Gareth Southgate claims that the game against France in the World cup knockout stage is just like an ‘acid test’
England manager Gareth Southgate has stated that his side will seek to hurt the World Cup defending champions France when they finally meet in the knockout stage.
England latest performance against Afcon winner Senegal was impressive with a cleansheet to crown their effort in the 3-0 victory.
Speaking ahead of their clash against France in the World cup Southgate stated that the game against France is an ‘acid test’.
“You know, this is the acid test for us,” Southgate said. “We know it’s a step up from everything we’ve had so far.
“But the team have garnered so much experience in the last few years. They’re playing with confidence.
“We look threatening, we’re scoring goals, another clean sheet, which was really pleasing to see.
“So, we’re in a good place, but we know the level of the opposition as well.”
England have reached the quarter-final stage in three successive tournaments.
“We’ve made quite a bit of history over the last four-and-a-half years,” Southgate said in the bowels of Al Bayt Stadium. “Not all of it good!
“But that’s the great challenge. When you go back through those tournaments, you do see the teams that have knocked England out.
“We haven’t been able to do that, so that’s the next test for this team.”
England lost 3-2 to 10-man France in Paris when the sides last met in a 2017 friendly, which Southgate said at the time underlined the gap between them and the best sides.
“We are different, there is no doubt about that,” he said looking back to that time. “We are obviously further down the line as a team. They have incredible depth of talent.
“When we look at them at every age group when we are studying at all our development teams, they have such depth in every position.
“They have obviously lost quite a few players ahead of this tournament, yet you look at the team and you look at the squad, it is still remarkably strong.
“They are full of speed, they are compact and difficult to play against. You know the style of game you are going to get and it is a brilliant challenge for us now.”
