Southgate adamant England will benefit from poor form before World Cup
Notwithstanding England’s poor results in the Nations League, the National team coach is positive that his side will do better at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Gareth Southgate
is certain that England have become much stronger because of the poor vein of form their suffered in the Nations League ahead of the 2022 World Cup and he is standing firm on his picks. The Three Lions suffered a relegation in the Nations League last month as they ended their season with only three points and no victories from six clashes. Their World Cup season starts with a battle against Iran on November 21. Their run of six winless games is now their longest as they get ready for a major tournament. The England supporters criticized the coach for their 1-0 loss at the hands of Italy as well as for keeping Harry Maguire, who is struggling at the moment.
Southgate welcomed the criticism of his decisions, but insisted that sometimes he has to resist “popular appeal”.
"I think everybody in the country can see we're trying to accomplish extraordinary things,"
he said.
"To accomplish extraordinary things is incredibly difficult.
"This is a job where every decision, every selection is questioned, debated, ridiculed. That's just by my postman, by the way!
"Column inches are full, airwaves are filled. As a manager, you're not going to get every decision right.
"But I have to be strong enough to withstand popular appeal for something and do what I really believe gives us the best chance to win.
"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, and blaming it on you. If you can trust yourself, when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too. That doubting, that noise that surrounds us is because people care. They're passionate.
"They just want to win, and I understand that. And if we don't win for six matches, then quite rightly, I have to accept that criticism.
"That's what goes with our job. If nobody cared or commented, then it wouldn't be the great and incredible challenge that it is."
During their first five matches in the Nations League, they could not net an open-play goal, but Southgate believes his side can benefit from the poor form as they head towards the World Cup.
"Milan was painful. I knew walking over to our fans that it wasn't going to end well. But I wasn't going to take a backward step,"
Southgate added.
"I've enjoyed the warmth and the adulation, so you've got to ride with the discomfort as well.
"Against Germany, I think we showed what we're capable of, good and bad. It showed there is character there. As a team, I think we'll be better for that challenging period we've just been through.
"You wouldn't choose to go into a World Cup with the run of results we've had, but I actually think we're stronger for that and the players have had to take some ownership.
"Those moments, like coming back from to 2-0 down and hearing the roof lift off Wembley, are hard to describe."
"In seven weeks' time, I get to lead my country to another World Cup. We have players I'm proud to lead, who give us everything,"
Southgate said.
"We want to bring people together, create memories and history. I've said before the last two tournaments: if we can make people proud, we'll have had an amazing time.
"I know that the bar of what might be deemed success is raised and getting higher for us. But as a team, we have to focus on performance, and the rest will fall into place."
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