaching staff had gathered at the lobby of their hotel before heading off to Athens International Airport, from which they would fly out to Zenica in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

 

Jack Wilshere was one of the last men to arrive. The Arsenal midfielder was still looking worse for wear after his bout with food poisoning, which had ruled him out of the Greece victory.

 

"How you holding up, Jack?" Mark Catterall asked the flamboyant playmaker.

 

Wilshere grumbled, "I feel like my stomach's gonna explode any minute."

 

"I doubt you'll be eating Greek ever again," his club-mate Josh Tymon quipped.

 

"Hell no. Oh God... I think I'm gon-" Wilshere gagged mid-sentence and rushed into the nearby toilets.

 

Wilshere's rival attacking midfielder Dele Alli asked, "Did anyone find out what was up with Jack?"

 

Catterall replied, "It weren't food poisoning after all, Dele. At least not at the restaurant. They couldn't find any reason for him to have got ill."

 

Team physio David Fevre said, "I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure that in most cases of food poisoning, the symptoms don't show up immediately. It usually takes about 12, 24, maybe even 48 hours before you start to feel sick."

 

Alli asked, "So he might have had a dodgy sandwich at St George's?"

 

"Possibly, Dele."

 

Catterall said, "Health and safety will be investigating this back home as we speak. If they do find summat, they'll do everything they can to make sure it doesn't happen again."

 

Assistant manager Michael Burke said, "It'd better not. What with this huge crisis over antibiotics that's in the news, a simple cold or a stomach ache could kill you! It's like the 19th century all over again!"

 

"Gee, thanks for lightening the mood, Mick," Catterall muttered sarcastically. He then asked the squad, "I trust the rest of you have had a great time, then?"

 

Callum Wilson - who was England's star performer the previous night - beamed, "It's been fantastic! Four goals in a big World Cup qualifier! You can't beat that!"

 

Alli asked, in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek manner, "Does that mean you're now gonna go five games without scoring, Cal? Like you usually do?"

 

"I'll try not to! Who've we got next?"

 

"It ain't Gibraltar, if that's what you're hoping for."

 

Catterall said, "This next game will be a tough one, lads, make no mistake. If there's a team in Europe who knows how to upset the odds, it's Bosnia & Herzegovina."

 

"Yeah, we've gotta have our heads screwed on for that one," captain Jordan Henderson nodded. "[Edin] Dzeko might have retired, but they've still got some quality operators."

 

"Get it won, get it done," Tymon stated. "That's what Ian Wright said we had to do when we couldn't beat Kazakhstan, didn't he?"

 

Catterall nodded, "That's exactly what our mindset should be. Get it won, get it done. Don't worry too much about playing fancy football on Monday, 'cos the result is all that matters."

 

Burke said, "If only Frank Lampard and the Under-19s thought like that, eh?"

 

Catterall sighed, "What's he gone and done now, Mick?"

 

"They only went and drew 0-0 with Italy last night, didn't they? There's a chance they might not make the next round of their European qualifiers now."

 

Lampard's Young Lions had made an unconvincing start to their pursuit of the European Under-19s Championship. They had kicked off the Qualifying Round by beating group hosts Estonia 3-0 in Tallinn, with the goals coming from midfielders Danny Harvey and Ashley Wells and striker Stephen Sumner. However, the draw with Italy meant they would be under considerable pressure in their last group match against Wales, where defeat would surely spell elimination.

 

Catterall admitted, "Yeah, Mick, that's not too great, considering the Under-19s beat Italy last season when Ledley King was coaching them. Then again, this is a largely new team with a new manager. It might take some time for things to settle down."

 

Burke said, "I'll tell you what, Catts. If it all goes tits-up against Wales, and they have another result like Slovenia, Lampard's gonna get a hell of a kicking."

 

Defensive coach Tony Adams added, "If anyone deserves a hell of a kicking, it should be Angela Ruskin. If she'd left Catts to his own devices instead of putting some f***ing Chelsea has-been in charge, maybe the kids wouldn't be in this mess!"

 

Another coach - Phil Neville - retorted, "Oh, change the record, Tone!"

 

"Enough!" Catterall hissed. "What did I tell you last month, after we beat Kazakhstan?"

 

Neville remembered, "Oh yeah... something about pulling together. Sorry for going off on you like that, Tone."

 

"Don't mention it," Adams smiled as he accepted Neville's offer of a fist bump. "And don't mention that 1999 FA Cup Semi Final either!"

 

Burke remarked, "Well... at least the Under-21s had a better time of it, eh?"

 

A couple of nights earlier, Paul Ashworth's Under-21s side had recorded an impressive 2-0 away win against Portugal. Goals from Manchester United's Ross Moan and Southampton's on-loan Liverpool forward Willie Field had secured England a third straight victory from the start of the European Championship qualifiers. They were now three points clear at the top of their group.

 

"That's some result from the Under-21s," Adams said. "Beating Portugal away from home is quite an achievement! And from what I heard, that Field kid was different class! Maybe we should give little Willie another chance with the big boys, eh?"

