Gareth Southgate is not too concerned after a forgettable display against Ukraine (Picture: Getty Images)
Gareth Southgate felt England’s draw against Ukraine was a ‘really good result’ and while the performance was far from perfect, the Three Lions boss is unfazed and happy with where his team are.
The 1-1 draw in Poland was the first time England had dropped points in Euro 2024 qualification, sitting top of Group C after five games, six points clear of Ukraine in second place.
Southgate’s side remain in a very strong position, but they were poor in the game in Wroclaw, not looking very threatening, and needing to come from behind through a Kyle Walker goal to get the point.
There was plenty of criticism of Southgate’s team selection and his side’s lack of potency, but he is far from concerned.
Asked how he would respond to negative reaction to the Ukraine game, Southgate said: ‘I haven’t seen it. The reaction for us is we’re top of the group and I think we’re the top scorers in Europe.’
The England boss noted that the surface at the Stadion Wroclaw wasn’t the best, which hampered his team’s attacking play and fluency.
‘The boys did a really good job in a difficult environment, we know that our attacking play didnt quite click,’ he said.
‘I think some of that was the surface. To make those really incisive quick passes at times at times you needed a little extra touch or there was a little bobble.
‘I’m very conscious that I wasn’t going to be too harsh on my internal review with the players becayse you could see moments when the ball pops over a player’s feet or he goes to play it first time and it lofts in the air.
‘Equally that waasn’t the case with everything we did so we’re always challenging, we want to be better and better and we always set a high standard.
‘We weren’t as happy coming away with a point as we might have been but it’s still a really good result.’
Questions were asked over Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson starting for England (Picture: Getty Images)
England have scored 16 goals in their five games, more than any other team in Euro 2024 qualification, seven of those goals coming in a 7-0 romp over North Macedonia at Old Trafford.
On the same day England drew with Ukraine, Italy could only manage a draw with North Macedonia, which Southgate says proves there is no need to panic after the lacklustre display in Poland.
‘We saw what happened in our group later that night,’ said the England boss. ‘When we beat North Macedonia, people were questioning the quality they had ad the standard of oppositong but Italy went there and couldn’t get the win.
‘We kind of know the cycle with England, I’ve been in the job long enough now. It’s constant, it’s never ending, but we really need to focus internally. Review to our own standards, review and make sure that we know what we’re working towards and what we’re comparing ourselves against.’
England play Scotland in a friendly at Hampden Park on Tuesday night.
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