Southgate expresses England ‘concern’ after reserves fail to impress in Italy stalemate
Gareth Southgate has described England’s over-reliance on Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling for goals as “a concern” ahead of the World Cup.
A much-changed England team were unable to find the back of the net against a resolute Italy as England drew their second successive game in the Nations League on Saturday.
Tammy Abraham came in to replace Kane but he failed to make the most of his opportunity, leaving Southgate to rue the apparent lack of depth in his squad.
England 0-0 Italy: Rating the players from a Nations League bore draw at Molineux
“Clearly across these four games we’re needing to look at different players ahead of the World Cup,” he said. “Today was part of that process.
“We knew on the back of a physically tough game in Germany the other night, also to refresh the team was going to be important.
“It’s the same as I said yesterday – of course you’re wanting to win the games and we’re disappointed not to win the game.
“I think we had two or three very good chances that we have to take. You don’t get loads of chances in games against the top-level teams, that’s how it is.
“We’d like to have created more given the amount of possession we had and we definitely used the ball better in the back two thirds of the field than we did the other night so that was pleasing. But in the end we’ve not got the goal to make the difference.
“We’re very, very reliant on Harry and Raheem for our goals at the moment and that is a concern.”
Kane reached a half-century of England goals when he struck from the penalty spot against Germany earlier this week. Sterling, meanwhile, has 19 to his name, and scored the winner in two of England’s three group games at the Euros last summer.
Southgate continued: “In the end, the quality of your top players has a large factor in determining how successful you are.
“But we have got to start to spread that load and there are players that are scoring more regularly with their club. We’ve got to convert that into international football.
“We’ve just got to keep working on getting them into those right areas.”
