World Cup 2018: England will not play for second place in Group G insists Gareth Southgate

England’s 6-1 win over Panama secured qualification ahead of Thursday’s game against Belgium, yet curiously it might not be in their best interests to win

Gareth Southgate has said England will not play for second place in Group G, even though it would almost certainly put them in the easier half of the draw.

England’s 6-1 win over Panama secured qualification ahead of Thursday’s game against Belgium, yet curiously it might not be in England’s best interests to win the game.

In the most likely scenario, the winners of Group G are scheduled to meet Brazil or possibly Germany in the quarter-finals, with the likes of France, Spain, Argentina or Portugal lurking thereafter. The runners-up in Group G, on the other hand, are in line to play Mexico in the quarter-finals. But Southgate other considerations would take priority for the Belgium game, which is likely to see a number of changes as England look to give some of their fringe players a game.

“We would want to keep momentum, and keep progressing as a team,” Southgate said. “I’ve heard talk of it being better finishing second, but how do you work all that out really? Let’s go and enjoy it again. There’s an opportunity as well for players that need a match, but also we want to keep winning. It’s a nice decision to have.

“I think that’s what we’ve got to do over the next 36 hours or so: to decide what our priority is. For me, the harmony of the group is high on that list. I have complete trust in all the players. The three players we brought on [Danny Rose, Fabian Delph and Jamie Vardy] are really critical in terms of what we do in training, and their enthusiasm around the group.

“There are others who we didn’t get into the game. Some have been a couple of weeks without a match, and we’re going to need more people as we get further into the tournament. At this moment my thoughts are with the players who haven’t played as much, but I have to consider everything before I decide upon my team.”

Ever the perfectionist, Southgate lauded the result - England's record win at a major tournament - whilst still finding fault with some aspects of the performance.

Southgate was pleased with England's display (PA)

“I really didn’t like the performance,” he said. “Well, I didn’t like the start, and I didn’t like the goal at the end, but I guess the bits in the middle were pretty good. We were a little bit anxious at the beginning.

“We played some really good stuff after 35-40 minutes. And the second half was difficult. We talked about the importance of one more goal to be top of the group, which is why the goal at the end is disappointing. But it would be harsh to criticise the players after a win like that, in that heat.”

Indeed, Panama’s late consolation leaves England and Belgium dead level at the top of Group G - six points, eight goals for, two against. Should the game be drawn, the group winner would thus be decided by fair play - with Belgium currently behind by a single yellow card. Should the teams still be level, lots will be drawn, just as soon as anybody can work out exactly what a lot is.