Mitch Freeley

Arsene Wenger has revealed to beIN SPORTS that England is paralyzed by fear when taking part in major football tournaments. The former Arsenal boss Wenger is currently a pundit with beIN SPORTS at the World Cup. Thankfully England came away with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Tunisia on Monday evening, but that didn’t stop Wenger having his say on the side prior to the game in Volgograd.

“England have not done well in the big tournaments in a long, long time. Let's not forget in the last World Cup they went out at the group stages” noted the French coach. 

Whilst Wenger also highlighted the heightened expectation levels placed on the Three Lions is often a major burden on the players at the tournament. 

“The problem with England is under a huge amount of pressure and the expectation level is huge, the press is always after the team. They have had problems many times with that.”

“The difference is mainly down fear, the fear to play with fear to play with freedom. I remember they had a generation with Scholes, Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham, Rooney and Owen in the clubs they won everything but with the national team they couldn’t win.”

Added the former Arsenal coach when talking about England’s golden generation who failed to make their mark on the international stage. 
“Speaking to the players it always looked like they didn’t express that talent because of the fear of doing bad. That is the biggest fear of a football player.”

Whilst Wenger also pointed to the pressure placed on the players directly from the British press who are often critical of the side. 
“They are always under pressure as the expectation levels are high. The media are tough, very tough so the fear is there.”

The beIN SPORTS pundit was proven wrong as England lived up to the pressure scoring a stoppage-time header from captain Harry Kane to give England a 2-1 victory over Tunisia.