Gareth Southgate has warned England they will be vulnerable to a shock if they lose the humility and work ethic that propelled them to a first final for 55 years as they prepare for the two crucial six-pointers on the road that should determine if they take the fast track to the World Cup.
England were runners-up in Euro 2020 but will lose the lead in Group I of World Cup qualifying if they are beaten in Budapest on Thursday and, as they begin a potentially defining week, Southgate has told his players they cannot get complacent because of their recent success.
After facing Hungary, England, who have a 100 per cent record in the pool, host Andorra before going to Poland next Wednesday in a period that could put them on course to reach Qatar next year or reduced to battling for a play-off place.
Hungary were eliminated from the ‘Group of Death’ in Euro 2020 but only after holding the last two World Cup winners, France and Germany, while they held Portugal for 83 minutes before losing 3-0.
“The two away games this week are both going to be hugely challenging,” Southgate said. “They are two good teams and they are obviously pivotal games in terms of qualification. In these qualifiers, you have to be at your very best.
“It is an important opportunity for us. If you can take points off your nearest challengers in their own home, then it puts us in a really strong position and we would be in control of the group.
“We know that Hungary are a very good team. They sit second in the group, took a point off Poland in March and France and Germany in the summer so their recent results speak for themselves.”
England have qualified for every tournament since Euro 2008 and every World Cup since 1994 and were semi-finalists in 2018. They could be without Jadon Sancho, who has a “small knock” as Southgate told them to keep the principles that have stood them in good stead.
He added: “The team have gained confidence from what they have achieved and the progress they have made not only this summer but over the last four years but equally we have to start again.
“The journey to having the chance to have another run like that in a tournament is under way. We have to focus our minds on a different sort of challenge but I don’t expect that to be a problem.
“We have made progress because we've shown humility in the way we are prepared to work and the way we defend as a team.
“We've got players who can create chances, but everything starts from the work ethic. If you lose that as a team and don’t have that right, you're vulnerable. That is the start point for us. We've got to make sure we are back to where we were, not thinking that just because we got to a final, we can walk out and beat teams.
“We were at home in the summer, apart from one game in Rome, but that is the test as a top player. You have got to go into these stadiums with opposition fans and show the resilience and fortitude to be able to play.
“We have got to go away from home now, [in front of] 60,000 fans, and we have to become a team that in all those different environments that you encounter, we have to be able to pick results up. Going away from home for a qualifier is different to playing in a tournament and we have to embrace those challenges. The skill set required as a team is very different.”
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Planes grounded by coronavirus
British Airways: Cancels all direct flights to and from mainland China
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific: Cutting capacity to/from mainland China by 50 per cent from Jan. 30
Chicago-based United Airlines: Reducing flights to Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong
Ai Seoul: Suspended all flights to China
Finnair: Suspending flights to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March
Indonesia's Lion Air: Suspending all flights to China from February
South Korea's Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air: Suspend all flights
Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Rasi, Harry Bentley (jockey), Sulaiman Al Ghunaimi (trainer).
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m; Winner: Ya Hayati, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Magic Lily, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Eynhallow, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
Pakistan Super League
Previous winners
2016 Islamabad United
2017 Peshawar Zalmi
2018 Islamabad United
2019 Quetta Gladiators
Most runs Kamran Akmal – 1,286
Most wickets Wahab Riaz –65
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
Winner: Miqyaas, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Shanty Star, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Alkaamel, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Speedy Move, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Quartier Francois, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
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