 

Neville nodded as he quipped, "I guess your 'remote management' was actually holding the Under-21s back, eh, Catts?"

 

Catterall sighed, "I think we should board the coach now. What d'you say?"

 

"You heard the gaffer, lads," Henderson nodded. "Let's roll."

 

The England contingent made their way out of their hotel, luggage in hand, and headed for the coach. While on the way out, Adams asked, "We ain't missing anyone, are we, fellas?"

 

"Nope, I don't think so," Burke said.

 

That was when goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers rushed into the lobby in some panic, calling out, "Wait up! You forgot about me!"

 

Wilshere gingerly walked out of the toilets, looked at Flowers, and then asked, "Stomach bug too, eh?"

[CFuller]

***

 

Incredibly, it had taken seven rounds for England to climb to the top of their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying group. Now it was up to them to ensure that they still headed Group 5 after their next three games.

 

The Three Lions' latest stop on the road to Morocco was the central Bosnian city of Zenica. After smashing six goals past Greece in Piraeus, Mark Catterall's team now felt confident of recording another invaluable away victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina.

 

The hosts had had an up-and-down campaign, and defeat at the Bilino Polje stadium would likely spell the end of their World Cup aspirations. The likes of Juventus playmaker Miralem Pjanic and Shanghai SPG left-back Sead Kolasinac would hope to produce the goods by inflicting England's first World Cup qualifying defeat since 2009.

 

England goalkeeper Jack Butland had not had to pick the ball out of his net thus far in the qualifiers, and the 28-year-old Stoke City man would be determined to maintain his proud record in the Balkans. Helping to protect his goal was the returning Eric Dier, who made a rare appearance at centre-half.

 

Dier was amongst no fewer than five Tottenham Hotspur players in Catterall's starting XI. Danny Rose, James Ward-Prowse and Dele Alli also started, but the man to watch was undoubtedly Harry Kane, who'd been in unstoppable goalscoring form for his country of late. The manager expected his wingers - Nathan Redmond and full debutant Jordon Ibe - to provide plenty of service for the big centre-forward.

 

The game's first shot at goal went Bosnia & Herzegovina's way after two minutes. England captain Jordan Henderson's trip on home right-back Nijaz Ahmetovic saw the Zmajevi awarded a free-kick, which Pjanic floated over the crossbar.

 

Jack Butland's subsequent goal kick was nodded on by Kane into the path of Alli, who then dribbled towards the edge of the area before having a shot. His effort was palmed away by Mouscron goalkeeper Kenan Piric, who'd recently replaced the out-of-favour Asmir Begovic as Bosnia's number 1.

 

Piric was given more work in the 11th minute, though a low drive from Kane was simple enough for the 27-year-old. Two minutes later, former Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse set up a chance for current Saints forward Redmond. Zmajevi centre-half Amer Dupovac leapt up and made himself big to deflect Redmond's effort away.

 

England's early attacks had produced little, and they were soon looking vulnerable on the break. After 17 minutes, Pjanic weighted a superb long pass up the left flank to Kolasinac, whose cross then found Lorient striker Armin Hodzic in the Three Lions' penalty area. The one-time Liverpool trainee's shot was deflected onto the post by Manchester United defender Brendan Galloway, who calmly knocked the rebound behind.

 

The Pjanic corner that followed was authoritatively claimed by Butland. Bosnia & Herzegovina could not produce another attack before a moment of pure brilliance eight minutes later saw them fall behind.

 

A poor clearance from Kolasinac was intercepted by Alli, who then found Redmond cutting inside from the left flank. Redmond drilled the ball across the 'D' for Kane to smash in an irresistible first-time shot. The 29-year-old was now on eight goals in his last four England games, and the Three Lions were leading 1-0.

 

Bosnia & Herzegovina's first opportunity to level the scoreline came after Alli tripped Ahmetovic in the 32nd minute. Pjanic superbly lifted it over the wall but was just off target.

 

The Zmajevi then had to survive a host of shots from an England side who were now looking to stretch their lead further. Piric displayed great reactions to keep out shots from Redmond in the 36th minute and Dier in the 38th. Ward-Prowse also went close on a couple of occasions before half-time.

 

Catterall made one substitution during the interval. Henderson was not having the most productive game of his international career, so the England manager took him off and handed the captain's armband to Kane. Dier was pushed up into midfield, and John Stones entered the game to fill the vacancy at centre-half.

 

The Three Lions looked to sustain the pressure when play resumed, but Kane wasn't quite as sharp as he had been in recent matches. Kane was caught offside by a cunning Bosnian defence in the 49th minute, and then powered a Ward-Prowse pass well off target seven minutes later.

 

In the 60th minute, it looked like the Zmajevi had another opportunity to jeopardise England's advantage. Pjanic's free-kick delivery from out wide was cleared by Dier, but Ahmetovic managed to beat Alli to the loose ball and fire a shot at goal. Butland watched it sail miles off target.

