England consider staging Wembley penalty shootout to prepare for worst possible World Cup scenario
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ENGLAND will consider staging penalty shootout at Wembley in March to prepare their players for the unthinkable.
Gareth Southgate is giving the idea some thought in an attempt to overcome the psychological hurdle of a knockout game ending with penalties.
England have a shocking record in tournament football after losing on pens at the World Cup in 1990, 1998 and 2006.
They were kicked out of the Euros in shootouts in 1996, 2004 and 2012.
Southgate admitted: “It’s something that we are considering and how we prepare best for penalty shoot-outs.
‘Whether that’s something on the training ground, whether that’s in sessions we do away from the training ground or something we do in some sort of match scenario, we’ve not finalised things like that yet. But clearly that is an option.”
England’s horror record
England have won just one out of seven penalty shootouts.
1. 1990 v Germany - LOST
Chris Waddle and Stuart Pearce miss the key kicks as Bobby Robson’s side lose the World Cup semi-final to West Germany 4-3 on penalties.
2. 1996 v Spain – WON
Stuart Pearce makes amends and David Seaman is the hero as England beat Spain 4-2 in the quarter-finals of Euro 96 at Wembley.
3. 1996 v Germany – LOST
Terry Venables’ England go out of Euro 96 in a heart-breaking semi-final when Gareth Southgate’s miss in sudden death seals a 6-5 defeat.
4. 1998 v Argentina – LOST
David Batty misses the key kick as Glenn Hoddle’s side lose 4-3 to Argentina in the World Cup second round in St-Etienne.
5. 2004 v Portugual – LOST
Portuguese keeper Ricardo dived to save Darius Vassell’s penalty as Sven-Goran Erkisson’s England lose the shootout 6-5 in the Euros quarter-finals in Lisbon after a 2-2 draw.
6. 2006 v Portugal – LOST
England lose to Portugal again, with Jamie Carragher missing his retaken kick during the 3-1 penalty shootout defeat in the World Cup quarter-final in Gelsenkirchen, after Wayne Rooney’s red card.
7. 2012 v Italy – LOST
Roy Hodgson’s side hold Italy to a 0-0 draw in the Euro 2012 quarter-finals in Kiev but lose the shoot-out 4-2, when Ashley Young hits the bar and Ginaluigi Buffon saves from Ashley Cole.
Only last month Southgate confessed he feared England fans might not warm to him because it was his miss that handed Germany their semi-final shootout victory at Euro 96.
The former Three Lions centre-back said after sealing a spot at Russia 2018: "Weirdly I am enjoying the job, although I'm not certain I'm standing here thinking 'wow isn't it brilliant having qualified for a World Cup and feeling all the love'.
HART ACHE England goalkeeper Joe Hart warned by Gareth Southgate that his World Cup 2018 squad place is under threat
"But I get it, for me, for the love of the England fans...they might find it difficult to find much love for me with my history with England."
And when it comes to facing rather than taking spot-kicks, Southgate has also warned Joe Hart his long-held status as first-choice keeper is under threat.
Manchester City keeper Hart, on loan at West Ham all season, will start against Brazil in Tuesday night's Wembley friendly.
But Everton's £30million summer buy Jordan Pickford shone on his debut against Germany on Friday, while Stoke's Jack Butland is battling back to fitness after a broken finger.
Southgate said: “We are all aware that there is really good competition for places in that area of the pitch.”
