A couple of days contemplating why England hasn’t already advanced at the European Championship allowed Raheem Sterling to fully assess the team’s shortcomings.
How could a stalemate with Scotland have been prevented?
“With the ball we could have shown a bit more personality and dominated the game more with the ball,” the England striker said. “As a team we need to know where to identify that and take control. We can’t get brought into playing a certain way when we want to use the ball a little better.”
Starting on Tuesday, when the team faces the Czech Republic in its Group D finale.
“I do feel there’s a bit of an over-reaction,” Sterling said. “I just feel there’s more of a panic on the outside than inside the building. At the same time, the players who have been at a few tournaments, who have huge experience, try to help the other ones.”
England can’t even blame unfamiliar surroundings for being held to a 0-0 draw by Scotland on Friday after beating Croatia 1-0. All of its group games are at Wembley Stadium.
There will be a return to its home stadium for the round of 16 if England can win and dislodge the Czech Republic from first place. There would be a trip to Copenhagen if England stays in second place.
England coach Gareth Southgate has been trying to relax his players by running through past group-stage records of successful teams. Take Portugal, which drew all three games at the start of Euro 2016 and then won the trophy.