Gareth Southgate has indicated he will not make any major changes to his England team for their round of 16 clash with Slovakia on Sunday.
England and their coach have been heavily criticized for their performance in the group stage of the European Championship. In three matches they managed just one win and only two goals. After the goalless draw against Slovenia they were booed off the pitch.
Southgate said he believes the team is “never quite as bad” as some observers think, while brushing aside any lingering concerns about the fitness of Phil Foden and Kieran Trippier.
Foden flew back to the UK during the week for the birth of his third child, while Trippier and Declan Rice missed training on Thursday and instead completed an individual programme.
“I think the team is never quite as bad as people might think, and never quite as good as people might think,” Southgate said in Gelsenkirchen on Saturday.
“You’re probably about five percent away from where you’d like to be. And so you have to be very careful that you don’t throw everything out the window and lose things that you do well and lose the continuity and the trust that comes from players playing together and the understanding that comes from those moments. And you have to ignore outside advice and be confident in what you’re doing.”
Southgate appears to be resisting the temptation to make sweeping changes against Slovakia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Trent Alexander-Arnold started the first two games of the tournament in midfield before Conor Gallagher replaced him against Slovenia. Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo is likely to replace the Chelsea vice-captain if Southgate does indeed decide to shake up his squad.
The manager is also aware of the importance of having impact players in the reserves, with players such as Mainoo and Cole Palmer having impressed when they have come on as substitutes so far.
“We also had some players who came off the bench and had a big impact,” he added. “Our substitutions in all the games had a big impact. And we are aware that people are fighting for places, there is competition, we need that strength in depth.”
“The team is very united, they train well, that is what the starting eleven they have put together demands. But the other players also have to be ready tomorrow. You might need five or six substitutions, that’s more than half the team now. That is really very important. It is important for us that the players, when they come in, perform like the boys did the other day.”
Luke Shaw has not played for club or country since February but returned to full training this week to regain his fitness following a thigh injury.
Southgate confirmed that the Manchester United defender will not be in the starting line-up at the Arena auf Schalke, but could potentially make his first appearance at the tournament.
“Luke might not play from the start,” he said, “but we will speak to the medical team to see if he can join in or if he would benefit from a bit more training.”
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(Vera Loitzsch – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
