I Love England

England head coach Gareth Southgate has said that the Three Lions are still in a transition phase and have plenty of work to do to emerge as a top team. The Three Lions recently suffered a 2-1 defeat to Czech Republic in a Euro 2020 qualifier and that was quite a shock, considering they had not lost a single qualifying game over the past 10 years.
Speaking after the defeat, Southgate said that the squad is still under development with a number of young players establishing themselves. He added that the qualifying can’t be regarded as a cake walk and he is hoping for a strong response when the Three Lions face Bulgaria on the road on Monday night.

“We’ve had a lot of plaudits but we’ve always maintained that there’s a lot of work to be done to be a really top team. Football is all about responding to setbacks. We haven’t had too many so it feels even more unpleasant because it’s a while since we’ve felt this way. None of us like it but that’s the reality and to sail through a qualifying group with no issue is very unusual,” he told.

Liverpool
legend Jamie Carragher believes Raheem Sterling could be competing for the
Ballon d’Or title over the next four to five years after becoming a consistent
performer for club and country. The England international has started the
current league season in fine form with six goals from five appearances for the
Citizens and he has also excelled for the national team with goalscoring
contributions against Bulgaria and Kosovo.

As a result,
he has been earning plenty of praise from the fans and pundits alike, and
Carragher feels the attacker has the credentials to compete for the prestigious
Ballon d’Or accolade in the future, he told The Telegraph: “I have seen it
written since the midweek internationals Sterling is England’s best player. He
is much more than that.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane believes the club can challenge for the Premier League title this season. The north London giants have always been in the running for the English crown during the early parts of the season, but they have not been able to continue the momentum at the business end of the campaign.

Speaking to reporters, Kane acknowledged that Spurs have blown their title prospects over the past few years where they have struggled to impress during the back end of the season. He added that Liverpool and Manchester City have already set the standard with big wins during the opening match day and hopefully, Spurs can stay with them in the title race for a longer period.

Former Premier League ace Danny Mills has suggested that Arsenal could make an approach to sign Danny Rose from Tottenham Hotspur, should they fail to land the signature of Kieran Tierney from Celtic. The Gunners have been hot on the trail of Tierney since the beginning of the transfer window but so far, they have not reached an agreement with the Hoops.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Mills indicated that Rose will want to join a top European outfit this summer, considering he requires regular gametime in order to make the England squad for the Euros next year. He added that he may have the option of staying put in north London with the Gunners, although the fierce rivalry between them and Spurs could scupper the chances of any move.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane believes the club can challenge for the Premier League title this season. The north London giants have always been in the running for the English crown during the early parts of the season, but they have not been able to continue the momentum at the business end of the campaign.

Speaking to reporters, Kane acknowledged that Spurs have blown their title prospects over the past few years where they have struggled to impress during the backend of the season. He added that Liverpool and Manchester City have already set the standard with big wins during the opening matchday and hopefully, Spurs can stay with them in the title race for a longer period.

TalkSPORT pundit Micky Gray has said that John Stones is a better defender when compared to Harry Maguire. The duo have formed an impressive partnership at the heart of the England defence over the past year and Maguire has been touted to secure a big-money move this summer after impressing for Leicester City in recent seasons.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, former Sunderland ace Gray said that both Stones and Maguire are vulnerable to making mistakes on the playing field, but the former is technically the better defender when compared to his compatriot, he quipped: "John Stones makes mistakes, so does harry Maguire. Is he quicker? Yes. John Stones is a better centre half than Harry Maguire. Look what John Stones has won? It doesn't matter who is playing in the team."

Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has acknowledged that he has been left embarrassed after England were ousted at the group stage of the European Under-21 Championship. The Young Lions suffered back-to-back losses against France and Romania, and that ensured that they were eliminated before the final group stage game against Croatia.

Speaking to reporters, Henderson said that the team can have no excuses over the performance and they need to come stronger in future tournaments. He added that six goals conceded from the opening two games remains unacceptable and the same remains embarrassing for him on the personal scale.

England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed that it was not a tough decision to choose Ben Chilwell and Danny Rose in the squad for the Nations League finals. The duo have been consistent performers for their respective clubs in the Premier League this term and this has helped them get the nod over Manchester United’s Luke Shaw.

Speaking to reporters, Southgate said that the Three Lions are blessed to have numerous options when it comes to occupying the left side of the defence. He added that there were no doubts regarding the selection of Chilwell and Rose ahead of Shaw for the forthcoming internationals, he said: “We are blessed with so much talent in that department. Both Chilwell and Rose have been committed for England. No [when asked whether it was a difficult decision]. Ben Chilwell and Danny Rose have been excellent for us so they are ahead in the pecking order. But it gives us a lot of good options.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that he is not optimistic regarding the potential return of Harry Kane before the end of the campaign. The England international is currently sidelined with an ankle problem, but there have been suggestions that he could be available for the Champions League final, should Spurs get there.

When asked about the same, Pochettino said that he can offer no assurances regarding the fitness of Kane and the chances are very slim that he will return before the season concludes, he said: “Still we can’t say. We are going to assess him day by day. We are not optimistic but you know Harry Kane – with Harry Kane, all is possible.”

BBC reporter David Ornstein believes Chelsea could seek to end the tradition of sacking managers on a regular basis in the Roman Abramovich era. The west London giants have preferred to chop and change managers whenever they have struggled to compete with the title challengers but Ornstein suggests that the policy may change in the summer with a transfer ban bestowed upon them.

Speaking on Premier League Today, Ornstein said that the Blues have experienced an extraordinary campaign where they have witnessed both highs and lows. He added that the club have regularly switched managers to secure success, although that formula may not work out during the summer, should their transfer ban remain upheld.