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England boss Gareth Southgate: 'My job is not to keep players happy'

Southgate: 'My job isn't to keep players happy'
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England manager Gareth Southgate says that it is not his job to "keep the players happy".

England manager Gareth Southgate has said that 'keeping players happy' is not a priority when it comes to squad selection.

The Three Lions will take on Slovenia at Wembley tomorrow before facing Lithuania away on Sunday.

The fixtures are England's final two World Cup qualifiers, and the team head into the games with the knowledge that just two points are needed to secure qualification to next year's finals in Russia.

While speaking about team selection in his pre-match press conference, Southgate told reporters: "My job is not to keep the players happy, it's to challenge them and create an environment which allows them to be successful. We can't sit back at any point, every session we have to get something from.

"When we get the results we want this week I hope to have a dilemma picking 23 players. I hope to have some difficult calls to make. Managers don't necessarily select squads, players do by the way they perform."

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has been named captain for Thursday's match.

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Harry Kane shoots on goal during the Euro 2016 Group B game between England and Russia on June 11, 2016
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Euro 2024 fixtures header
Friday, July 5
 
5pm
Quarter-Finals
Spain
vs.
Germany
 
8pm
Quarter-Finals
Portugal
vs.
France
Saturday, July 6
 
5pm
Tuesday, July 9
Wednesday, July 10
Sunday, July 14
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Germany Germany32107
Q Switzerland Switzerland31205
3 Hungary Hungary31023
4 Scotland flag Scotland30121

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain33009
Q Italy Italy31114
3 Croatia Croatia30212
4 Albania national flag Albania30121

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England31205
Q Denmark Denmark30303
Q Slovenia Slovenia30303
4 Serbia Serbia30212

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Austria Austria32016
Q France France31205
Q Netherlands Netherlands31114
4 Poland Poland30121

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania31114
Q Belgium Belgium31114
Q Slovakia Slovakia31114
4 Ukraine Ukraine31114

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal32016
Q Turkey Turkey32016
Q Georgia Georgia31114
4 Czech Republic Czech Republic30121


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