The defence was the rock upon which England’s foundations were built.
Incredibly, England kept 14 clean sheets in their 19 games last year, conceding just five goals and yet have managed just two clean sheets in 2022 and conceded 10 goals in eight games.
That probably explains why England’s defence is now seen as the weakest link and yet there is no doubt in Conor Coady’s mind that Harry Maguire and Co can get back to their best.
Manchester United defender Maguire has been out of form, lost his starting place at Old Trafford and yet, according to Coady, he is the “same old” player when he comes away with England.
Maguire still looks likely to start against Iran next Monday when England begin their World Cup campaign and Coady insists the defence which served them so well in the Euros and in Russia in 2018 will be up to the job again.
Coady said: “I’ll be honest, we see the same old Harry Maguire every time we come away. I’ve known him since he was a kid at Sheffield United, I played with him when i was on loan there, he’s a great friend of mine and an even better footballer.
"Listen, he gets a lot of stick, we all see that, I don’t think it’s warranted if i’m being honest, but he’s a fantastic player and fantastic human being.
“We see the same old Harry Maguire every time he comes here, how he plays for England, the leader that he is, the character that he is, he’s a brilliant person.”
Coady also believes that, despite the changes in the defence, they will get back to being solid again even though they have gone six games without a win and conceded three in their last game against Germany.
When asked about the importance of the defence, Coady said: “It’s huge, it’s huge. That’s not just something we speak about in international football.
“It’s the same every week back at your club, you are speaking about how important clean sheets are going forward and we understand that. We have looked in the past at the teams that have won tournaments and they concede very few goals.
“It’s important we focus on that side of our game because that is what we have been good at. It won’t change how we approach and prepare for games. We will focus on what we need to do.”
Coady was called England’s “most important player” at the Euros despite not playing a minute in the whole tournament. There is no doubting his value to the squad as a leader, inspiration and also keeping the dressing room dynamic in check.
But Coady laughed off a question about what a “good tourist” looks like. “He’s just called me a tourist, hasn’t he?” Said Coady, looking over his own shoulder.
“I don’t think of myself as that, to be honest. I think of myself as a player who has come here to do my best to try and help as much as I possibly can. I want to push everyone.
“I’ve said it plenty of times before: what are you going to do? Come here, sit and sulk and go back to your room? Or are you going to try to push people? That is all I am going to do.
“I will be doing my best if I am called upon. I don’t think of myself as a tourist. I think of myself as a footballer. I won’t change that attitude or that way of playing. We are focused on going as far as we possibly can and making the country proud in these next few weeks.”
England getting used to the Qatari heat
Conor Coady has insisted England will not melt under the World Cup pressure.
England boss Gareth Southgate deliberately organised training sessions in the lunchtime heat in Qatar to get his players acclimatised to the roasting 30-plus degrees temperatures.
Group rivals Wales put their sessions back to later in the afternoon but Coady says England will enjoy the heat in the Middle East rather than the rain back home. Three Lions defender Coady said: “It’s something we have got to prepare ourselves for over the next few weeks. We are all preparing for the same thing.
“We trained and worked our socks off. Training has been great. We are trying to embrace it as much as we can. It’s up to the gaffer and the staff what we do going forward but, in terms of today, we started at 1230 and it was lovely.
"It was top drawer! We kind of embrace what is coming our way because we don’t get this chance very often back home when it is freezing cold! The gaffer will tell you about the schedule but we will embrace it as much as we can.
“It was hard this morning. It was a long session and it was something we needed as a team to get used to it, to feel it, to understand it. It’s tough, of course it’s tough. I’m not going to sit here and says it’s not tough but we’re professional players, we understand what we are doing.
“And training this morning was fantastic. it’s a different environment for us, it’s something we want to take on board as quickly as possible and something we want to enjoy.
“It’s a World Cup. No matter when it is, the time of year - it’s in the winter now and we’re here in 30 degree heat - but we want to enjoy it as much as we can. Going out there and overthinking the heat or thinking it’s too hot, it will get us nowhere.
“We are going out there to embrace it, to enjoy everything that comes with it. Listen, we don’t get the sun too often back home so let’s enjoy it.”