 

Bosnia & Herzegovina had used up all their substitutions by the 61st minute. One of those who came on was Cádiz striker Kenan Kodro - the Spanish-born son of former Real Sociedad hotshot Meho Kodro. Kenan had scored his first two international goals a month earlier, but he couldn't follow them up with a 65th-minute drive that easily found its way into Butland's hands.

 

Another opportunity arose for Bosnia on 69 minutes. Mirko Maric was felled on the edge of the England area by Galloway, whose second booking of the qualifying phase meant that he would miss the Three Lions' next match at home to Armenia in November. Montpellier's holding midfielder Sanjin Prcic took the subsequent free-kick, which he skied it well over the bar.

 

Catterall made his two remaining changes shortly afterwards, as one Bournemouth player left the field, and another came on. Ibe was replaced with Arsenal winger Raheem Sterling, while the former's club-mate Lewis Cook took over from Ward-Prowse in midfield.

 

With all his substitutions used up, Catterall obviously didn't want to see any of his players get injured in the closing stages. He had cause for concern when Galloway came off worse in an aerial collision with Prcic in the 77th minute. Thankfully, the resilient defender was able to play on after receiving some off-pitch treatment.

 

Galloway and the rest of the England defence would have little to deal with in the closing stages, which saw chances galore for the home attackers. In the 82nd minute, right-back Nathaniel Clyne's brilliant weighted pass opened the door for Sterling to burst through. Sterling then tried to beat Piric from a tight angle, but the Zmajevi keeper held his nerve and palmed the shot behind.

 

The 85th minute saw Kane head wide a cross from Rose. Both of those Tottenham men would also have shots saved by Piric before time ran out. England had registered 21 shots, including 10 on target, but one goal was ultimately enough for them to claim the spoils - and a top-two finish at worst.

 

The Bosnian players fell to their knees almost as soon as the referee blew his final whistle. They knew that defeat had ended their hopes of appearing at a second World Cup, following their 2014 debut. Kazakhstan's unlikely dream also died with a 2-1 home loss to Greece, who were now England's only remaining rivals for automatic qualification.

 

With just two rounds to go, England were a couple of points clear of Greece. If they could win their upcoming matches against Armenia at Wembley and against Liechtenstein in Vaduz, the Three Lions would qualify for their seventh World Cup in a row. Indeed, a win and a draw would realistically be enough, due to their far superior goal difference to Greece's.

 

Greece's final matches were both at home, against Bosnia & Herzegovina and later Armenia. They still had a slim chance of pipping England to top spot if the leaders slipped up, but with the Three Lions yet to concede a goal all campaign, that looked inconceivable.

 

11 October 2021: FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 - at Bilino Polje, Zenica

Bosnia & Herzegovina - 0

England - 1 (Harry Kane 25)

ENGLAND LINE-UP (4-2-3-1): Jack Butland; Nathaniel Clyne, Eric Dier, Brendan Galloway, Danny Rose; Jordan Henderson (John Stones), James Ward-Prowse (Lewis Cook); Jordon Ibe (Raheem Sterling), Dele Alli, Nathan Redmond; Harry Kane. BOOKED: Galloway 69.

 

2022 FIFA World Cup UEFA Qualifying Group 5 (After 8 rounds)

                                   P     W     D     L     F     A     GD    PTS
1.          England                8     6     2     0     24    0     24    20
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.          Greece                 8     6     0     2     18    12    6     18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.          Bosnia & Herzegovina   8     3     2     3     14    12    2     11
4.          Kazakhstan             8     3     2     3     7     15    -8    11
5.          Liechtenstein          8     1     1     6     2     19    -17   4
6.          Armenia                8     0     3     5     8     15    -7    3

 

[CFuller]

***

 

The England team touched down on Heathrow Airport on the afternoon following their latest FIFA World Cup qualifying victories. Having taken maximum points off Greece and Bosnia & Herzegovina on their own patches, the Three Lions effectively needed just four more from their final two games to confirm qualification.

 

As Mark Catterall led his team through the arrivals lobby, they were greeted by a small group of supporters who declared their approval.

 

One fan called out in a Cockney accent, "Almost there, Catts! Great job!"

 

Another said, "Good result last night. Now don't blow it!"

 

The supporters then burst into a rendition of "Three Lions", prompting assistant Michael Burke to smile as he told Catterall, "I see the fans are getting excited already."

 

Catterall replied, "We ain't even qualified for the World Cup yet!"

 

"I know, but it's good to see them rallying behind us. We ain't really seen that since the Euro Final."

 

"Let's hope they don't get too carried away, though, eh?"

 

Catterall and Burke then glanced to their right and saw about a dozen or so people staring at a television screen that was tuned to Sky Sports News.

 

"What's all the commotion about?" Catterall asked. "City ain't sacked Zinedine Zidane, have they?"

