DO IT IN STYLE

We can win AND entertain, says Southgate

Hodgson’s made us so dull, grey and boring

Yesterday’s Sportsmail

GARETH SOUTHGATE wants his players to show that England teams can entertain and win with style as their preparations for Euro 2015 intensify. Although the senior side have not lost a game since last summer’s World Cup finals, they have rarely provided football to quicken the pulse since then, as was shown in Sunday’s charmless goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

The situation has been different for the Under 21s. They have thrived under Southgate and their ability to play with fluency and class was clear when they put together a 35-pass move that ended with James Ward-Prowse scoring the decisive goal in a 3-2 win over Germany in March.

Yet Southgate is aware that a new audience will be watching in the European Championship, who are not familiar with the brand of football he has promoted during the qualification campaign. Consequently, he knows his players have something to prove.

He has faith, though, that they can maintain their progress and continue to attract admirers when they head to the Czech Republic on Sunday, looking to win the tournament for the first time ssince 1984.

‘I hope we will give the fans excitement and enjoyment,’ said Southgate, who welcomed Tottenham striker Harry Kane back into his squad yesterday. ‘I told the group when I took over that one of the perceptions from the last tournament in Israel in 2013 was that they couldn’t play.

‘We’ve tried to bury those myths. This group can play. I know Barcelona scored a goal at the weekend that everybody marvelled at, but it had half the number of passes that our goal against Germany had — and our goalkeeper had a touch as well.

‘We are setting the bar high. We are asking them to win, develop and play in a certain style. That’s the challenge they have to respond to. We are trying to develop players who can go in and push the lads who are in the senior team for their places. We are developing skills and playing in a way that Roy Hodgson would like to do.’

England had a behind- closed- doors friendly against the Republic of Ireland last week, which they won 3-1, and will conclude preparations against Belarus in Barnsley tomorrow. Southgate will play a near full-strength side but Chelsea’s 19-year-old midfielder Ruben Loftus- Cheek may feature.