Southgate plan for penalty joy

England look to data and mental tricks for spot-kicks Rashford ready to step up again after Euro 2020 loss

England have stepped up their preparation for penalties by practising against a goalkeeper rather than a “skills net” and working on breathing techniques and run-ups ahead of their last-16 clash against Senegal.

Gareth Southgate’s team will be facing a side at Al Bayt Stadium who qualified for Qatar after a play-off shoot-out and also won the Africa Cup of Nations on spot-kicks, both against Egypt.

England thought they had exorcised their penalty demons when they beat Colombia in the 2018 World Cup, but they came flooding back in the Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy 16 months ago. Since then players have been working with Ian Mitchell, head of performance psychology, on mental tricks they can employ.

Players have previously been using a skills net which covers the goal apart from the corners, but with the knockout stages starting they have begun preparing in earnest, yesterday practising with goalkeepers for the first time.

“For the first couple of weeks, we’ve been using the skills net, where there are three sections of the goal not covered and now the keepers will start coming into play,” said midfielder Declan Rice.

England began researching penalty techniques nine years ago under Football Association technical director Dan Ashworth, whose data team gathered information on the walk to the penalty spot and the time players took after the referee blows the whistle.

Senegal’s shoot-out successes have all come in the time since England suffered heartbreak at Wembley to lose the Euro 2020 final on spot-kicks when Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka failed to find the net.

Rashford says he is ready to take another penalty if asked. Saka has worked with Arsenal assistant manager Steve Round to perfect two styles of penalties. The result has been two successful conversions in games against Chelsea and Manchester United.

Michael Caulfield, one of the UK’S leading sport psychologists, who works with Premier League clubs, says success in the shoot-out is down to the skill of the player and in sticking to their routine when the pressure is on.

“When you are nervous at anything in life, the first thing that goes is timing, like a public speaker who is nervous and speeds up,” he said. “The psychology of the penalty is the way you train yourself and talk to yourself when you are under the most pressure, to have a system of trust and a pilot’s sense of routine not to crack.

“I watch players go through their routine each and every day, they repeat that routine and they can remain calm because they have done it so many times. If you are starting to practise the routine now, you have left it a little late. It is like trying to learn how to play the piano in time for the World Cup final.”

Rice added: “Since Gareth has come in, we’ve shifted our mindset on penalties. We lost the Euro final, but we had a big win against Colombia

in 2018. We know now we’re at the stage where we can get penalties and we’ll be well prepared for it.

“You don’t want to take too many penalties in training, you want to be fresh, pick a spot. If it does come to penalties, I’ll back us 100 per cent, all the way. I’m really confident in what we’re seeing.

“Not just because of the players we’ve got but also the preparation we’ve put into them.”

Caulfield says preparation is the most important part of penalties and that players such as Saka and Rashford have the ability to compartmentalise and overcome the disappointment of missing last year.

“They’ve been through a lot and they have a remarkable ability to deal with setbacks, to have disappointment as well as joy,” he said. “It is not two years since they were almost chased out of the country after missing their penalties and were subjected to horrible abuse, including racist abuse.

“I was there when Saka played against Brentford and he got a standing ovation from their fans. These players have grown as a result of the criticism. Setbacks are part of the deal, unless you have them you don’t get better. Life is about confronting failure.”

Still, Senegal are riding on a crest of a wave with penalties. Their legendary forward El Hadji Diouf, adviser to their football federation, hopes it goes the distance. “We are always going to win on penalties. If we get to penalties, we’re going to win it. Easy,” he said.

England’s stats are good on penalties, Harry Kane has missed only nine out of 69, which is a healthy return. Callum Wilson’s 17 out of 20 is worthy of a late substitution if he is not on the pitch. Rashford and Eric Dier have good records, too. But a 2-0 win in 90 minutes would be less stressful for everyone.