Steve Holland works closely alongside Gareth Southgate (Image: Getty)
Steve Holland insists it is unfair to label him the “bad cop” to Gareth Southgate’s “good cop” when it comes to cracking the whip with the England players. The stern-faced assistant manager is often thought of as the figure who keeps discipline on the training ground in full check, ensuring the Three Lions stars are always on task.
But he is adamant he is not just the ‘bad cop’. “I do actually understand that question but I wouldn't use those words,” he said. “I think with whichever manager you're working with, you have to have an awareness of where his strong areas are. And nobody is strong on absolutely everything. And I mean, nobody.
“You have to identify the bits where you have to bring to the table what you do - I would hope after ten years with Gareth, I have a good understanding of that. I wouldn’t say it was as simple as ‘bad cop, good cop’ because the manager makes strong decisions - we’ve seen those over a period of time now.
“But I think between us we have a good balance.”
Holland and the team are preparing for the France quarter-final (Image: Getty)
One of Holland’s key roles, he feels, is helping to keep the players’ feet on the ground. “When I think back to my experiences, I was really fortunate to be at a club that I had the chance to compete for titles," he continued.
“And what you do learn in that environment is that to win titles, to win cups, consistency is the order of the day.
“It's not about having two or three magnificent performances in the season against the top teams and then dropping points against the teams that finish in the bottom six, the middle group.
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“It’s about the consistency of performance week in, week out, eight months, every three days, pushing yourselves to be consistent and hit those levels. The messaging with the England team is always that.
“Whenever we've hit one particular level or achievement, the message very simply is ‘we've achieved nothing yet - we need to refocus quickly and then on to the next’.
“I think that humility is decisive in any top team.”
