Gareth Southgate has vowed that England will take the game to France tomorrow night and insists the Three Lions have no intention of “covering up and sitting on the ropes”.
In a stirring message on the eve of the World Cup quarter-final, the England manager said his side were aiming to give the country “another night to be proud of”, but admitted they would have to be close to perfect to beat the world champions.
England are the joint-top scorers in Qatar, with 12 goals from four games, and Southgate has used a front-foot approach so far at the tournament.
The manager, who has often been criticised for being overly pragmatic and conservative, refused to say if he would switch to a back three against Didier Deschamps’s side, but insisted England are aiming to cause France problems at Al Bayt Stadium.
