Raheem Sterling says England should play with the ‘swagger and belief’ of Argentina and Brazil

Positive thinking | Manchester City star says England player need to believe
Rex Features
Giuseppe Muro27 March 2018

Raheem Sterling wants England to develop a swagger like Brazil and Argentina and take that sort of arrogance and self-belief to the World Cup this summer.

England face Italy at Wembley in a friendly that will provide another gauge of how the team are progressing with under three months until the tournament in Russia.

There were plenty of encouraging signs in Friday’s 1-0 win against Holland in Amsterdam and the team are growing in confidence under Gareth Southgate. England seem to hold few fears and Sterling has now urged the team to play with the kind of aura that distinguishes the most successful nations.

“You will see how good a squad we actually do have and the confidence the manager is putting in the players,” Sterling told Standard Sport. “We are getting that swagger about us. That is the most important thing, when I look at opposition like Brazil and Argentina they have that swagger and that belief.

“I think in terms of England some of the players need to have that a bit more. ‘Yeah, we are going to win today’, not ‘we are going to play a football match’. To have that arrogance about you as well. That is why a lot of foreign teams do well.”

“When you start winning against big teams it starts to come in. That is not to say arrogance to get complacent. Arrogance to be confident. If you make a mistake, move on. Being streetwise as well. But we are getting there.”

England have often gone into major tournaments with a disconnect between the team and fans but Sterling has called for the country to unite behind a side who are unbeaten in their past three friendlies against Germany, Brazil and the Netherlands. The England team are rebuilding the relationship with their supporters after some disappointing performances in recent years and Sterling feels the backing of the nation will help the players perform better at the World Cup.

“We know what we can do,” said the Manchester City forward. “It is just having that support, that backing and feeling loved.

“I feel sometimes there is a bit too much negativity. I would love some positivity going in to make the boys know everyone is behind them.

In Pictures | Netherlands vs England | 23/03/2018

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“It is not purely negativity, it is also question marks here and there. Whoever gets picked, it is the manager’s decision. But after that it is going to be, ‘Should he have gone, should this person have gone?’

“If we get behind the players and give them some love you would not know how much that would help them and boost their confidence.

“If you want your country to do well as everyone says, bring a positive light into it. Make the boys go off to the World Cup with clear heads knowing everyone is behind them and everyone is with them.

“Trust me, I think you will definitely see a better England.”

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