ONLY ONE Southgate looks up as he aims to rule the world
GARETH SOUTHGATE has ordered his England stars to take another step in their quest to be the world’s best – by beating Belgium tonight.
Robert Martinez’s men have been FIFA’s No.1-ranked nation for the best part of four years.
But the Three Lions have made significant inroads in that respect, reaching the World Cup semis in 2018 and then last summer’s Nations League finals.
Southgate’s sizzlers are up to fourth on FIFA’s list and, having claimed a 2-1 win against Belgium at Wembley last month, are in the mood to complete the double over Kevin De Bruyne and Co. The England boss said: “In terms of the Nations League, it’s a must-win if we are to finish top of the group.
“We know Belgium have lost two games in 28.
“They’re a fantastic team and have proved it over a long time.
“But our aim is to be the best in the world and we have to hunt these teams down.
“We were able to do it at Wembley last month. We had to be our very best that day with or without the ball to get that result.
“It’s the same on Sunday but we’re not fearful. We go there with a very positive mindset and know we can hurt teams.
“We have players who can score
goals and we’ve conceded only two in our last nine games.
“We’re improving and we’re going to get better over the next few years when you look at the age of the team against Ireland last week – with 17, 19 and several 21-year-olds.
“The future is so exciting but we’ve got to be progressing now and getting results.”
England’s form against the really big hitters on the international stage has left much to be desired over the decades.
Southgate, part of the Three Lions side that crashed to Germany in the Euro 96 semis, is well aware of the past failures.
However, he is equally certain that his current crop of talent is capable of laying those memories to rest.
He said: “If you look at history, we haven’t been a country that beats big teams and there have been very few wins against big nations in tournaments – that’s a fact. The perception that we’ve been an outstanding nation just doesn’t tally with results so that’s a great opportunity for this team.
“Before the last World Cup, we lost in France and Germany, and had draws with Belgium and Germany at Wembley. We weren’t able to nail the big teams.
“Since then we had the win in Spain, a draw and win against Croatia and now the one over Belgium. We’re starting to get those results but to be a really top team you have to do that consistently.”
Whether man-of-the-moment Jack Grealish gets the nod tonight after his inspirational display in Thursday’s 3-0 win over Republic of Ireland is Southgate’s main selection headache.
The clamour for the Aston Villa skipper, 25, to be included is at fever pitch but the head coach is adamant that he cannot simply bow to public pressure.
Southgate added: “If you want to be a manager of a big team, you have to make decisions you believe are right for the group.
“That’s part of life at the top. If you don’t want that, you should go and work somewhere else, frankly. You’ve got to be strong.”
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