 

The pair walked over with intrigue to find that Barcelona's legendary forward Lionel Messi was holding a news conference at the Nou Camp. He looked on the verge of tears as he suddenly announced his retirement from football with immediate effect, aged just 34.

 

It had been a little over a month since Messi tore his anterior cruciate ligaments against Valencia in La Liga, effectively ruling him out for the rest of the season. The Argentinean megastar had undergone specialist surgery in the United States in a desperate attempt to get him fit in time for what would've been his fourth and final World Cup.

 

Speaking in Castillian Spanish, with his words translated into English, an emotional Messi said, "I am incredibly saddened to tell you that the surgery was not a success. After consulting several medical experts, I have been advised that I would be risking my long-term health and wellbeing if I continued to play.

 

"I am hugely grateful to everyone at FC Barcelona and the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino for everything they have done for me in my career. In 17 years of playing senior football, I have had unbelievable success with Barcelona, but my biggest regret will be that I have never won a Copa América or a World Cup."

 

Burke said, "Christ, that's sad. He was an incredible player, scored God knows how many goals in Spain and Europe, won everything there was to win... but he never got his hands on the big one."

 

Catterall nodded, "Yeah, it's a shame, but there's so many legends who never won the World Cup either - [Johan] Cruyff, [Ferenc] Puskás, Luís Figo, George Best. In fact, George Best never even played at a World Cup."

 

"Incredible, isn't it? Can you believe that [former Newcastle United goalkeeper] Matz Sels has a World Cup winner's medal [with Belgium in 2018] and Messi doesn't?"

 

"It makes you think. It makes you think that you've got to take your chances when those big tournaments come, 'cos you never know when or if another opportunity will arise."

 

"Wise words, Mark," replied FA chairwoman Angela Ruskin as she patted him on the back. "Well done on last night's result, by the way. Now would you mind having a little chat with Dexter and me?"

 

Catterall followed Ruskin into a café, where they sat at a table beside FA vice-chairman Dexter Poyner. The England boss then asked, "So what's this about?"

 

"We've been thinking about the future of this football team; we always are," Ruskin began. "And we're all about transparency here at the FA, so I want to tell you this first, before anyone leaks it to the press. We are... considering taking the team in another direction after the World Cup."

 

"Cut the business talk, Angela. Be straight with me: are you sacking me?"

 

Ruskin said, "Here's the thing, Mark. It's not a definite yes or no. We're just looking at other options."

 

Poyner added, "We've sounded out some world-class coaches about taking over for the next European Championship. That's not to say you're not world-class, Mark, obviously..."

 

"But recent results have got us thinking that... maybe we could do with some fresh ideas. By the end of the World Cup, you'll have been in this job for six years, and that's a very long time for a football manager."

 

Catterall argued, "José Mourinho's in his sixth season at Manchester United, and they don't look like they need fresh ideas!"

 

"Mourinho never lasted more than three seasons at a club before United, though, because he always burnt out and his teams always stopped playing for him. Just think about what happened to us in Kazakhstan and Armenia, and then you'll see what I mean."

 

"Those teams set up their defences like Fort Knox and we weren't smart enough to break through them. I will shoulder some of the blame for that, but it weren't as if the players had got bored of me!"

 

Poyner said, "I'd suggest you look at what the youth teams are achieving now to see what a new coach can achieve. The Under-21s have won their first four European qualifiers under Paul Ashworth, scoring 14 goals. And as for the Under-19s, they have played some quite exhilarating football under Frank Lampard!"

 

Catterall exclaimed, "Excuse me?! They drew 0-0 with Wales on Sunday, and they only qualified for the next round of their European Championship by a single point! I mean... do you even follow football, Dexter?"

 

"I've been a football fan all my life, Mark. I attended my first England match as a 13-year-old, when Jonny Wilkinson scored five penalties to beat France 25-17 at Twickenham in the Six Nations."

 

Catterall shook his head in disbelief and then angrily pointed a finger at Ruskin, "First, you kill 'remote management'. Now you're thinking about giving me the sack, even though I'm still contracted with the FA until 2024. Fess up, Angela. Have you got something against me?"

 

Ruskin gently pushed Catterall's hand away and calmly said, "No, Mark. The FA is undergoing a major overhaul at all levels, even in the boardroom."

 

Poyner asked, "How long has David Whiteman been employed with us?"

 

Catterall said, "Since 2009, I believe. He took over as CEO after Brian Barwick resigned."

 

"So he's been our chief executive for 12 years," Ruskin nodded, before continuing, "But not for much longer. Just between us three, David will be pensioned off following the World Cup... that is, if the old gentleman doesn't take the sensible option for his health and resign before then."

 

Catterall asked her, "And who are you going to replace David with? Is his name Darren Ruskin, by any chance?"

 

"No, of course I'm not going to make my son CEO!" Ruskin laughed, before her mood turned sour. "And by the way, his name is Darren Jenkins; he uses my ex-husband's surname, but God knows why. Personally, I want nothing more to do with that misogynistic Welsh love rat."

