England Under-21s boss Gareth Southgate reflected on a hard-fought point for his side in Sarajevo, after seeing Bosnia and Herzegovina hold the Three Lions to a stalemate draw.
It was a game of few chances and a real war of attrition at times, something which the head coach attributed to a difficult pitch at the Bosnian capital’s Olympic Stadium.
And while the squad head back home disappointed not to have taken all three points, Southgate was pleased with the way his side dealt with what turned into a difficult game following the second-half red card for Jack Stephens.
Bosnia & Herzegovina 0-0 England
UEFA European U21 Championship
Group 9 Qualifier
Asim Ferhatovic Hase Stadion, Sarajevo
Thursday 12 November 2015
“We knew yesterday, having trained on the surface, that it was going to be very difficult,” he admitted.
“The simplest things become very difficult, because it bounces up and you’ve got to have a touch and there’s so many bouncing, bobbling balls.
“We attempted to keep playing as we want to, but we couldn’t move the ball quickly enough to break them down and create clear-cut chances.
“We’re spoilt with the quality of our surfaces and you accept that coming away from home, that’s one of the challenges.
“We discussed it before the game that we didn’t want to be making excuses before we played the game, that’s why I was really pleased with the mentality.
“Then we ended up down to 10 men so we have to get out of the game with a draw.”
The hosts’ physical approach certainly made it harder for England, as illustrated by fact that the number on the back of Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s shirt was covered in dirt by the midway point in the second half.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek receives instructions from his manager
And Southgate felt that was another difficulty that his side had to overcome in the first of their two games during this international week.
“We took a hell of a lot of fouls and I think the game was difficult enough for technical players with the surface but when you get consistently fouled, you need some protection,” he added.
“There are so many uncontrollables but what I’m pleased with is there were a couple of flash-point moments when we could lose our discipline, but we didn’t and kept our third clean sheet.
“The new boys have come in and done well in very difficult circumstances and other teams [in the group] still have to come here.
“Monday [game v Switzerland] becomes key now and if we win there, then this becomes a good point.
“We still have a good opportunity to put ourselves in a really strong position.”
Tickets for the game with Switzerland at Brighton’s Amex Stadium on Monday evening are on sale now, priced £10 and £5. Call 0844 327 1901.
