Gareth Southgate says England must “adapt better” than their rivals to the unique conditions at the Qatar World Cup this winter after releasing his players back to their clubs for the final time before the tournament.
The Three Lions drew 3-3 with Germany on Monday in their last fixture before they open the tournament against Iran on November 21.
The Premier League season will pause after the weekend of November 12-13, and Southgate has said he will have no opportunities to meet with his players between now and naming his final 26-man squad for the finals.
“There just isn’t going to be time, they are going to have too many matches and we have to respect what they are doing with their clubs,” Southgate said.
“We have got a lot of analysis of the opposition. We are able to go to the games that are being played tonight [Tuesday] which we can’t usually do. That’s a bonus.
“Of course we need to monitor our players as well as we possibly can. We always look to find out absolutely everything about them and a lot of liaison with the clubs on how they are physically and what’s going on. So we are not short of stuff to be getting on with.
“There is a bit of [talking on the phone]. This is what’s unique to us compared to any other sport internationally.
“The rugby get eight weeks just for the six nations. The cricketers are together all year on central contracts. This is the difference.
“This tournament is unique. We don’t get the four weeks we had ahead of [the 2018 World Cup in] Russia. But we have to adapt better than anybody else."
The draw with Germany in the Nations League dead-rubber left England without a win in six matches in all competitions for the first time since 1994, and on their longest winless run going into a major tournament.
They rallied from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 at Wembley, only for Chelsea’s Kai Havertz to hit a late equaliser, and Southgate insisted the performance was a “big step forward” after a dismal Nations League campaign which ended in relegation.
Goals from Luke Shaw, Mason Mount and a Harry Kane penalty in a brilliant 20-minute spell looked to have earned the hosts a memorable comeback win.
“Not everything was wrong eight hours ago and not everything is right now," Southgate said.
“There are some big steps we have got to take but we needed to see character and how they would deal with adversity and you can only take a step at a time.
“We have had a couple of really tough experiences and you don’t necessarily go and win the next game 4-0 against a top level opponent. You have to take small steps. They will take some belief from tonight and they have to go on building and building and building."
Harry Maguire was at fault for Germany's first two goals, conceding a penalty converted by Ilkay Gundogan with a foul on Jamal Musiala, before giving away the ball high up the pitch ahead of the first of Havertz's brace.
Harry’s like most of us really, he’s had lots of hurdles and that shapes you.
Southgate has already said he would stake his reputation on the struggling centre-half and insists the whole country should want Maguire, who was given a mixed reception by the Wembley crowd, to return to form and the Manchester United team.
“I know everybody says he’s important to me but he’s important to us! It’s us. It’s not me," Southgate said.
“Why do we pick him? Because he’s one of the players who gives us the best chance of winning. So really we should all be wanting a Harry Maguire that’s playing regularly and playing with confidence.
“That applies to of course quite a few players but he’s the one that everything lands on, which must be a tough space for him really. But he’s showing tremendous character.
“I think he has got the character to get over this because he’s a boy that been from Sheffield United, to Hull City, he’s not one where everything has been smooth.
“Sometimes you get lads who, in the early part of their career, haven’t had to handle adversity and when it hits them, it’s harder to cope with.
“He’s like most of us really, in that he’s had lots of hurdles and that shapes your character.”
