Paul Parker: England have plenty to lose if Gareth Southgate breaks up winning team

Updated 28/06/2018 at 14:53 GMT

Paul Parker played in England's last match against Belgium in the World Cup - a dramatic 1-0 win in the last 16 in 1990 - but explains why their Group G meeting tonight is as vital despite both teams having qualified for the knock-out stage.

England 1 v Belgium 0 (after extra time), England's David Platt celebrates after scoring the game's only goal in the last minute of extra time.

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FORGET ABOUT LAST 16, FOCUS ON BEATING BELGIUM

This match is completely different from the time I played Belgium back in Bologna in 1990. Back then, it was a knock-out game in the last 16 with David Platt netting that memorable winner late in extra-time.

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Both teams are through, but that means little. By the time they play each other, England will know who they will play in the last 16 in either Colombia, Japan or Senegal.

England’s priority is winning the game, and certainly not losing it. Forget about attempting to secure a fixture in the last-16 with Japan. If that happens, all well and good.

England watched by Enzo Scifo during the 1990 World Cup finals.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF MOMENTUM

The Belgium coach Roberto Martinez is talking about making wholesale changes, but it is more important to get momentum in these tournaments because they are only over a month.

If you are lucky, you get seven games at a World Cup. For me, to talk about resting players is a little bit dangerous.

Do you want to go into your next game making five or six changes, losing the match and not playing well?

Then all of a sudden bringing back your big boys and expecting them to make up ground you’ve lost when they've been kicking their heels.

England 1, v Belgium 0, a,e,t, England team, back row, left-right, Gary Lineker, John Barnes, Stuart Pearce, Mark Wright, Peter Shilton, Terry Butcher, Front row, left-right, Paul Gascoigne, Steve McMahon, Paul Parker, Des Walker, Chris Waddle.

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From England’s point of view, I think Gareth Southgate has got to make as few changes as possible.

Don’t make changes for the sake of making changes. If you are thinking about long term and guys like Ruben Loftus-Cheek playing in the European Championship qualifiers later this year, it is important for him to play.

Unless injured, players should only be left out for the right reasons. You might not play Loftus-Cheek because you are worried about him getting a second yellow card. You can understand that.

Then you are looking at Raheem Sterling, and there is maybe the argument to give Marcus Rashford a try against Belgium to see what he can deliver.

Anything after that will be for the sake of it. And for the sake of the team, I think they should be getting as much playing time together as possible.

DEFENCE YET TO FACE A PROPER ATTACK

If you as the manager are happy with that back three of John Stones, Harry Maguire and John Stones, you don’t need to make changes

There is no point in just giving Gary Cahill a game. That back three needs to be up against a different style of threat because Belgium will be trying to pick holes in between them.

Those players have to understand their responsibilities as defenders, and get them to deal with class players coming at them.

Playing against Tunisia and Panama did not test them. Stones and Maguire are not going to be winning headers at corners the way they did before.

It isn’t going to be a stand-off night. It is all well and good saying we know about Belgium, but we don’t know about Belgium in competitive football.

We know the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard individually in the Premier League, but not in the World Cup playing alongside each other.

HARRY KANE MUST START THE MATCH

I think it would be foolhardy if Southgate makes too many changes. If he suddenly decides to rest Harry Kane to give Jamie Vardy a run-out, I think that is wrong.

Kane will want to score goals plus it is important for the other players to build continuity in understanding Kane’s game and where he is going to be as quickly as possible.

They want to win it in the best style by playing well. Mentally as a team, that takes you into the next match in a good frame of mind.

Jesse Lingard, forward Raheem Sterling, forward Harry Kane, midfielder Fabian Delph, defender Kyle Walker, midfielder Eric Dier, defender Gary Cahill and midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek take part in a training session.

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But if you go into the game making four or five changes, you don’t play well and lose, it makes it difficult.

It makes it difficult for the players, the coaching staff and the public too. England fans want to see England win matches, and if you understand football you realise continuity is important.

This is a competition where you take risks, and if someone is going to get injured, they are going to get injured.

ENGLAND HAVE PLENTY TO LOSE

You can’t turn around and say this is a nothing game. It is not a season, it is a month. Those players want to make a name themselves by getting to at least a semi-final, and giving them the best possible chance to get to a final.

They don’t want to be rested. I was proud of the fact that I played in six out of seven games at Italia ’90 and I only missed the first game against Ireland.

I’m proud of that fact. I wouldn’t want to be rested. Those players want to tell people they played in all the games for England at the World Cup.

You could have Fabio Capello as manager at the moment and say it is going well when you are scoring six against Panama. If results are going well, nobody talks about disharmony in the squad.

If England lose three games on the bounce under Southgate, people will quickly start moaning.

Bobby Robson talks to the England players as Paul Parker takes on water.

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No player can moan at the moment. But like Sir Bobby Robson at Italia '90, it is great to have an English person in there with different ideas and a fresh approach

England have not played anyone of note yet. They trounced a team in Panama that deserved to be trounced, and went and beat them well. That’s what good sides do, they go and beat poor sides well.

People can relate to that. Hopefully, the good form will continue into the matches against the better sides.

God help us when the World Cup moves to 48 teams. It going to be desperately boring with so much fodder on offer.

When we played at the 1990 tournament, we were up against strength from the outset. All the teams were strong right from the start when you consider we faced Ireland, the Netherlands and a good Egypt team. .

The press were ultra-negative back then. At the moment, everyone has a feel-good factor. Hopefully the harmony that is out there can enhance the team's performance, but you can only maintain momentum with consistency of selection.

England can afford to lose this match yet they have plenty to lose if the manager meddles too much with a winning team.