talkSPORT exclusive: Jamie Carragher says England should be looking to reach the World Cup final
The ex-England international said he could not see Gareth Southgate's men winning the tournament, however
Jamie Carragher is backing England to make the World Cup final - but he doesn't believe the Three Lions are good enough to WIN the tournament.
England booked their place in the quarter-finals on Tuesday night with an historic win on penalties over Colombia, sparking growing belief across the nation that Gareth Southgate's men can go all the way in Russia.
Carragher - who made 38 appearances for England including at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups - claimed achieving the top prize might be a step too far but was confident England will be targeting a spot in the final.
Speaking to talkSPORT's Adrian Durham and Matt Holland on Drivetime, Carragher said: "I don't think England will win the World Cup but they should get to the final.
"The way the draw looks they should be disappointed to not make the final. I don’t see them beating a Brazil or a France in the final though. It would just be unbelievable if they did.
“People were talking about getting to the quarter-finals before the tournament so if they could make it to the final they would be heroes for that."
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In the run-up to England's last eight date with Sweden - a game you can listen to live on talkSPORT - former national team manager Sam Allardyce told talkSPORT that the Three Lions should change their system for the game.
Southgate has played a 3-5-2 system which has seen Kyle Walker, John Stones and Harry Maguire forge a good partnership at the back while Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young have had free rein to get forward frequently.
But Carragher disagreed with Allardyce's views and said that a change in system could "upset the balance of the team".
The former defender also said he felt that England have looked more like a club team and there is a real togetherness in the squad that was perhaps lacking in previous tournaments.
Carragher added: "I've been impressed [with England]. The first two games were good in terms of performances but you have to take into account the opposition. Then again I played teams at Panama's level at World Cups and we sometimes didn't win those games.
"We look solid even though we haven't kept a clean sheet.
"It feels a lot more positive now. It was a bit negative when I was playing for England. There was an expectation that a quarter-final as a minimum retirement. This team hasn't had anything of expected of it so there's been more of a buzz.
"England are like a club team for the first time in a long time. There's a real togetherness. They have every chance of being successful because of that.
"I've been very impressed with the way Southgate has come across and the way he speaks. He's really changed the perception of himself.
"He looked like a typical FA 'yes man' [when he was hired] but he's made some huge decisions as manager."
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