England boss Gareth Southgate fires warning to his players ahead of Euro qualifier

September 7, 2019 By Ali M.

Topics: Gareth Southgate, England, Bulgaria, UEFA Euro Qualifying

The Three Lions boss shows he means business.

England are gearing up for two important games, with the Three Lions set to be in action in the Euro 2020 qualifying round during the ongoing international break. The European heavyweights will take on Bulgaria first later on Saturday before hosting Kosovo in Matchday 6.

Ahead of those fixtures, the players have been issued a warning by none other than their coach Gareth Southgate. The manager has impressed since taking over a once underperforming nation but has since led them to the World Cup and UEFA Nations League semi-finals.

Of course, being one step short is not Southgate’s ambition. He aims to guide England to a trophy for the first time since their FIFA World Cup success in 1966 and the gaffer has publicly reminded his players that he is not afraid to be ruthless, threatening to axe anyone who puts in below-par performances.

“There can't be a session where, at any point, any of the players switch off otherwise we can bring others in,” said Southgate (as per the Daily Mail).

“If at any point we think we're getting carried away with where we are then that would be dangerous. I think at the moment, we've got lots of really close calls next summer.”

The gaffer seems to be referring to Euro 2020, with England being the favorites to win the group. Their closest rivals are the Czech Republic, who also have two wins out of two, the Sterling and Co. should be able to grab the top spot with ease.

And Southgate isn’t wrong when stating “we can bring others in”. England are currently blessed with a large pool of talented players, with many struggling to make the lineup due to the competition.

The likes of Kane and Sterling are undisputed starters but elsewhere, Southgate is blessed with option. Michael Keane of Everton is fighting it out with Liverpool’s Joe Gomez to replace the injured John Stones while Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, and Ben Chilwell are a few of his full-back options.