Mark Sampson keen to focus on football ahead of England v Russia
Tuesday 19 September 2017 19:34, UK
Mark Sampson is adamant the storm clouds that remain above him have not distracted England Women from their World Cup qualification preparations.
The spotlight will be on Sampson when Russia visit Tranmere's Prenton Park on Tuesday night after the Lionesses' boss had racism and bullying allegations - claims he denies - levelled at him by Eni Aluko.
Sampson was twice cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to such accusations but the Football Association last week confirmed it has also heard complaints from Chelsea player Drew Spence, which led to calls from Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor for another inquiry.
While those allegations and the handling of the case against Sampson have dominated the news agenda, England's manager is confident his players have still been able to retain their focus on the opening game on the road to reaching France in 2019.
"We have to be professional and go about our business in a professional manner and that's what the players and the staff have done," said Sampson.
"Their preparation for this game has been as thorough as it has been for any game, whether it be a European Championship semi-final or a World Cup semi-final.
"The players are ready to play now and they're looking forward to the game. They are footballers.
"I'm working with a strong group of women who understand what they need to do to be at their best and they will go through everything they need to make sure they're ready for this game.
"They're excited about representing their country. They've worked hard throughout their careers to be given the chance to represent England and they're looking forward to doing that again."
Concentrating on matters on the pitch may have been more difficult for Sampson given the media scrutiny on him in recent weeks.
"It's my responsibility - my job is to prepare this team," he added of keeping his focus on Tuesday's contest.
"My job is to support these players and I've continued to do that throughout the course of this camp."
Most of the squad Sampson has at his disposal was in Holland over the summer for the Euros when the team exited at the semi-final stage at the hands of the hosts.
Only Alex Scott retired after that tournament, having won over a century of caps, and Sampson is confident the continuity will serve his squad well.
"It was a tough experience, obviously; the ultimate goal was to win that tournament and to get knocked out was disappointing," he said of the Euros.
"But there were some amazing experiences, the players will take the positives and look at what we can do again and what we can do better.
"These players have been together for a long time, there's a real sense of togetherness in this group. They're a fantastic group of women who work exceptionally hard to do their best to get good results for England.
"They have done that over the course of the last seven days; their professionalism over the course of this camp has been incredible to make sure they're ready for an important game."
