It is a clear mark of how standards have soared under Gareth Southgate that he effectively dismissed England’s biggest achievement in 55 years on Monday.
‘What got us to the final of the Euros won’t be enough,’ explained the England manager. ‘We know we want to keep evolving.
‘We knew we wanted to evolve after the World Cup. Same after the Nations League. Now we want to do the same post-Euros.’
Gareth Southgate effectively dismissed England’s biggest achievement in 55 years on Monday
There was a time when reaching a World Cup semi-final and finishing runners-up in a European Championship would have been good enough for our national team. But not any more. Not under Southgate.
England’s players should relish that challenge, not wilt under the burgeoning expectation. The squad is awash with Champions League and Premier League winners, after all.
Execution, of course, is where the difficulties lie: where can England find that extra few per cent to end a trophy drought that will be in its 56th year by the time the World Cup comes along in the winter of next year?
Squeezing an extra attacking player into his starting XI, particularly against the world’s elite nations, may appear a risky way of getting England over the line. But surely it is a risk worth taking.
With everyone fit, Southgate’s current first-choice midfield three appears to be Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice and Mason Mount. But is there an argument for Southgate to consider ditching either of his two defensive midfielders in favour of a more forward-thinking player?
Phil Foden’s magnificent performance against Andorra in a central midfield role on Saturday has led to fresh calls for the Manchester City star to be a guaranteed starter.
So, Rice, Mount and Foden, how does that sound? Or Phillips, Mount and Jude Bellingham?
‘I think fitting an extra attacking player into the team is what we have got to find out over the next 12 months,’ said Southgate. ‘What balance for what games.
‘If I think about leading into the Euros, in the autumn prior to that we had any number of players missing for different reasons.
'So there are lots of ideas that you might have and things you would like to see and try, but when you are going into a major
