Southgate’s Kane pledge
England manager wants to avoid club-versus-country rows Team set to decide on taking the knee for San Marino game
England head coach Gareth Southgate has promised Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho that he will not overwork striker Harry Kane, despite confirming that his captain would like to play in every minute of the three World Cup qualifiers against San Marino (tonight), Albania (Sunday) and Poland (next Wednesday).
Gareth Southgate is confident he can avoid any club-versus-country rows as his England team kick off the first of their three World Cup qualifiers in seven days against San Marino at Wembley tonight.
The England manager has promised Jose Mourinho, the Tottenham Hotspur head coach, that he will not overwork Harry Kane, despite confirming that his captain would like to play in every minute of the San Marino, Albania and Poland games.
Southgate, whose team are expected to take the knee ahead of kick-off, refused to confirm whether Kane would start against San Marino, but he could take the chance to look at Dominic Calvertlewin in what is likely to be a move back to a more attacking 4-3-3 formation. Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka are not fit to play, and there are doubts over whether the duo will be able to feature in any of the three qualifiers, with Southgate promising Premier League and club managers that he will not take any unnecessary risks.
“If I allowed Harry to make every decision, he would play every minute,” said Southgate. “That won’t be happening. But look, it is brilliant we have a captain who wants to play every minute of every game. We have to be mindful he had extratime last Thursday and another high-intensity game last Sunday.
“We have got to make sure we manage the fixture correctly. We have done that through training this week as well, and we need to be just as fresh with the games against Albania and Poland.
“So, that is not an unusual challenge for us as a coaching team and as a medical team, and our physical performance team. But we always communicate well with the players and I think we are in a good place going into the San Marino game.
“Across the autumn, we planned correctly, we didn’t overplay anybody and we didn’t have any issues with the clubs. It will be the same for March.
“I think, in fairness, all the club managers respect the fact that they know we’ve got to get results and win our matches, and uppermost in our mind is how do we make sure the team are as fresh for Albania and as fresh for Poland as they are for Thursday night, so that is the sort of coaching challenge every management team faces.”
Southgate has left a decision on whether England take the knee to his players, but confirmed the squad would take a unified approach to whatever course of action they decided upon.
“I have spoken with the leadership team about this, and they are talking to the other players,” said Southgate. “It is a good process to hear each other’s views and that is part of how we educate ourselves on all of these issues.
“The one thing we are clear on is we will be unified on whatever we do and if there is any doubt, then I think we will take the knee.
“I am hugely respectful of everyone’s opinions on that. I still think there is an impact to be had on it, but when I listen to Wilfried Zaha’s 7.45pm, Wembley, ITV
comments on that I thought he spoke really well, and I fully understand why he felt that was not enough now and that it seemed to be part of the background.
“Again, it is complicated and the debate about if we take the knee or not, or if we should walk off the pitch is slightly peripheral.
“The core problems are racism and discrimination. They are the deeper discussions that need to happen. The protests help put the conversation on the table, but we have to address some deep issues as much as we make a symbolic gesture.”
Southgate has faced pressure to revert to a four-man defence, rather than sticking to the back three he switched to over recent months, and the 50-year-old has suggested that will be flexible for the visit of
San Marino, the country rated as the worst in world football.
“I think we feel that we need to be tactically flexible,” said Southgate. “I think we’ve been that way over the last three or four years really, we’ve played various different systems at different times.
“With a club, you probably have more continuity, you recruit to a system of play.
“With international football, you want the best players on the pitch in the positions where they can be most effective, so I think modern players are very adaptable, they can switch systems very quickly and take on concepts very well. That’s part of being a top player in the modern day, you see they have to adapt very quickly, and they will be able to do that with us as well.”
Mason Mount, meanwhile, maintains he does not let any criticism seep into his game. The Chelsea midfielder was singled out for criticism during the last international break, despite scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 Nations League victory against Belgium.
“I don’t really look at anything like that, any negativity that anyone has said,” Mount said. “My main focus is what I do on the pitch and trying to do that to the highest level that I can – if that’s at Chelsea or if that’s when I am away with England. That’s what I can affect.
“So, any time I am training, any time I have the opportunity to play I want to do the best I can. So that’s my main focus, and that’s what I have always done since I was a little kid.”