Gareth Southgate has explained the reasoning behind Jordan Pickford and John Stones' on-pitch debate during England's win over Croatia at the weekend.
A goal in the second half of Sunday's match from Raheem Sterling was enough to give the Three Lions a perfect start to their Euro 2020 campaign.
However, one particular incident during the game saw Everton's goalkeeper and the former Blues centre-back involved in an argument on the pitch at the end of the first period.
But speaking to the Telegraph on Monday evening, Southgate fully explained the incident.
The England boss believes the teammates were deciding whether to go long or go to feet at the back, with variety at international level between the two portrayed as crucial by the manager.
Southgate remarked: "I think they were just deciding, we give them pictures and it depends how the opposition press and there were times where it was on to take on.
“We don’t have as long to work on those patterns playing from goal kicks as you do at a club, and also we’re one mistake away from it being more costly, across 38 games that’s different. Those guys are able to make those decisions.
“We give them possible patterns depending on how the opposition are pressing, there was a little spell where we went long and we just talked about that at half-time.
“We didn’t want to do that every time. But there are moments to go longer – we’ve got a centre forward who wins more of his share of the ball.
“And we shouldn’t be football snobs. It’s great to play out from the back and get to the halfway line in control of the ball, but it’s just as effective to go to the centre forward and be in control of the ball and be able to play from there. The variety is important against top opposition.”
Pickford will expect to be in goal once again on Friday evening when England take on Scotland in their second match of the tournament at Wembley Stadium.
