Gareth Southgate says England better prepared for World Cup success

Gareth Southgate says England are better prepared for World Cup success than four years ago and ready to “nail” holders France in Saturday’s blockbuster quarter-final.

France are favourites to progress to Wednesday’s semi-final, but England are a different team t to 2018, when they surpassed expectations to reach the final four at a tournament where their aim was just to win a knockout match.

Southgate’s side went on to finish as European Championship runners-up last year and now they are looking to beat an elite nation in a knockout match on foreign soil for the first time, with another semi-final the reward.

“The biggest thing for me in the game is going to be our mentality,” the England manager said. “We’ll of course be tactically prepared.

“But on these nights you’ve got to have men that stand up and take on the challenge. That’s the bit that we’ve got to prove to people.

“We’ve had some outstanding nights and the next game is always the most important. It’s against a good level of opponent, one we’re ready for. One, if you’d asked me four years ago were we quite ready, I’m not sure.

“Now I feel differently about that, and that’s because we’ve got evidence over a long period of results.

“Historically we have always talked well, but the evidence wasn’t there. Now we’ve got more evidence and we’ve got to go and nail this type of game now.”

England are looking to reach the semi-final stage at a third successive major tournament in what Southgate this week called England’s “acid test” against the reigning champions.

He believes France are the “very best” in Qatar and staff stepped up preparations with a detailed presentation on their opponents at 9am on Monday – just six hours after getting back from the Senegal match.

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