Dr Steve Peters - England's new hope?

Ronnie O'Sullivan - Arguably Dr Steve Peters' biggest success

Greetings from the pond of pessimism: my metaphoric and spiritual home.

Apparently ‘the pond’ is where one goes when the glass is not so much half full, but more entirely empty. I’m not sure I fully understand this either, but I’ve decided just to embrace the theories of my shorthand teacher…

Finding the optimism and required positivity to get near to passing shorthand may just require the use of some kind of psychiatrist. However, there is definitely more chance of me achieving this than England winning the World Cup this summer, with or without the help of Dr Steve Peters.

Roy Hodgson’s decision to turn to Dr Peters is probably about 3-5 major tournaments too late. In 2004 and 2006 there was a lot of hope and expectation surrounding England’s campaigns, before quarterfinal exits on penalties. The squads were stronger then than they are now, and international football wasn’t quite as possession driven, as it has become a decade later.

Looking at the strength of opposition, the players at Hodgson’s disposal, and the fact the team has no consistent formation or identity; any hope heading into this tournament is exactly that. Hope.

Exactly what Hodgson wants to get from Dr Peters, who currently works with Liverpool, and has had significant success working alongside Britain’s Olympic cyclists, is unclear publicly, and he may not be expecting miracles. The reality is that however good Dr Peters is at facilitating sports stars making the most of their ability and potential, he can’t work with what isn’t there.

His biggest success is probably Ronnie O’Sullivan, a troubled individual, who at times falls spectacularly in and out of love with snooker, and who has a tendency to hit the self-destruct button. However, with Ronnie, he was working with the person widely accepted to be the most naturally gifted player ever to pick up a snooker cue.

Helping the best player in the world win global titles has got to be far easier than turning England into a successful team at major tournaments. We may just work out how to win a penalty shoot-out though…