Mueez Ajao
– Gareth Southgate said England “put down a great marker” by thrashing Iran 6-2 in their World Cup opener but “must be better” in their final two group games.
– Bukayo Saka scored twice as the Three Lions impressed in attack, but Mehdi Taremi’s two goals for Iran highlighted a need for defensive improvement.
– England face USA in their second Group B game on Friday (19:00 GMT).
Also Read: Saka shines as England thrash Iran in World Cup opener
– “It’s a great start but we’re going to have to be better,” England manager Southgate told BBC Sport.
– “To win by that margin – to play as we did for the majority of the game – we’ve got to be really happy. That’s a great marker to put down.
– “But we shouldn’t be conceding two goals at that stage of the match and we’ll have to be right on our game against the States.
– “We had, I think, 24 minutes of added time across the game, so it’s a long time to focus – but we just lost concentration and when we play at a slower tempo, we’re nowhere near as effective.
– “I’m a miserable so-and-so and I should be more excited, but I’ve got to keep the team on the right track and we will have to be better.”
A great start, but we can be better 🙌
The boss looks back on today's victory in our opening @FIFAWorldCup game:
— England (@England) November 21, 2022