 

Poyner said, "We will open up the recruitment process for a new chief executive to people of all backgrounds. We won't discriminate against anyone, whether they're a woman, an ethnic minority, a Muslim or a Liberal Democrat."

 

"And in case you ask, Mark... no, we're not using this as a ploy to get Connie Millstone back on the board," Ruskin stated. "Lord knows we need more women administrators in football than ever, but she was arguably just as complicit in the FA's current financial crisis as Clark Gregory."

 

"I weren't saying you should, to be fair," Catterall said. "Connie's the kind of person who would make Joey Essex look like Joey Barton."

 

As Poyner bore a bewildered look on his face, Ruskin asked, "On another topic, there's something I'd like to speak with Ava Leggett about. You don't happen to know where Ava is right now, do you, Mark?"

 

"No idea... and to be honest, even if I did know, I don't think Ava's in any state to talk right now. She's been complaining of a pounding headache all morning."

 

"Poor girl," Ruskin sighed. "Hung over?"

 

Catterall nodded, "Ava's been getting drunk pretty much every night since we went to Greece. Her break-up has really knocked her for six."

 

Ruskin said, "I've been there myself, when I was a young working woman who'd split from her first real boyfriend. Trust me; alcohol is not a good remedy for a broken heart. I'll make sure Ava gets all the help she needs... if she wants it, of course."

[CFuller]

Chapter 53 - Sealing The Deal

 

The disgraced former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys used to say repeatedly that the Premier League was "the best league in the world". Many people had since argued that it was merely the most competitive, certainly in relation to other major European leagues such as Serie A, La Liga and the Bundesliga. A quarter of the way into the 2021/2022 season, though, it already looked like the title would be contested by just two teams - at most.

 

Four-time defending champions Manchester United had enjoyed an ominously strong start to the season. José Mourinho's dream team were not only capable of scoring almost at will, but - being a typical Mourinho team - they were also proving very difficult to break down defensively.

 

Manchester United won 14 of their first 15 matches this term. The only blip had come in mid-September at the London Stadium, where a late equaliser from Jacob Bruun Larsen earned West Ham United a 2-2 draw. The Red Devils responded by kicking off an eight-game winning streak.

 

Come the 10th round of Premier League fixtures, United were top of the table with 25 points. Behind them on goal difference were the only team pundits could see pushing the champions all the way - their noisy neighbours Manchester City, managed by the great Zinedine Zidane.

 

The Citizens had been on an even more impressive winning run than the Red Devils. They had racked up 11 victories on the trot since being held to a 2-2 draw at Huddersfield Town on the second weekend of the season. In the two-and-a-bit months since that surprise result in West Yorkshire, goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli had only been beaten on three occasions.

 

Many pundits were expecting a titanic battle when these two Mancunian rivals went toe-to-toe at Old Trafford on Sunday 24 October. The truth was anything but, as the men in sky blue were badly off-colour, and the Red Devils created a bloodbath.

 

The signs were there as early as the ninth minute, when Robert Lewandowski gave United an early opener with a simple tap-in from summer signing Kylian Mbappé's centre. Mbappé created another goal roughly a minute later, with Portugal midfielder João Mário the beneficiary of the French winger's assist that time around.

 

Mário scored again in the 33rd minute, volleying home from a cross by England left-back Luke Shaw, who'd recently returned from a broken arm. Lewandowski then matched his team-mate's brace about a quarter of an hour into the second half, completing a stunning 4-0 rout for United. Not since City famously won 6-1 at Old Trafford in 2011 had a Manchester derby been so one-sided.

 

In all honesty, Zidane's skilful Citizens simply could did not know how to counter the ruthless and clinical direct attacks put together by Mourinho's champions. At the post-match press conference, the United boss reiterated his famous claim that he was the 'Special One', gloating, "We are a special team. We cannot lose."

 

Manchester United's win only put them three points clear at the top, but the manner of the victory left many people wondering if they had as good as retained the title already. If a side of Manchester City's calibre could be taken apart with such consummate ease, what hope did other teams have of beating the seemingly unbeatable?

 

While the Red Devils were on track to claim yet another championship, England's progression towards the 2022 FIFA World Cup had not been quite so smooth. The Three Lions' struggles in Kazakhstan and Armenia were already well-documented, and those four dropped points meant qualification for the upcoming finals was not yet secured going into the final batch of group fixtures.

 

After eight matches, England held only a two-point lead over Greece in Group 5. A win and a draw from their final two games - at home to Armenia, and then away to Liechtenstein - would be enough to win the group and rubber-stamp their tickets to Morocco.

 

Nevertheless, England now knew nothing was certain in international football, and that a shock first qualifying defeat since 2009 would give Greece the opportunity to leapfrog them. If that worst-case scenario did happen, the Three Lions would need to hope that they were at least amongst the best three group runners-up in the UEFA section, which would send them through via the back door. If not, their run of qualifying for six consecutive World Cups would be over.

