• England suffer their first defeat in 44 qualifiers
• ‘Football is all about responding to setbacks,’ says manager
Gareth Southgate suggested that England had been handed a Euro 2020 wake-up call after they were beaten 2-1 by the Czech Republic – the nation’s first defeat in 44 World Cup and European Championship qualifiers; a run that stretches back 10 years.
The result dented England’s pristine record en route to the finals next summer but more worryingly, as Southgate admitted, it raised a slew of questions. The team were poor with and without the ball, while defensive frailties remain a concern. England now travel to Sofia where they will face Bulgaria on Monday.
Written by David Hytner at the Sinobo Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/oct/11/gareth-southgate-england-czech-republic-wake-up-call under the title “‘A lot of work to be done’: Southgate says England’s Czech defeat is wake-up call”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.