Concerns linger for Southgate's England ahead of World Cup

The crisis crept up on Gareth Southgate.

Just 14 months ago, England was playing in a European Championship final — and coming oh-so-close to winning it — backed by fans who rediscovered their connection with the national team.

Fast forward to the last few days when Southgate’s players — without a win in five games or an open-play goal getting on for 500 minutes — were holding private meetings without any coaches present.

Jeered by England supporters in the team’s most recent home game, a scarcely believable 4-0 loss to Hungary in June, Southgate knew he would be facing even more vitriol if Germany, England’s fierce rival, came away from Wembley Stadium with a victory on Monday.

So, how should the wild 3-3 draw in what in sporting terms was an unimportant Nations League group game be viewed?

The Southgate believers will say it showed a team playing for its coach, especially with England 2-0 down after 70 minutes and looking on course to be heading into the World Cup with another morale-sapping defeat.

The growing number of Southgate’s critics, however, will argue the chaotic 12-minute period — from the 71st to the 83rd — when England scored three goals from three shots to move into a 3-2 lead simply papered over the cracks.

The truth might be somewhere in between.

For now, the storm around Southgate and his players has relented, even if another might be just around the corner in Qatar.

“You can try and avoid pressure but it’s coming,” Southgate said. “Maybe it’s the third group game, maybe it’s a quarterfinal . . . whatever it might be, it’s coming.

“So, better that we feel it and we learn how to deal with it. We talked about how we needed to react if Germany scored and the players reacted in the right way.”

Indeed,