 

These were the 23 players whom Catterall would trust to get the job done, ideally with the minimum of fuss:

 

ENGLAND squad - for matches vs Armenia (H) and Liechtenstein (A)

NAME                      POSITIONS           D.O.B. (AGE)     CLUB            CAPS  GOALS HEIGHT WEIGHT     VALUE
Jack Butland              GK                  10/03/1993 (28)  Stoke           22    0     6'5"   14st 13lbs £14M    
Fraser Forster            GK                  17/03/1988 (33)  Southampton     11    0     6'7"   15st 8lbs  £2.5M   
Freddie Woodman           GK                  04/03/1997 (24)  Everton         5     0     6'1"   11st 4lbs  £5M     
Calum Chambers            D (RC)              20/01/1995 (26)  Everton         27    0     6'0"   11st 6lbs  £21.5M  
Mason Holgate             D (RC)              22/10/1996 (25)  Everton         5     0     5'11"  11st 13lbs £23M    
Michael Keane             D (RC)              11/01/1993 (28)  Man City        41    1     6'1"   13st 3lbs  £26M    
John Stones               D (RC)              28/05/1994 (27)  Man City        57    1     6'2"   12st 3lbs  £35M    
Eric Dier                 D (RC), DM, M (C)   15/01/1994 (27)  Tottenham       67    6     6'2"   13st 7lbs  £37.5M  
Reece Oxford              D (C), DM           16/12/1998 (22)  West Ham        1     0     6'3"   11st 13lbs £8M     
Nathaniel Clyne           D/WB (R)            05/04/1991 (30)  Liverpool       53    0     5'9"   10st 7lbs  £9M     
Luke Shaw                 D/WB (L)            12/07/1995 (26)  Man Utd         49    2     6'1"   11st 11lbs £36.5M  
Danny Rose                D/WB/M (L)          02/07/1990 (31)  Tottenham       43    2     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £4.3M   
Lewis Cook                DM, M (C)           03/02/1997 (24)  Bournemouth     8     2     5'9"   11st 2lbs  £17.25M 
Jordan Henderson          DM, M (C)           17/06/1990 (31)  Liverpool       87    4     6'0"   10st 7lbs  £8.75M  
Jack Wilshere             DM, M/AM (C)        01/01/1992 (29)  Arsenal         77    12    5'9"   10st 3lbs  £10M    
Neil Campbell             M (C), AM (RC)      23/05/2001 (20)  Wolves          0     0     5'10"  11st 4lbs  £7.25M  
Jordon Ibe                M/AM (RL), ST (C)   08/12/1995 (25)  Bournemouth     2     0     5'9"   10st 12lbs £13.5M  
Nathan Redmond            M/AM (RL), ST (C)   06/03/1994 (27)  Southampton     25    5     5'8"   11st 6lbs  £21.5M  
James Ward-Prowse         M/AM (RC)           01/11/1994 (27)  Tottenham       26    4     5'8"   10st 5lbs  £24M    
Dele Alli                 M/AM (C)            11/04/1996 (25)  Tottenham       71    7     6'1"   12st 1lb   £37.5M  
James Wilson              AM (R), ST (C)      01/12/1995 (25)  Wolves          1     0     6'0"   12st 3lbs  £10M    
Harry Kane                ST (C)              28/07/1993 (28)  Tottenham       71    39    6'3"   13st 0lbs  £34M    
Callum Wilson             ST (C)              27/02/1992 (29)  Chelsea         42    17    5'11"  10st 7lbs  £20.5M  

 

As expected, Luke Shaw returned to the England squad, having missed the October internationals due to a broken arm. The Manchester United left-back was now fit again and on course to win his 50th cap - a landmark that he perhaps couldn't have imagined reaching when plagued by injuries early in his career.

 

Shaw's return meant that Josh Tymon dropped back out of the squad, despite collecting his first senior cap against Kazakhstan. The 22-year-old would hope to return in the not-too-distant future, thought he perhaps had to oust Kieran Tierney from Arsenal's starting line-up first.

 

Another Arsenal player who missed out on the squad this time around was Raheem Sterling. The 26-year-old wing wizard's excellent first season at the Emirates Stadium hit its first bump in mid-October, when he twisted his ankle just five minutes into a UEFA Champions League match against Zenit St Petersburg. Sterling would not return to full fitness in time for the November internationals, so Mark Catterall opted to leave him out.

 

Shaw's Old Trafford colleague Brendan Galloway was also left out, as the centre-half had barely featured for United in recent weeks. Likewise, Daniel Sturridge was axed after losing his starting place at Valencia to a certain former Southampton striker by the name of Manolo Gabbiadini. 32-year-old Sturridge would surely have to move away from the La Liga club in January if he was to keep his international career alive.

 

Everton defender Mason Holgate was back in the England fold for the first time in almost exactly a year. He'd missed the back end of the previous campaign with an Achilles injury sustained in December, and his return to competitive action had been further delayed when he damaged his knee cartilage in pre-season.

