Football

England on brink of booking Euro 2020 place but Gareth Southgate will keep the champagne on ice


Gareth Southgate watched England score five in their last emphatic victory… and was ­miserable for a month.

And he is unlikely to be painting the party city of Prague red if his team ­secure qualification for Euro 2020 in the Sinobo Stadium on Friday night.

The Three Lions boss reckons a passage to the finals next summer is merely another staging post on a journey that should end with England established as one of the best teams in the world.

He explained: “Post-Kosovo, we weren’t very happy. You win 5-3 and I’m miserable for a month. But that’s the standard we’ve set. We’ve ­expectations of ­ourselves and don’t expect to be doing laps of honour for qualifying.”

England manager Gareth Southgate during a press conference at Sinobo Stadium, Prague

 

If England win in the Czech Republic, ­qualification is assured and if, as seems overwhelmingly likely, they finish top of Group A, they as good as guarantee themselves three home games to start Euro 2020 next summer.

Southgate said: “The fact we’ve three matches at ­Wembley in the group stage is hugely exciting, so to qualify for any major tournament is a big deal. Just ­because to this point we’ve made it look comfortable, we should never take it for granted.”

But outside the squad, England wins have been taken for granted, such has been their form in qualifying.

They put five past the Czechs in March and have scored 19 in four group ­fixtures.

Southgate’s feared front three will this time consist of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho, with ­Marcus Rashford missing out. And Southgate believes there will soon be others pushing for a spot in his attack, including Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka.

Tammy Abraham and Jadon Sancho are among the new kids on the block

 

He said: “We’ve Callum Hudson-Odoi coming through and others are ­emerging so quickly. You’ve Bukayo at ­Arsenal just dipping his toes in the first team as well. So, we’ve really good ­players, we need more than three. The guys know Tammy Abraham is going to push and Callum ­Wilson is going to push.”

Rashford’s club form and Sancho’s stellar display against Kosovo means the United man will be on the bench in Prague.

But the club form of Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, 20, means he will make his first start in an ­England jersey.

And it will be a moment Southgate has envisaged for a long time.

Asked what he thought of Mount over the past few days, Southgate said: “Exactly what I thought of him when I saw him at 16 playing for our under-16s. He’s a ­quality player, an ­intelligent footballer, presses well, has a real eye for goal, good quality.

Chelsea playmaker Mason Mount is expected to start for the Three Lions

Read More

Mirror Football’s Top Stories

“So, nothing I’ve seen ­surprises me at all. We’ve had him marked as a player from the first time I saw him at St George’s Park.

“Chelsea would be the same on that, I think, but of course he’s now been able to have the opportunity to play in the ­Premier League and display that against top teams.”

Mount’s inclusion will bring the average age of the England side down a notch – another reason to believe the future is increasingly bright.

Southgate agreed, saying: “English football, with these young players coming through, looks in a healthy state. There’s lots of potential but it is only when the players deliver on big stages can we really say we’re there.”

And that is why, if their Euro 2020 spot is confirmed ­on Friday, the champagne will stay on ice.





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.