Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice England's quest for World Cup glory is underway after Gareth Southgate's players arrived in Russia. The Three Lions were all smiles as they flew out from Birmingham Airport on Tuesday morning, with the hopes of a nation resting on the shoulders of the 23-man squad. England's players posed for pictures and selfies on board their private jet, which is flying into Saint Petersburg Airport - but there was no sign of the customary team snap on the plane steps. They will be based in Repino for the group stages, which will see the Three Lions face Tunisia, Panama and Belgium in Group G. Having posed for a team photo in their swanky Marks & Spencer suits earlier in the day, England's players changed into official tracksuits for the flight to Russia, which will take around three hours. Eric Dier and Tottenham teammate Danny Rose were arm in arm as they made their way onto the private jet with more photos being taken on board. Manchester United teammates Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard were pictured sat next to each other, as were City stars Kyle Walker and John Stones. Raheem Sterling, who this week spoke of his struggles with the scrutiny he has come under, was sat alongside Tottenham star Dele Alli. (Image: PA) England's players were wished good luck by their partners on social media as they started their trip to Russia. Among those to take to social media were Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah and Harry Kane's fiance Katie Goodland. Both posted images of the England stars with their respective daughters, with Goodland adding the caption: "Good luck skip", After wins over Nigeria and Costa Rica in the warm-up games, Gareth Southgate urged his players to entertain the nation this summer. England have won just one match in their last two World Cups and Southgate said: "We hope we can send people to work the following day having enjoyed our matches. "We know we are not the finished article - in fact, we're a long way from it - but I think people see signs of progress and enjoy watching us and the manner in which we try to play. "We are seeing a team that is enjoying each other's company, getting on well, is very proud to represent the nation." (Image: PA) (Image: PA) England open their World Cup campaign in Volgograd against Tunisia on Monday June 18. They will then take on group minnows Panama on June 23 before the final Group G encounter with Belgium - with a place in the knockout stages surely a minimum. Let's hope we see the team photo on the plane steps with a trophy in a month's time...<doc-sep>This article is part of the Guardian’s 2018 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who have qualified for Russia. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 14 June. Gareth Southgate committed to a three-man defence back in the autumn, tweaking the 4-2-3-1 system which had been successfully employed through a comfortable qualification campaign. The manager is now convinced a variation of 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 is the best way to eke performances and possession from a youthful group. At first glance it appeared a risky tactic given England are not blessed with top quality centre-halves. Yet the decision in March to employ Kyle Walker as the right sided central defender in the back-line, with Kieran Trippier coming in at wing-back, looks inspired. The Manchester City defender tucks in off the flank with his club, and injects pace and forward intent to the national team’s rearguard that will surely have the ball-playing John Stones at its heart, and the hugely promising Harry Maguire, Gary Cahill or Eric Dier on the left. It also allows England to exploit their principal assets: their wing-back options, whether Walker and Trippier on one side, or Danny Rose on the opposite flank. Dier could, of course, feature in defensive midfield and there may be times at the tournament when Southgate feels the need to employ two holding players to shield those at the back. Yet, when England need to be more progressive (against Panama and Tunisia in the group, for example), the 3-5-2 should see two forward thinking No 8s – plucked from Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard or Ruben Loftus-Cheek, for example – and either Dier or, more likely, Jordan Henderson as the central pivot. Given the lack of a natural playmaker, a No 10 who can create from the centre, packing midfield with energy and, in Loftus-Cheek’s case, a blend of skill and power seems a sensible alternative. “I think the system gives us good stability and it gives us easier solutions for our midfield players as well,” said Southgate. “Then there is a possibility to switch with what we play in front of it: maybe get two strikers in for certain games, or two midfielders off a forward, or three in midfield and two forwards.” He certainly has options. If Harry Kane leads the line, he can be supported either by the elusive Raheem Sterling, the promising Marcus Rashford, the party’s leading scorer Danny Welbeck, an out-and-out strike partner in Jamie Vardy, or a pair of attacking midfielders or wingers. Either way, Sterling already feels key to the system. The City player has just enjoyed his most productive club season yet, and brought that form to the England set-up in March. “That was good to see because, if we play 3-4-3, we know Raheem can play the No 10 role as he did against France