Southgate: Fans won't mind group stage if we win

England boss Gareth Southgate has said no one will remember his side's shaky group stage performances if they can get it right in the knockouts.

England face Slovakia in the round of 16 on Sunday, with the winner set to play Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

"Reality is that nobody will care about the group stage if you get it right? That is the reality and of course we have to deliver it," Southgate told a news conference on Saturday.

"The fact is you go into a different mental state. Everybody knows that knockout football is jeopardy, everybody knows that on a given day, an opponent can make it really tough for you. You know the quality of the opposition left is high and so it changes the mindset.

"It is about 'how far can we go?' We are trying to achieve something exceptional. But it is a step at a time and tomorrow is a chance to improve aspects of our game, to show composure in moments. The game will take us in different directions at different moments and you've got to be able to respond and react in the right way in all of those moments."