Gareth Southgate is motivated to make England the world’s highest-ranked team, emphasizing the need to eliminate “sloppiness” as they strive to finish their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on a strong note.
England is set to face North Macedonia in Skopje on Monday, with a near certainty of being top seeds in the upcoming draw for the finals in Germany.
Despite a lackluster performance in Friday’s 2-0 victory against Malta at Wembley, England aims to deliver an improved display against lowly North Macedonia, whom they defeated 7-0 at Old Trafford in June.
“Qualification’s done,” the England boss remarked to British media ahead of the Group C finale.
“With the games at the weekend, we might be ranked third in the world at the minute (England is currently fourth in the latest published FIFA rankings), but we’re two places off where we need to be so we can’t waste games.
“Some of the players have got three games to get into a squad, some have got maybe three to get into a team.”
Southgate emphasized the necessity for a consistently high level of performance, stating that it has to be “spot on every time.”
Argentina, the World Cup winners, currently leads the rankings, with France in second place and Brazil in third. England has maintained a position in the top five for the past five years.
When questioned about his drive to reach the number one spot, Southgate responded: “Yeah, because ultimately, you achieve that through consistency and you’ve got to play well in the tournaments as well because the ranking points are higher in the tournaments.”
“Also, it sets behaviors every day on the training pitch, off the training pitch.
“If you are going to be the top-ranked team, there’s no room for sloppiness or casualness. That’s got to be our drive,” he added.
England’s final camp of the year has been disrupted by absentees.
Five players withdrew from the original squad due to injury, and two more departed the squad before they flew to the Balkans.
The Football Association announced Kieran Trippier had gone home due to a personal issue, while injury meant Jarrod Bowen left the camp on Sunday.
jw/gj
Michael Johnson is your soccer guru, providing extensive coverage of soccer. With a global perspective, he delivers match reports, player interviews, and insights into the beautiful game, ensuring readers stay connected to the world of soccer.
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