- Title: Southgate calls for bravery from England
- Date: 7th October 2016
- Summary: ST. ALBANS, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 7, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** INTERIM ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE AND PLAYER THEO WALCOTT ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALIST WORKING ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND INTERIM MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE SAYING: "I want to see an England team that are brave in possession of the ball and prepared to take chances, prepared to risk in one v one situations even though I know they won't always succeed." CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND INTERIM MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE, SPEAKING ABOUT THE MATCH AGAINST MALTA, SAYING: "We've got to be sure to get numbers high up the pitch to break down a packed defence and we've got to show a patience and intelligence about the way we use the ball. We know that Malta can be a threat in counter-attacks so we've also got to be tactically astute in being ready for that. But above all I want the players to be brave, I want them to bring the exciting things that they have, the capabilities that they have, to the table." SOUTHGATE AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND INTERIM MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE SAYING: "I don't think there will be another country in the world that will have a crowd like we have this week and I know the pride that I have in leading the team is echoed by the players and their desire to do well. I think there's often ridiculous question marks about what it means. I can only say that again this week it's shone through to me how much it means to all of them to play, they do want to make the country proud, they're very conscious of that." SOUTHGATE AND WALCOTT AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND PLAYER THEO WALCOTT, SPEAKING ABOUT THE WEMBLEY CROWD, SAYING: "Having that much support behind you just shows the tremendous faith everyone has in this England team and wants to get behind us. And when you've got that there's no reason why we can't go out and make everyone enjoy English football again." CAMERA SOUTHGATE AND WALCOTT LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2016 19:45
- Keywords: Gareth Southgate England Malta
- Location: ST ALBANS, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: ST ALBANS, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0015309QV3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:England's interim manager Gareth Southgate on Friday called for his side to be 'brave with the ball' when they face Malta in a World Cup qualifier.
Southgate - installed for four matches after the dismissal of Sam Allardyce - and his side are desperate to restore some pride to the national side after the humiliations inflicted during Euro 2016.
"I want to see an England team that are brave in possession of the ball and prepared to take chances, prepared to risk in one v one situations even though I know they won't always succeed," Southgate told the media ahead of Saturday's (October 8) match at Wembley.
Southgate expects his side to have the bulk of possession against a massed defence from the visitors.
"We've got to be sure to get numbers high up the pitch to break down a packed defence and we've got to show a patience and intelligence about the way we use the ball," he said.
"We know that Malta can be a threat in counter-attacks so we've also got to be tactically astute in being ready for that. But above all I want the players to be brave, I want them to bring the exciting things that they have, the capabilities, to the table."
The match is a sell out despite the Euro 2016 elimination against supposed minnows Iceland with 90,000 supporters expected at the stadium in north London.
"I don't think there will be another country in the world that will have a crowd like we have this week and I know the pride that I have in leading the team is echoed by the players and their desire to do well," said Southgate.
"I think there's often ridiculous question marks about what it means (to the players). It's shone through to me how much it means to all of them to play, they do want to make the country proud, they're very conscious of that."
Theo Walcott will start in Southgate's first game in charge of the national side and the Arsenal striker is keen to put a smile back on the faces of England fans.
Walcott returns to the England starting line-up for the first time in a year with Wayne Rooney again leading the side. Rooney was dropped by Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho last month and has struggled for form.
Walcott, left out of England's Euro 2016 squad despite playing in the qualifiers, has been rewarded for an impressive start to the season for Arsenal.
"Having that much support behind you just shows the tremendous faith everyone has in this England team and wants to get behind us. And when you've got that there's no reason why we can't go out and make everyone enjoy English football again," he said.
Southgate was thrust into the limelight after Allardyce was sacked after 67 days following a Daily Telegraph sting into soccer corruption.
While Malta should not provide much resistance, England face a tougher test next week away to Slovenia. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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