Gareth Southgate invites players' families into England camp as he looks to shut out critics

Gareth Southgate invited the families of England’s players into the team camp for the first time on Saturday as he attempts to shut out criticism from the outside.

England have come under fire for their goalless draw against the United States, despite topping World Cup Group B and putting themselves on the brink of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Southgate urged his players to remain calm after the USA game in which they were booed off the pitch by supporters and gave his squad a timely boost by allowing them to see their families on Saturday.

The move, which had always been to lift spirits after almost two weeks away in Qatar, will have gone down well with players who Southgate admitted had been disappointed and frustrated after the USA game.

Family members did not get back to the cruise ship on which they are staying until after 3am in the early hours of Saturday morning and the 10pm local kick-off meant many, particularly those with young children, were tired inside the stadium regardless of England’s performance.

Despite the late return to their luxury ship, families were granted access to the team hotel late on Saturday afternoon. It is unclear whether or not they were allowed inside the hotel or met their loved ones in the outdoor communal areas.

The family meeting had been pencilled in at the start of the tournament, but with the caveat it could be changed or cancelled at any point if Southgate and England medics felt it was not the right move.

As reported by Telegraph Sport, the vast majority of the players’ families are staying on the cruise ship, which is estimated to be operating at well under 50 per cent capacity, along with families of players from other nations at the World Cup and members of the public.

But, despite the potential threat of a family member unwittingly passing coronavirus or another illness through the squad, Southgate clearly felt the benefits of players seeing their families after the USA game outweighed any medical risks.

Southgate has spoken of the balancing act between keeping his players and their families happy against the threat of illness or infection being passed on.

“We've got to monitor the (coronavirus) rates out here as much as anything else,” said Southgate.

“We're going to have to monitor it throughout, but also there's this balance of the spirit and happiness of the group and the medical line of zero risk, and sometimes if you're going to take zero risks it can kill it for everybody, so we've got to try and find that balance.”

Players were able to see their families in the stands after the thrashing of Iran, but the opportunity to spend some proper time with them will have come at the perfect moment after the reality check against the USA.

James Maddison returned to group training on Saturday, as 14 of England’s non-starters against Wales worked outside and Jordan Henderson was put through an individual programme inside. Those who started underwent a recovery session.

Jack Grealish, who made a substitutes’ appearance in the USA draw, is one of those in contention to come into Southgate’s team for the Wales clash.

Wales must beat England to stand any chance of qualifying for the last-16 following their disappointing defeat to Iran.

Grealish: 'Tuesday will be the big one now that everyone is itching to play in'

“Wales have got very good players,” said Grealish. "They will be playing not just for pride. In their heads, they are not out, they still have a game to play and can still qualify.

“It’s going to be difficult for them, but they can still qualify. We have a few days to prepare. It’s all in our hands.”

Grealish also used the example of the 2020 European Championship, when England drew their second game against Scotland on their way to the final, as a reason why the country should not start to panic.

“We had a good start [in the Euros] against Croatia, likewise here, against Iran,” said Grealish. “We had a game against Scotland where you know it’s going to be difficult because of the little rivalry.

“I felt a little bit like that against the USA, one of those games where there’s a bit of pride or whatever. Tuesday will be the big one now that everyone is itching to play in. Hopefully, we can go and get the job done. These are the games we all want to play in.”