England find themselves in a similar position to Manchester United with pundits and the press

"No f*****g chance," was the parting shot from a Manchester United player as they stomped through the mixed zone and boarded the team bus.

That was early in the Erik ten Hag era when baby steps had been taken to cultivate a more communicative rapport between the players and the press. This was a step backwards.

In fairness to the player, he stepped back off the coach to have it out with the journalist and what threatened to become a heated row ended diplomatically. "You actually seem like a nice guy," the player told the reporter, before retreating behind the blacked-out windows.

This is a window into the modern footballer. There has been a mentality shift in workplaces with millennials and Gen Zers, many of whom find criticism anathema. They want good vibes only.

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A former teammate of Marcus Rashford's noted he does not like criticism. Rashford's brother and agent, Dwaine Maynard, piped up to question his omission from the England squad after their putrid performance against Denmark. Maynard publicly barracked Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand earlier this year.

Playing for the United AD (after dominance) requires a thick skin and there are parallels with the England squad. Harry Kane's demand for former England internationals to be "as helpful as they can and building the lads up with confidence" typifies the post-millennial footballer.

Kane, 30, falls into the millennial bracket but is seen as comparatively old school. He made his career debut in 2011 and has been around the block. But, as England captain, he reflected the dressing room sentiment and the majority of his