Butland content to live dangerously to remain true to Southgate’s philosophy
The Stoke goalkeeper won his ninth England cap in the win over Switzerland.
Jack Butland’s belief that England should keep playing out from the back remains unwavering, despite enduring some hairy moments in the unconvincing win against Switzerland.
The World Cup semi-finalists avoided a record fourth successive defeat on Tuesday evening as Marcus Rashford capped an improved second-half display by securing a narrow 1-0 win in Leicester.
While Gareth Southgate’s men did well after the break, the first half made for uncomfortable viewing.
Overrun in midfield and shaky in defence, the determination to play out from the back almost cost them in the opening stages.
Xherdan Shaqiri hit a post after Butland played James Tarkowski into trouble shortly after the Stoke goalkeeper nearly rolled a pass into his own net.
“It was scruffy at times, but we kept doing it,” England shot-stopper Butland said.
“We kept plugging away and ultimately we played from end-to-end a fair few times and got ourselves some chances and some good possession as a result of it.
“It’s something that we believe in.
“We believe we’ve got the players to do it, so we’re not just going to turn away from it if we don’t feel like it’s right.
“Yes, we still need to make the right decisions – there are times when you can overplay and times when the ball needs to go longer and a bit safer – but it’s about making those decisions and I thought we did that as a whole pretty well.”
Butland spoke with confidence at the King Power Stadium, where England eventually “got to grips” with things on a night when the goalkeeper did well not to be thrown off kilter.
“It’s not particularly difficult if you’re comfortable doing it,” he said of playing out from the back.
Jordan Pickford’s superior ability on the ball will surely see him return to the number one jersey in next month’s UEFA Nations League double-header with Croatia and Spain.
Butland was understandably proud to pick up his ninth cap on Tuesday, but it is now back to the grind of Championship football as relegated Stoke head to Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.
Southgate’s keenness for his players to be competing at the top level is clear, with the 25-year-old the only member of the squad currently playing outside the Premier League.
“I still have to be fit, strong, train well and play well. If I can do that, I’d like to think I can stay in the squad.
“The manager’s reassured me of that. We’ve had a lot of conversations.
“If I’m in the Championship beyond this season, then obviously things start to get a bit trickier, but certainly for this year he’s reassured me that if I can keep my standards high, I can be a part of the team.”
