Gareth Southgate is considering using three defenders against Bulgaria

 

England national team coach Gareth Southgate is considering re-using three defenders against Bulgaria at Vasil Levski National Stadium, in qualifying for Group A European Cup 2020 qualification on Monday (10/14/2019) local time or Tuesday (10/15/2019) early morning hrs. England must win if they want to seal the final round ticket.

England bent the Czech Republic 1-2 in Eden Arena, Friday (11/10/2019) evening local time, or Saturday (12/10/2019) early morning hrs. The defeat delayed their place in the finals with three matches remaining.

This is England’s first qualifying defeat since 2009, ending the journey of 43 matches without defeat. The Three Lions still top the standings with 12 points equivalent to the Czech Republic ranking second who played one more game.

“We are very aware and assess these things,” Southgate said of the possibility of changing tactics in defense as reported by the BBC.

data-preserver-spaces=”true”>Harry Maguire, John Stones, and Kyle Walker formed three backs at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and led England to the semifinals. However, the Stones are currently unavailable due to injury, while Manchester City teammate Walker is not included in the squad.

“We are in a difficult situation in terms of the players who play with us in the area, and who play regularly for their club,” added Southgate.

“That’s part of the reason we didn’t do that (three defenders against the Czech Republic).”

Asked if there was enough time to make changes to the system before the 2020 European Cup, Southgate said: “I think so. I think the players took the tactical concept very quickly, especially the top players.”

“We must continue to reflect on what works and what is possible, and learn from every experience we have.”

data-preserver-spaces=”true”>Manchester United defender Maguire, who partnered with Everton center-back Michael Keane in Prague, acknowledged the performance was not optimal in the national team influenced by the club’s performance. United are 12th in the Premier League after a disappointing start to the season, while Everton has lost five of their opening eight matches.

Asked if there was a lack of trust among the England national defense, Maguire replied: “Yes, maybe.”

“We took our club football at an international level. It was a difficult match. Obviously, you want to develop partnerships. Sometimes at the international level, you can’t really do it.”

“But there is no reason. We must be better than Friday night. We must be more advanced and better at controlling the ball. And we certainly must be better at keeping the ball away from the goal.”

 

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