Bryan Robson says England must be mentally stronger
Wednesday 30 August 2017 12:53, UK
Bryan Robson has predicted another summer of frustration unless England overcome their "mental block" at the World Cup.
Another tournament cycle looks set to bring qualification for the finals, with the Three Lions two points clear at the of European Qualifying Group F ahead of the upcoming matches against Malta and Slovakia.
England have not been beyond a major tournament quarter-final since reaching the Euro 96 semis and bowed out of the last World Cup at the group stage.
Iceland then inflicted an embarrassing exit from Euro 2016 in the last-16 and former England skipper Robson - capped 90 times by his country - expects more struggles unless they improve mentally.
"I think England have always done well in the qualifying stages," he said.
"We seem to cope with that mentally - you know, we perform well and we do look quite comfortable as far as qualifying.
"When we actually get to the major tournaments, there seems to be a mental block about the pressure and what happens to the players when we get into the final stages.
"They just don't perform like you would expect them to when you watch them in the Premier League, so that mental issue has got to be resolved if England want to do well in the World Cup next time round.
"But, I think we've played all the tough away games and we've got everybody at home, so, you know, I would have thought with the format of the qualification there is no way we're going to slip up.
"But when we actually get to the finals, then it is a matter of mentally the players have got to cope with it far better than what we have done over the last 16, 20 years."
