I not sure people (in Britain) do think the EU is desperate to cave in, quite the opposite, brexiteers and some non-brexiteers (now become converts to leaving) feel quite the opposite, you yourself have said it, "Britain can't be seen to be better off leaving the EU", and that sentiment to millions in Britain sounds like "we shall get you at playtime" sort of threat, we will make you suffer, you will not benefit from leaving, etc.
Paul if we won't be missed, as you and many others seem to suggest, good bye and good riddance sort of thing, then why all this bile against Britain surely Junker should be stood holding the door and saying "Cheerio Britain nice to have known you have a good life."
First the pound had been ridiculously over valued for sometime due to 'QE', so the Brexit result just hurried along and rebalancing already becoming well overdue and allowed the Government to 'dodge a bullet' by blaming the Brexit outcome, Mark Carney breathing silently in relief in his Governors Chair.
Second Britain has for a number of years been subject to Austerity, public sector being badly hit, especially the pay of public sector workers. People saw libraries closing, spare room taxes, local bus services cut etc. etc. so any way that roughly £350m per week can be recovered from the EU, made sense, even if it wasn't really £350 m (more like £250m) and even if it all didn't go into the NHS. What lots of observers seem to forget is that Brexit wasn't decided on economic grounds, that's why expert advice on this wasn't rejected, it just wasn't taken into consideration by vast swathes of British people.
The other thing most Government ministers, remainers, Europhiles and EU Commissioners etc. failed miserably to understand was Brexit was an idea whose time has come. It was not just immigration, although that was a catalyst, it wasn't just Austerity, although that fuelled the fire, it wasn't just taking our country back, making our own laws, it was a recognition that the EU was a monolithic entity incapable of reforming itself, a history of corruption and incompetence, still spending millions moving from one parliament building to another for no good reason whatsoever, it was the quintessential 'gravy-train', worse still headed by a dunce, J C Junker, who so intent on integration at all costs, will steer the whole EU ship straight onto the rocks.