Gareth Southgate has demanded an improved performance from England ahead of his side’s final Euro 2024 qualifier against North Macedonia on Monday evening.
England conclude their qualification campaign with a trip to face North Macedonia in Skopje, with the Three Lions already confirmed of their place at next summer’s tournament.
Southgate’s side will head into the European Championship as one of the favourites to win the tournament, but the England manager has insisted that his team must improve from a laboured win against Malta last time out.
Southgate called the 2-0 win against the minnows a ‘flat’ performance from his side, as England failed to register a shot on target in the first half, or create clear-cut chances, against a nation ranked 171st in the world.
Southgate has called on England to end their qualification campaign with an improved display this time around and has challenged his squad to earn their place in his plans ahead of Euro 2024.
“Qualification’s done,” Southgate said at his pre-match press conference.
“With the games at the weekend, we might be ranked third in the world at the minute, but we’re two places off where we need to be so we can’t waste games.
“Some of the players have got three games to get into a squad, some have got maybe three to get into a team, maybe a couple more if we’re talking about the team.
“There’s some things we’d like to see. But if we’re going to be a top team, then the level of performance has got to be spot on every time.”