 

Holgate was a spirited character, and he was determined to come back better than ever. It was no coincidence that the Yorkshireman's return to the Everton line-up coincided with the Toffees' rise from 16th in the Premier League to 9th in the space of two months.

 

There was also a recall for Wolverhampton Wanderers striker James Wilson, who'd won his first England cap in the UEFA Nations League in June. The 25-year-old West Midlander had scored three goals in seven league matches for Wolves thus far this term, which wasn't that great a record on the face of it.

 

Surprisingly, only three Englishmen had outscored Wilson in the PL thus far - Sterling, Tottenham Hotspur skipper Harry Kane... and Arsenal teenager Anthony Hayward, who'd burst onto the scene while on loan at Leeds United. Catterall didn't feel that Hayward was yet ready for a place in the senior England team, but he would reconsider his stance if the 19-year-old Londoner could keep up his fine scoring form.

 

Catts continued his recent trend of calling up at least one uncapped player. In the absence of any fit and in-form competition for Jordon Ibe and Nathan Redmond on the wings, the manager instead called up an extra midfielder. The lucky man in question was Neil Campbell - a 20-year-old colleague of Wilson's at Wolves.

 

Campbell was a gifted midfield creator who'd made 122 league appearances for Wolves, including 40 in the PL, since his first-team breakthrough in 2017. The Tyneside-born youngster was also a former FIFA U20 World Cup and UEFA European Under-19s Championship winner, and a mainstay in England's Under-21s squad. Campbell had long been tipped for promotion to the senior team, and now the time had come for him to step up.

[CFuller]

***

 

The English sports media had congregated on St George's Park the day before England's last home match in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Victory against Armenia would put the Three Lions on the proverbial plane to Morocco, if not quite automatically secure their qualification.

 

Mark Catterall attended the pre-match press conference with two of his least experienced players. AFC Bournemouth winger Jordon Ibe had been told he would make his full home debut for his country, while Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Neil Campbell was in line for a maiden cap at the age of just 20.

 

Conducting the press conference was the FA's communications director Ava Leggett, who asked the gathered journalists, "Who would like to ask the first question?"

 

Olivia Connolly from ESPN was first to raise her hand in the front row. This no doubt rankled with Leggett, whose ex-boyfriend was now in a relationship with Connolly. Leggett sighed, "Olivia..."

 

Connolly asked, "Mark, tomorrow will see Luke Shaw earn his 50th cap for England... unless, of course, you have decided to save him for the trip to Liechtenstein. How do you think he will handle such a big occasion?"

 

Leggett stated, "Next question, please!" but Catterall insisted, "No, no, I will answer that question, Ava. Luke will be playing tomorrow, barring a late injury, and I can tell you he will handle his 50th international just like his previous 49. He's a cool-headed, evasive character who never lets big occasions get back to him."

 

Sky Sports News reporter Ollie Benjamin asked Ibe, "Jordon, how excited are you about the prospect of playing your first England international at Wembley, at the age of nearly 26. Did you think you would never get the chance?"

 

Ibe smiled, "Jordon never doubted Jordon's ability to play great football and one day pull on the England jersey in front of Jordon's home fans. Even when Jordon was playing in the Championship two years ago, Jordon always believed that this would happen. It will be an incredible and humbling moment for Jordon, and also for Jordon's family."

 

Kit Gammon - the portly, bearded veteran Daily Mail writer - was red-faced as per usual. He sputtered, "With all respect, how do we expect English football fans to get behind this kid when we don't even know how to pronounce his name? Eye-bee? eBay?"

 

Ibe answered, "It's pronounced Jordon. Jaw... dun. Simple as that."

 

Gammon nodded, "Thanks, but shouldn't you be playing for Nigeria with all those other failed England youth internationals like Tammy Abraham and Eddie what's-his-face?"

 

Catterall intervened, "I wish I didn't have to justify such nonsense with an answer, but let me just make something clear. Jordon is in this England squad because he was born in England, and also because we both believe he's good enough to play for England. Yes, Jordon's parents are Nigerian, but he's committed himself to England for completely valid reasons, and we're delighted that he has.

 

"Also, for the record, Eddie Nketiah is now playing for Ghana. I was disappointed that we'd missed out on a striker with such great potential, but I can understand why he decided to switch his international allegiance before waiting for a chance with England. That is his prerogative, and the same goes with any potential England players who have second nationalities and are thinking of switching their allegiances."

 

Leggett then asked, "Do we have any questions for Neil?" After Connolly put her hand up again, Leggett added, "Preferably from someone who DOESN'T work for ESPN."

 

A BBC reporter raised his hand and said, "Scott Davidson, BBC Radio 5 Live..."

 

Leggett bellowed, "NEXT QUESTION!"

 

Scott Woodman (no relation to Freddie) from the website TEAMtalk posed his question to Campbell instead. "Neil, how are you feeling ahead of what could be the biggest night of your career?"

