JUST when you thought it was safe to head into a World Cup with absolutely no expectation of any kind of success, trust England to just do enough to get the juices flowing again.

For most of the last two years, the World Cup talk has been about failing to get out of the group stage. Now, with the start of the tournament just days away, there are whispers of making the quarter-finals. And if we get that far, who knows what might happen next? You’d think we’d have learned by now, but optimism can be a difficult emotion to shake.

Gareth Southgate deserves huge credit for the shift in mind-set, and since taking over from Sam Allardyce, the former Middlesbrough manager has barely put a foot wrong in his attempts to overhaul every facet of the England set-up.

Ultimately, Southgate will be judged on what happens on the pitch in Russia, but it is refreshing to see a youthful England side heading into a major tournament with a clear sense of purpose and a firm grasp of what they need to do to realise their ambitions. Emboldened by their manager’s faith and optimism, they will hopefully play with the kind of freedom that was lacking in so many of their predecessors.

Southgate’s main priority since taking charge has been to overhaul the squad that flopped so spectacularly at the last European Championships in France. The likes of Joe Hart, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Daniel Sturridge and Wayne Rooney have been banished to the international wilderness, with Southgate instead putting his faith in youth.

Having worked with a variety of different age groups in the England set-up, Southgate has been keen to carve out a pathway to the senior squad. Hence the presence of Jordan Pickford, Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Marcus Rashford in the 23-man party that will be competing in Russia.

England’s squad is the third-youngest in the tournament, and has fewer average caps than any of its 31 rivals. That could prove a problem when the pressure intensifies, particularly if things do not go to plan in the opening two matches and there is a need to get something from the final group game against Belgium, but England have gone down the route marked ‘experience’ in the past and failed. The ‘golden generation’ misfired, now it is time for England’s young guns to find their range.

The focus on youthful exuberance will be most marked in attack, where Southgate is set to field Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli behind lone striker Harry Kane. Kane is arguably the one world-class player in England’s squad, and having flopped dramatically at Euro 2016, the Spurs striker heads to Russia with a point to prove.

If he reproduces the form he has displayed in the last two or three seasons with Tottenham, he should be as potent as any of his attacking peers, but Southgate will hope he does not have to shoulder too much attacking responsibility on his own.

Sterling’s goalscoring record with Manchester City last season was a revelation, and while a return of two goals from 38 internationals hardly inspires confidence, his pace and movement should trouble even the most seasoned of opponents. Alli, breaking from a slightly deeper position, should also pose a threat, with Southgate seemingly destined to play the Spurs man as well as Lingard rather than pair Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier in what would be a much more defensive midfield formation. Perhaps Southgate will reassess his approach for the Belgium group game or the knock-out rounds.

Making it to the last 16 would represent progress after England’s desperate performance at the last World Cup in Brazil, when they exited at the group stage without winning a game, but while there has been an understandable focus on the attacking options at Southgate’s disposal, his side’s fortunes could well be determined by what happens at the opposite end of the field.

England’s defence has long been regarded as the weakest part of the team, and the decision to switch to three centre-halves was taken in an attempt to shore up a backline that was repeatedly ripped apart four years ago.

Southgate wants his defenders to be comfortable playing out from the back, hence his willingness to stand by Stones despite some shaky performances with Manchester City and his decision to field Kyle Walker at centre-half rather than wing-back.

England’s defensive record under Southgate is impressive – they conceded just three goals in the whole of qualifying and have kept clean sheets against Brazil and Germany – but there are still moments when a sense of vulnerability sets in, as evidenced by the second half of this month’s win over Nigeria. Jordan Pickford deserves his place in goal, but is extremely inexperienced at international level.

Southgate’s on-field changes have been accompanied by a series of alterations away from the pitch. This month’s media day, which saw all 23 players made available for interview in a ‘Superbowl-style’ open access session, represented a radical departure from the secrecy adopted in the past.

The cliques that affected previous squads appear to have disappeared, and England’s players exude a palpable sense of excitement about the opportunity to perform on the World Cup stage.

Whether that excitement survives the opening games against Tunisia and Panama remains to be seen, but the draw has been kind and England should negotiate the group stage with a degree of comfort.

A second-round game against Poland, Senegal, Colombia or Japan would represent a sterner test, not to mention a possible quarter-final against Brazil or Germany, but that can wait. For now, let’s just concentrate on excitement without the burden of expectation.