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Gareth Southgate has challenged his England players to win their next two games against Belgium and Iceland and lead their Nations League group.
Sunday night’s game in Leuven promises to be the tougher of the two games: Belgium are ranked No. 1 in the world, but England beat them at Wembley and Southgate believes his team can take on the leading nations with a new confidence since reaching the semifinal. finals of the last World Cup.
“If you look back in history, our record against the best teams is not that good,” said the England coach. “There have been very few victories against leading teams in tournaments and before the World Cup we lost to France and Germany, but since we returned from Russia we have managed to beat Spain, Croatia and Belgium. That’s because we have found a way to get back to enjoying our football.
“There wasn’t much pleasure when we took over. Iceland had just beaten us in the European Championship and there was a lot of criticism. At first the players were afraid of doing something wrong, they felt under the spotlight, but now they know what it feels like to reach a World Cup semi-final as there is a much more positive atmosphere around the team. We can play without fear, even against the best opponents ”.
England’s task in Belgium will be even more difficult as injury has deprived them of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, while Harry Maguire is suspended. The Manchester United captain will travel with the team as Southgate intends to conduct a post-match training session in preparation for Iceland at Wembley on Wednesday.
“We have to make adjustments, but this season everyone has to make adjustments,” he said. “At least when the Covid test results came in, they were all negative, so we know we don’t have to lose any more players. We were always going to need more than 11 players for these two games, they are not the kind of games you can win in 30 minutes. Belgium will present a different tactical challenge, but I think we have the strength in depth to face it.
Southgate would not rely on his own formation or tactical plans, although defense will clearly be important and with it the ability to attack quickly on the counter. “We have to be adaptable,” he said. “In the modern game you have to do everything right and against the best teams you have to be decisive when an opportunity presents itself. It will be a challenge for us to defend ourselves against opponents with such good vision and technique. We probably have less possession than we are used to, but we do have some good players to choose from.
“All of our midfielders can use the ball well and we know we can score goals. Belgium are a fantastic team, they have lost two of their last 28 games, but if our goal is to be the best in the world, we must hunt down these teams. We are not afraid of the prospect, we are a young team and an improvement. We know that we will improve in the coming years. “
Harry Kane will win his 50th international game against Belgium and with 32 England goals to his credit, the 27-year-old Tottenham forward has been endorsed by Southgate to beat Wayne Rooney’s record of 53. “Harry’s hit rate is phenomenal and there was time on his side to chase Wayne’s record, ”Southgate said. “If he can put his name on the all-time list, it would be a tremendous personal achievement, but Harry is so interested in winning something as a team.
“He’s been to a World Cup and he won the Golden Boot, but with Harry it’s not just about individual records. He is so focused on the team succeeding and I’m sure he will want to look back over the next few years to see what England could achieve as a unit. “
