This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
England's qualifying campaign has been a resounding success, with 37 goals scored in eight games and just six conceded. However, manager Gareth Southgate is aware that defensive lapses could prove costly at the Euro 2020 finals.
On Sunday, England secured one of the top six seeded berths for the tournament with a 4-0 win over Kosovo, with captain Harry Kane scoring his 12th goal of the campaign. This tally is the most across Europe, and Kane's impressive form has been a key factor in England's success.
Southgate is pleased with the team's attacking options, but he is paying close attention to the defensive side of things. In their 4-0 win over Kosovo, England were gifted several opportunities through slack marking and poor organisation, which better teams would undoubtedly have taken.
Southgate acknowledged the need for improvement, saying, 'We needed a tighter game and a challenge, and I'm happy we got that.' He also highlighted the need to work on set plays, as there were too many players free in the box and chances given away.
Leading the way in England's attacking prowess is Kane, who became the first England player to score in every match of a qualifying campaign. He equalled the England record of 12 goals in a calendar year, jointly held by George Hilsdon (1908) and Dixie Dean (1927).
Kane expressed his desire to continue scoring goals and winning games, saying, 'As a striker, I want to score goals and to win games. I love scoring, any striker does, hopefully I can keep that going into next summer.'
Published on November 18, 2019, at 13:34:16 UTC.
