Boss Gareth: We wanted more
England boss Gareth Southgate wa s not entirely satisfied with the performance in yesterday’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Lithuania..
“We’d have liked a bit more, but I think really only one team came to win the game and it’s always difficult to break down a packed defence,” he said after goals from Jermain Defoe and sub Jamie Vardy secured all three points.
“I’m pleased for the two lads who have got the goals, a great story for Jermain and I felt Jamie added something to us.”
Asked about the areas for improvement, Southgate said: “I think today just moving the ball a bit quicker, more runs in behind, and we’ve got individual players who will play better than they did today.
“We kept pushing, it’s not as if we took our foot off the gas.
“It was one of those afternoons where it’s job donw.
“I am not going to eulogise over the performance, but the overall week I think has been really positive in setting the tone of how we want to work.
“The players have got a good feel about them, a spirit and they see the direction we want to head. For sure, we’ll play better than we did today.”
England top Group F with 13 points from five games,
Goalkeeper Joe Hart, England’s captain for the afternoon, accepted that the game would not live long in the memory.
“It wasn’t pretty, but we got the goals we wanted,” said Hart. “I thought they were a better team than maybe they gave themselves credit for.
“We’d have loved to score five or six, but we didn’t.”
Asked if he had a taste for the armband now, a diplomatic Hart said: “Wayne Rooney’s our captain. It was a proud moment to captain your country, but I know my place in the team.”
Lithuania boss Edgaras Jankauskas was “amazed by the quality” of England’s players and proud of his side’s display at Wembley, where they held their own for large parts.
“I am very proud of my team because we have been tested by a tremendously strong team – probably the strongest team we have faced until now,” the former Hearts and Porto striker said.
“We will take a lot of positives from this loss, to see what targets can be set because what we witnessed in the first half was unbelievable how skilful all those attacking players are and what amount of pressure we were put under.”