Southgate Calls On England To Entertain The Nation

RICHARD TANNER

Gareth Southgate will tell his players to keep the “carnival” spirit alive against Columbia tonight by putting on festival the whole nation can enjoy.

Southgate is concerned there has been too much England misery at tournaments in the recent past as the team look to try to win their first knockout match since 2006.

Win or lose against the South Americans, the team orders are simple – go out and have fun.

“The World Cup is a carnival and a festival of football and we have often overlooked that,” said England manager Southgate. “We have come here to enjoy our football and I think we have. I don’t think we should stop that.”

Southgate will name the same side with which he started the tournament against Tunisia. Dele Alli has regained full fitness and Ashley Young will continue as preferred left-back ahead of Danny Rose.

But Columbia manager Jose Pekerman has left England guessing by saying he will give his star player James Rodriguez until the last minute to declare himself fit for this last-16 tie.

Pekerman said a scan had shown Rodriguez’s calf injury is not serious but he was not prepared to rule him in or out 24 hours before the game in the Spartak Stadium.

Southgate is determined England do not become caught up in past setbacks.

He said: “We said we didn’t want this tournament to take hold of us and push us around, we wanted to attack it and make sure we were in charge of our destiny.

“We have all been hurt by disappointment but maybe some of our expectations at times have been a little unrealistic. I think we have had more realism about what we have done this time and we should all enjoy the journey.

“For this team, it’s a brilliant opportunity to go beyond where more experienced teams have gone before. They’re relishing that chance.

“When you come to a big tournament it is not just football fans it is granddad, it is aunt, it is everyone supporting the team. For some reason they like these lads! I think that has gained more support.

“The performances have been good. Everyone wants to be behind the national team and I don’t think that will ever change.”

Skipper Harry Kane, one of the players controversially rested against Belgium will also resume his place in the starting line-up.

Shock results elsewhere in the tournament mean that England are very much in the easier half of the draw on paper, but Southgate refused to get distracted from the task at hand – beating a team ranked 16th in the world who reached the semi-finals four years ago.

He said: “Of course once you get to these games there are really fine margins, so there are games that you know as a team if you want to progress to have success, you have to win these matches.

“All our preparations around that we feel we are in a good place.

“Now we have to stop talking and go and deliver.”

If he plays, Rodriguez will be a major threat but Pekerman said: “We had good news after his medical tests. He doesn’t have a serious injury. We still have one-and-a-half days to see how he feels and, as always, we hope he will be able to play for the following games.”

Asked if Rodriguez can play 90 minutes he replied: “I will tell you who will be in the starting XI tomorrow, one hour before the game. That’s when we’ll know how everybody’s feeling.”

Colombia skipper Radamel Falcao admitted he did not “shine” in his two seasons in the Premier League with Manchester United and Chelsea but vowed to make his point.

“It’s true that I didn’t shine as I wanted in England but that’s part of the past,” he said. “This is a match we’ve always dreamed of playing, since we were young children we wanted to play something like this, so we are really looking forward to it and we’re used to playing games like this.

“We hope we’ll be able to enjoy the game, try to play the game we have planned and try to live this dream being responsible because we know we are facing a great opportunity.

“I only can say that it’s beautiful to be here, to be able to play against England, and I think all my team-mates are ready to play and give everything.”