'England's Victory Over Malta Falls Short of Gareth Southgate's Expectations'

Gareth Southgate, the manager of England's football team, conceded that the Three Lions didn't meet expected standards during their match versus Malta, which took place on Friday night. Despite this, he refrained from criticising his team.

Englands's early lead was secured due to an own goal by Malta's Enrico Pepe. England's domination was extended 15 minutes before the end of the match, courtesy of Harry Kane, leading to a comfortable victory. However, according to Southgate, the team fell short when compared to fan expectations, especially given Malta's lackluster standing in Group C.

The England manager noted some inconsistencies in his team's pressing technique during a press conference, commenting, "We were not the level we would want to be at. We were not the level that we need to be at."

However, Southgate was also quick to point out that his players had been exceptional overall, and avoided excessive criticism despite the less-than-optimal performance. He stated, "Not in the style we'd have liked for the supporters but, in the end, we've won comfortably, as we should."

Rather than blaming his players, Southgate put the team's performance down to fatigue and urged them to return to their peak form in anticipation of the upcoming game in North Macedonia on Monday.

He voiced his concerns regarding player burnout, arguing it's crucial to maintain high performance levels, particularly against formidable teams. The England manager stated that he was aware there can be dips in performance and acknowledged his team was not at its best at that time, especially after having already secured qualification.

Southgate identified the late Wednesday practice session as a contributing factor to the team's mild performance, due to which the players seemed 'flat'.