10 Reasons For England Fans To Be Optimistic After World Cup 2018
3. Set Piece Masters
If there's one area where England really excelled in this World Cup, it was in making the most of set plays. An astonishing 75% of England's goals were scored from corners, penalties, and free kicks, with Kieran Trippier scoring a brilliant set piece against Croatia and Harry Maguire banging in a beautiful header against Sweden through the use of the 'love train' corner tactic.
England's mastery of set pieces was second to none at this World Cup, and it's a good strategy for the team to build on in the years to come. Of course, it would be even better if the Three Lions could create a few more chances from open play, but being able to consistently score from dead ball deliveries is a big boost for the squad.
One of England's biggest advantages over other squads is height and strength. Many of the players are young, but the likes of Harry Maguire and John Stones were seen towering over opposition defenders, and other teams looked scared whenever England won a corner. Headers from dead balls might not make for the fanciest goals, but they all count the same in the end, and it's good to see England excelling in this area.