Southgate spins positives from losing battle of the B teams with Belgium

Macdara Ferris reports from Kaliningrad

Gareth Southgate was spinning the positives after the 1-0 England defeat to Belgium in Kaliningrad.

He admitted that, having already qualified, “bizarrely it made it the most difficult game to strategise.”

He went with eight changes which diluted his team although Belgium made one more than that.

By losing, England do drop into the easier side of the draw even if they come up against Colombia in Moscow on Tuesday, a team that Southgate described as having “some outstanding individuals but I believe it is a game that we can win.”

He has now given all his outfield players game time and has a clean bill of health within his squad, but the momentum built up by winning their opening two games has been somewhat halted.

“I thought the game was a really good test,” said Southgate at the post-match press conference.

“Everybody has now got time on the pitch. We have everyone to select now. We were trying to balance a lot of objectives and win.”

England did have chances to both take the lead and to peg back Belgium after Adnan Januzau’s early second half goal but they couldn’t manage it.

They weren’t helped by keeping in-form Harry Kane on the bench – with Jamie Vardy fairly ineffectual – but Southgate stated risking his top striker wasn’t an option.



“We don’t like losing but the primary objectives we needed, we got. We pushed till the end but if we let Harry on and he gets a whack on his ankle, that would be ridiculous.

“The players had a game four days ago in extreme heat. We could have played them but we saw today both Colombia and Japan lose key players (through injury) and that wasn’t a risk we wanted to take.”

England’s record having gotten out of the group stages is pretty dismal with just six knock out wins since 1966.

They hold the World Cup record (with Italy) for losing the most penalty shoot-outs – three in total.

Southgate, who missed the crucial Euro 96 semi-final spot kick against Germany, has been preparing his squad for penalties for some time as he explained.

“We have been practicing and going through strategies since March. We have done various studies and individual practice.



“We are aware that the margins are going to be really fine in the knock out games. We need to be prepared physically and mentally to go to extra time and beyond that.”

extratime.ie asked Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold about that scenario of a knock-out game going to spot kicks.

“You don’t want it to go to penalties but it is football so not everything goes to plan when you are out there on the pitch.

“If it does go to penalties, hopefully we will be well prepared for that. Everyone is working hard on them.”

And would he take one? “If I’m on the pitch and if I prove myself in training then I’m sure the lads and the manager might make me!

“You want to take momentum into the knock out stages by winning the game but today wasn’t our day.

“The top teams show it by bouncing back from defeats. We will be looking to do that on Tuesday.”

Southgate had handed the Liverpool player not just his first World Cup start but his competitive England debut.

The manager said that both he and Ruben Loftus-Cheek “showed some excellent moments” in the game.

He said: “We are showing signs of being an exciting football team. We are young and enthusiastic team and are improving.”

 

    About Macdara Ferris

    Macdara Ferris is a contributor since 2007 to Hoops Scene (Shamrock Rovers' match day programme) and is the co-author of two books on Shamrock Rovers - 'Tallaght Time: Shamrock Rovers 2009 to 2012' (with Karl … View Full Profile