RESULTS AND FOOTBALL TODAY

ENGLAND ...... 2 NIGERIA ....... 1 JOHN CROSS AT WEMBLEY

GARETH SOUTHGATE is taking a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book to solve England’s biggest problem.

Put simply, England have not been scoring enough goals to be a major threat at the World Cup.

Even the goals against Nigeria came from a set-piece and a goalkeeping error. The manager has prolific players in the starting line-up but they have not been scoring enough for England.

That is Southgate’s reasoning to try to shoehorn in as many attacking players into his World Cup XI and why Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli are set to start the opening game with Tunisia on June 18.

The England boss admitted his inspiration comes from the classic Manchester United midfield of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs as Fergie used to pick as many attacking players as possible.

Kane, Sterling, Lingard and Alli hit 91 goals between them for their clubs last season yet Kane’s 13 goals in 24 caps aside, the other three must all do better for England as they have managed only five goals between them in a combined total of 63 caps.

Gary Cahill headed home a corner before Kane’s goal, which slipped under the Nigeria keeper, proved the winner at Wembley yet was only the 25th goal of Southgate’s 17 games in charge.

England scored just 18 goals in qualifying while Germany and Belgium both smashed 43 past their group opponents. That is why Southgate brought back Alli. The theory is they must click at some stage.

Alli provides a goal threat and assists and even though he often plays further forward for Spurs almost as an auxiliary striker alongside Kane, he was asked to play deeper for England just to get him in the side.

And Southgate said: “As a goal threat we want players in the team with a goalscoring record when possible. I always think back to Manchester United’s team with players right across midfield who are scorers. It makes you so much more of a threat.

“If we play as we did against Nigeria and create the number of chances we did, getting the ball in those areas, those lads who were in those positions will score goals.

“Alli is a good player. He is going to find a high level.” FRIENDLIES MEXICO .................. 1 SCOTLAND ............ 0 BRAZIL .................... 2 CROATIA ................. 0 COSTA RICA .......... 3 N. IRELAND ............ 0