sport news Gareth Southgate backs England to crack the big game code... but their poor ... trends now
The last step is often the hardest to take. Just ask Gareth Southgate. England are good. But are they good enough? The consensus within the football community is a resounding yes.
It is a natural conclusion to reach — this is a squad bursting with talent.
Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka would walk into most teams in the world. Kyle Walker, Declan Rice, Phil Foden and John Stones would be banging on that door, too.
The conveyor belt of talent shows no signs of relenting, either. Kobbie Mainoo, who doesn’t turn 19 until next month, is hopeful of making his full international debut against Belgium tonight.
And then there’s the boss. For all the criticisms Southgate has, more often than not, found the answers when necessary.
Gareth Southgate has backed England to overcome their struggles against elite nations
Southgate's Three Lions fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Brazil on Saturday evening
That will never placate those who have advanced the narrative that England will win nothing under Southgate. On the whole, the evidence flies in the face of the negativity.
Southgate does not require any acceptance from the naysayers, but even so he realises there are improvements still to be made.
Most of the criticism levelled at him is linked to England’s performances in the biggest matches — those acid tests against world football’s elite that expose your frailties and make your strengths harder to assert.
Saturday’s defeat by Brazil, fifth in FIFA’s world rankings, is a case in point. England, who are third, weren’t blown away. They dominated large sections of the game. But, ultimately, they lost.
Since September 2016, England have faced 23 matches against teams ranked in the world’s top 10. They have won seven, losing 10 and drawing six.
So, ahead of Tuesday's game against Belgium, who are ranked fourth, those concerns will return to the fore.
A second successive Wembley defeat would only reinforce fears that England lack the je ne sais quoi needed to get over the line against the very best.
Southgate, though, believes his team are close to cracking the big-game code.
‘The game the other night was an example,’ he said. ‘We were around four short of our starting team — five after Kyle Walker went off — but we had 54 per cent of the ball, compared to 34 when we played Brazil in 2017.
Soon-to-be Real Madrid star Endrick scored the only goal of the game as England fell to defeat