 

Campbell smiled as he replied, "I won't lie; I've got some butterflies in me stomach at the minute! But no, it's an incredible feeling to be in this England team with so many great superstars like Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Fraser Forster.

 

"I don't feel like a superstar at all. I'm just a normal 20-year-old lad from South Shields, whose mam gave up everything and worked two jobs to help get me into the Wolves academy. These sorts of opportunities don't normally come to kids like me, so I've gotta stay focussed and keep working hard, 'cos you'll never know if you'll ever get another chance."

 

Woodman said, "A good, honest answer there, Neil. Now what would you say about these reports going around linking you with a £25million transfer to Manchester United?"

 

Leggett whispered, "No comment," in Campbell's ear, and he replied, "I can't answer that right now, sorry."

 

Woodman asked, "What about rumours of a £30million move to Manchester City?"

 

Campbell shook his head, "Again, no comment."

 

"Rafa Benítez has publicly taken a shine to you. How would you feel about playing for Arsenal?"

 

"I... can't say."

 

"In that case, would you like to say anything about reputed interest from Liverpool? Chelsea? Tottenham?"

 

Leggett interjected, "Neil will not be answering ANY questions about his club future at this moment in time. Now does anyone have anything else they'd like to ask Jordon or Mark? NO THANK YOU, OLIVIA!"

 

Benjamin asked Catterall, "Mark, have you given any thought to the goalless draw in Yerevan ahead of the rematch, or have you wiped that from your memory banks?"

 

"I think we'd all like to forget that ever happened," Catterall smiled awkwardly. "But we've got to put that aside and adopt a professional mindset tomorrow. We know all about the spirit Armenia play with and how dangerous they can be on the counter, so we can't lose focus for a single moment. The fact they're bottom of the group without a win doesn't count for anything, especially when you remember how San Marino started off against England in 1993."

 

"Speaking of that," Benjamin said. "Do you think there's a chance England could yet slip up and fail to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 1994, long before the likes of Jordon and Neil were even born?"

 

"There's no right answer to that question, is there, Ollie? I'm can't go all cocky and say it's impossible, 'cos in terms of maths, it isn't impossible at all. But if I say there's a chance we might not take at least four points against Armenia and Liechtenstein, you'll have a go at me for being pessimistic. I'll admit that's a long-winded way to say 'no comment', but still..."

 

Gammon was then invited to ask another question, this time to Gammon, "We've heard reports that Angela Ruskin was seen meeting José Mourinho at his Lowry hotel suite in Manchester last week. Do you have anything to say about that?"

 

Catterall smiled somewhat nervously and replied, "No comment. You'll have to ask Angela about that. Now, would you excuse me..."

 

Catterall then got off his chair and walked out of the room as an array of camera phones captured his 'rage quit'. Leggett looked as stunned as everyone else in the room as she told the journalists, "I'll just be a few minutes. In the meantime, if you have anything for Jordon or Neil, fire away."

 

As Leggett followed Catterall outside, The Guardian's Adrian Pike asked Campbell, "So, Neil, would it be right to say that your rapid emergence as a top-level Premier League and now England midfielder was in spite of the Tories' crippling austerity in the early to mid-2010s?"

 

Behind the scenes, Leggett asked Catterall, "Why the hell did you go off like that? You're getting yourself a bit of a reputation, you know!"

 

"Did you know anything about Angela meeting Mourinho at the Lowry?"

 

"Yeah, but it was only put up on the Mail website, like, an hour ago! But-"

 

Catterall interrupted Leggett and gestured, "Show me."

 

Leggett brought up the Mail article on her phone and passed it over to Catterall. After taking a closer look at the accompanying photographs, he said, "No... that's not Angela."

 

"That's what I was about to say before you interrupted me. That 'hair' is obviously a wig. Come to think of it, I'm not sure that's even a woman."

 

Catterall asked, "So it could be another 'Mock Jock' then?"

 

Leggett shrugged, "Maybe..."

 

"Except that this one's not working for The Sun. You know, Ava... I'm sure that summat fishy's going on. I reckon somebody's been trying to undermine my authority for years, and I'm starting to think it might not be Michael Love."

 

"I can't imagine that it's Angela either... or David Whiteman."

 

"Well, whoever it is, they're not gonna break me - and definitely not this month of all months," Catterall stated. "Come on, Ava. I've got unfinished business."

 

Leggett and Catterall returned to the press conference, while Ibe was in the middle of answering a question about England's preparations for the Armenia game. Everybody in the room fell silent as the pair took their seats again.

 

Catterall said, "Sorry about that, ladies and gents. Nature called for me."

 

Leggett nodded, "Yeah, and nature called for me as well at the same time. Funny coincidence, wasn't it? Anyway... as you were..."

[Drogba11CFC]

Take the red face away and Kit Gammon looks quite similar to Martin Samuel...

[CFuller]

3 minutes ago, Drogba11CFC said:

Take the red face away and Kit Gammon looks quite similar to Martin Samuel...

Martin Samuel is exactly who I had in mind.