Euro 2024: England work on principles and honesty in the right places on latest trip north

The media were invited along to watch training in the warm Sunday sunshine but, as is customary, they only got a brief glimpse.

With only the first 15 minutes of the session up for scrutiny, there was little opportunity to draw conclusions beyond who was there and who was missing.

They are, after all, preparing for a European Championship many expect them to win – possibly Southgate’s last as manager, although on that he is either playing his cards close to chest or perhaps just to make his mind up.

Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Anthony Gordon were working away from the group but captain Harry Kane was there. Kobbie Mainoo, Kyle Walker, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham are yet to join up after end-of-season cup finals so they too will miss the public start of England's final preparations, Monday's St James' Park friendly against Bosnia Herzegovina.

Tall barriers were erected around the training pitch to stop Bosnian, Islandic, Serbian, Danish or Slovenian spies, or even curious holiday-makers staying in the adjacent Rockliffe Hall hotel, taking a peep.

England media staff gave periodic countdowns as to how long was left for photographers to snap away as the Sky Sports correspondent impressed on London how they needed to get him on the air quickly before we were turfed off the premises to wait for the press conference.

The call of "Ninety seconds" went up before the ball came out for a game squeezed into a very tight area. Until then it was basically a game of “tag” and a convoluted sprint race which saw John Stones beat Kane, and Jarrod Bowen pip Declan Rice.

The only noise of ball on leather had been in the background from goalkeeping coaches thumping balls for the custodians to keep out.

But it was not all cloak and dagger, Southgate and his captain on Monday lifting the curtain just a touch when the session was finished.

With detailed tactical work difficult – mainly because of the absentees but also uncertainty about how Bosnia will line up – the focus since the bulk of the squad pitched up in Darlington on Tuesday has been on fitness and principles.

The first seems pretty clear and very pressing with only so many risks you can take in even a 26-man squad. The latter is more vague but Southgate, back on turf he knows well from his time as a Middlesbrough player and manager, was happy to expand.

"(It's) how we might build up with the ball, how we might press," he says. "If we knew they (Bosnia) were definitely a 4-3-3 or a 3-5-2 we would be far more specific."

Having recovered from the calf injury the dogged the latter part of his Newcastle United season – and a frustratingly-timed post-season jaunt to play two club friendlies in Australia – full-back Trippier will be expected to lead the way on those principles, along with Yorkshiremen Harry Maguire and John Stones.

"We have a good relationship outside of football and spend a lot of time together," he says. "That is always key, with the experiences we have had over the years.

"Now we've got so many young players and the important thing for us senior players is making them feel welcome.

“We are giving other players opportunities. We have to be ready.

"In the (last) Euros I was not expecting to play left-back but you have to be ready and on your toes because you can be called on at any moment."

Another principle is honesty, which is why Southgate did not flinch when Trippier restated his belief England can win the tournament. More importantly, the manager is trying to be up front with those whose place on the plane is uncertain. He has five uncapped players and seven to cut from his provisional squad on Friday. Injuries could make some of those decisions for him.

"We’ve got some young players who I spoke to at the start and said: ‘Look, we don’t know how this is going to play out but let the start point be that this should be a great experience for you. The chances are you might not be coming all the way with us,’" said Southgate between dodging questions about whether Manchester City's Jack Grealish's place was another in jeopardy.

"Equally, things can happen and they can force their way in.

"I said to the rest of the group on day one that the elephant in the room is there’s 33 here but if you want to come and speak to me I’m happy to sit and explain as much as I can.

"No one’s taken that offer up yet but they know they can approach me and I’ll always be as transparent as I can be.

"I’m not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes or give people unrealistic expectations or dampen down expectations. But there is a reality on one or two injuries, do we need more cover in an area of the pitch that might knock on to different aspects of the team."

As for the nuts and bolts, we will be scouring Monday's friendly against Bosnia and Friday's versus Iceland at Wembley for clues.