Aidy Boothroyd says England will need to keep calm when they meet Mexico in Saturday’s final clash at the Maurice Revello Tournament.
The Young Lions are targeting a third successive title at the prestigious competition, but know they face a lively opposition in Martigues.
It ended all square when the nations met in the group stage last week, with both sides unable to find a breakthrough in a 0-0 draw.
But there needs to be winner on Saturday and Boothroyd is expecting another tough test against the Tricolor.
“I think they’re a really good team,” admitted the head coach. “They have their strengths, and their weaknesses too, just like our team.
“There wasn’t much given [in the first game] and we’re expecting a really tough game when we play them on Saturday.
“But the key for us is keeping calm as they are a bit lively on the bench and on the pitch.
“We have to make sure we keep our emotional control, play our football and stop their threats – as they’ve got some good players.”
It’s been a productive trip for Boothroyd and his squad, with a number of new faces brought into the group due to the competition’s age restrictions meaning some of the team’s more experienced players couldn’t partake.
That’s given an opportunity to others, including players from the U20 and U19 groups, to step up and stake their claim ahead of next season with the Euro qualification campaign set to be concluded later this year and the U21 Euro Finals in Italy next summer.
“We have got strength in depth, we are blessed all the way through the system and are very, very lucky,” admits Boothroyd, who guided last year’s U21s to the semi-final of the Euros.
“It helps, as I can be competitive with the players as the team doesn’t pick itself ever.
“When the players in form are doing well, it can help me get the most out of those who aren’t firing as much.”
As for Toulon, it’s been a successful few years for England in southern France in recent years, after Gareth Southgate's team won the title two years ago before Neil Dewsnip led a mixed-age group to retain it in what was a super summer of 2017.
“I think last year’s tournament was a little different as there were so many other tournaments going on,” added Boothroyd, who previously took an U20s side to Toulon in 2014.
“I think it was a great result from our guys to be able to win it and it put pressure on us.
“But that was a team made up of a lot of boys who hadn’t had caps before, so I guess it was probably an even better result.”
You can watch Saturday's final live on FreeSports, which can be found on Freeview channel 95, Sky channel 422, BT channel 95, Freesat channel 252 and TalkTalk TV channel 95.