last year,” said Southgate. “But could he play as one of two forwards when he usually plays on the wing for Manchester City? “We know he likes playing through the middle and his performance reminded me of that little spell at Liverpool where he was behind Luis Suárez and Daniel Sturridge, running and dribbling through the middle of the park,” Southgate continued. Sterling has yet to illuminate a major finals and so much depends upon whether he is confident and content when the campaign begins in Volgograd. Probable starting XI England probable starting XI Which player is going to surprise everyone at the World Cup? Ruben Loftus-Cheek goes to the tournament in the best form of his fledgling career. The Chelsea loanee is powerfully built, skilful in possession and deceptively quick across the turf. He thrived on international debut against Brazil in November and has long been championed by Southgate. Which player is likely to disappoint? Harry Kane will be convinced he can claim the tournament’s Golden Boot and, having struggled to make an impact at Euro 2016, will be anxious to make his mark. Yet the ankle injury he sustained in mid-March did blunt his form in Spurs’ jittery run-in. He has appeared rusty in the period since. Will he hit the ground running in Russia? What is the realistic aim for England at the World Cup and why? Passage into the quarter-finals is conceivable and the squad boasts the talent to achieve that goal. It would be welcome after the trauma of Brazil 2014, when England stumbled in their group and effectively exited the tournament six days into their campaign. Anything beyond the last eight is improbable, particularly given the calibre of opponent they would meet at that stage. Dominic Fifield writes for the Guardian. Follow him on Twitter here.<doc-sep>
England's footballers have arrived in Russia for the World Cup as campaigners criticised a leading FIFA official for defending its lenient punishments for racist incidents. Gareth Southgate's squad flew in to St Petersburg on Tuesday afternoon and took a coach to their training base in Repino, 30 miles (45km) away. A heavy police escort accompanied them on the 45-minute drive from the airport and security guards were seen outside the Country Club ForRestMix hotel. Image: Police outside the England squad's base in Repino, Russia A handful of fans were waiting outside their hotel on arrival. The Three Lions' first match in group G is against Tunisia in Volgograd on Monday evening. Before they left for Russia, FIFA's deputy secretary general Zvonimir Boban said the governing body's lenient punishments for racist incidents were justified because entire countries cannot be punished for the actions of a "few idiots". Image: The England squad arrive at the team hotel in Repino, Russia Last month, the tournament hosts were fined just 30,000 Swiss francs (£22,737) by FIFA for racist chants by their supporters during a friendly against France in March. Several England players have also voiced concerns ahead of the World Cup and before departure the squad posed for a photograph holding red cards which read 'Show racism the red card' in support of the anti-racism campaign. A huge thank you to Gareth Southgate and the #ENG #WorldCup squad for showing their support for #showracismtheredcard. pic.twitter.com/j8QhDKMguK — ShowRacismtheRedCard (@SRTRC_England) June 12, 2018 The 23-man squad includes 11 black, Asian and ethnic minority players - the highest number they have taken to any major competition. But Boban told the Times he is confident the tournament will not be affected. "I don't believe we will see these idiots, but we have procedures. I believe we do enough at FIFA," he said. "We have to look after the players, but how far do you punish the game for a few idiots? To punish a whole city, a whole country when less than one percent of the people are guilty?" Anti-racism campaign group Kick It Out said it was disappointed but not surprised with the sport's governing body's relaxed approach to combating racism. "While we welcome FIFA's commitment to the implementation of the three-step protocol at the tournament, it is laughable to suggest it has done enough to deter discriminatory behaviour up to this point," the organisation said in a statement. "The racial abuse of French national team players by Russian supporters just three months ago is clear evidence of that," it added. Russia has promised to crack down on racism ahead of the World Cup, which will be held from 14 June to 15 July. The squad travelled to Russia in style in a luxury jet, a 'recently refurbished' Greek-registered Boeing B757-23N, offering its passengers "maximum comfort, convenience, and safety", according to the plane's owners. Raheem Sterling was one of several players who took advantage of the on board Wi-fi, posting a selfie with Dele Ali after take-off. The Three Lions appeared in good spirits as they touched down. A tweet from the team's official account pictured Southgate on his way down the steps from the plane, with the caption: "Touchdown. #threelions" Only been here 2 mins but man this culture is contagious! pic.twitter.com/O0UUsq9sQ7 — Kyle Walker (@kylewalker2) June 12, 2018 Defender Kyle Walker posted a video on Instagram showing various players' heads pasted on the bodies of Cossack dancers playing keepy-uppy. It read: "Only been here 2 mins but man this culture is contagious!" Russia play Saudi Arabia in the opening match on Thursday.