Kane can still be main man
GARETH Southgate is hoping Harry Kane is saving up all of his goals for later in the tournament.
The 2018 Golden Boot winner may not have scored in Qatar so far, but he has provided three assists, including the super cross turned in at the far post by Phil Foden in the 3-0 win over Wales.
“We’re hoping he’s saving the goals for when we really need them,” said Southgate.
“But generally I was really pleased with the performance.
“It’s a game that if you don’t win it we’re still talking about it in 30 years’ time.
“We’ll have finished talking about it by (Wednesday) lunchtime, I’m guessing, so that’s the life for us, but I am very pleased with the way the players have played.”
Southgate says the ‘big business starts now’ as knockout football gets under way, but first comes a wellearned break for his group.
“The players are going have a day off for a start, which is welcome, and it gives us a little bit of extra time to just go through all the Senegal games and have a look at that,” Southgate said.
“It is definitely helpful in terms of freshness, but we’ve still got to get that periodisation of training right so that we don’t come in undercooked.
“But it’s nice to have a couple of days that – unless you tell me something different – should be relatively calm.”