Acclimatisation has been the England buzzword and neatly covers Saturday’s opening fixture against New Zealand. The steamy environment in Florida is intended to get England gently up to speed, as are New Zealand following a heavy defeat to Haiti on Wednesday.
For this mock exam Thomas Tuchel is without Arsenal’s English champions Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke delaying their arrival until the weekend. So expect some shuffling and a raft of substitutions in Tampa.
This period is ultimately about refinement, identifying who gets the nod in the few contested positions remaining, left wing, centre back and the No 10 spot. If the squad numbers are revealing, Marcus Rashford, 11, trumps Anthony Gordon, 18, on the left, an ironic twist to Barcelona’s recent market moves.
By the same token, the award of the No 5 shirt to John Stones would appear to be bad news for Ezri Konsa were it not for the No 2 jersey passing to the Aston Villa defender. Does this mean No 24 Reece James starts on the bench? Maybe the numbers game is a Tuchell red herring to blur the lines for any spies operating in the vicinity of West Palm Beach.
Konsa’s Villa teammate Morgan Rogers would be equally relieved were this the case since he will wear No 14. The prized No 10 is on the back of Jude Bellingham. Only one of Rogers and Bellingham will start against Croatia in Texas.
The centre of things
Kobbie Mainoo was included in the squad after a red hot run of form (Photo: Getty)
The absence of Rice on Saturday brings Kobbie Mainoo into view. Mainoo did not shine as a substitute against Uruguay in March and disappointed as a starter in the succeeding defeat to Japan. Against that, he excelled for Manchester United and learned to a degree from the defensive errors against Japan by improving his positioning.
Required to cover more ground when paired with the slow-moving Casemiro, Mainoo was less of a defensive liability in the run-in, which, coupled with his nimble talent for taking the ball in small spaces and breaking explosively, edged out Adam Wharton and James Garner.
With Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, part of a five-man temporary training unit, expected to feature at some point in the friendlies, expect the middle of the park to have an experimental feel.
Fronting up up front
Alex Scott is expected to win his first cap against New Zealand (Photo: Getty)
The same could be said of the attack. No Saka or Madueke means both Rashford and Gordon could start on the wings, or share duties with reserve squad members Rio Ngumoha and Ethan Nwaneri.
Rashford had a B+ season at Barcelona, enjoying some moments while operating largely as back-up to the more reliable Rafinha. The goals he scored at Newcastle in the Champions League group stage and in the recent Clasico were typical examples of good Rashford. Bad Rashford, however, is equally familiar, trying that bit too hard, over running the ball, hitting the wall.
Gordon is less spectacular but has greater consistency. His principal problem is a reluctance to trust his left foot. This means he can be easier to defend against on the left, pushed sideways or backwards instead of attacking the byline.
The lack of penetration down the left is a problem that might ultimately be solved by Eze. For now Rashford is arguably ahead of the man who bounced him at Barca after what was a rather muted season at Newcastle.
Baller or battler at the back?
John Stones has not played 90 minutes of club football since August 2025 (Photo: Getty)
A fit John Stones picks himself. His reading of the game and his capacity for carrying the ball into midfield make him an exemplar of the ball-playing centre-half not traditionally associated with England.
Given his brittle frame, Tuchel will be mindful of over-using Stones. Conversely, his lack of game-time hitherto demands time alongside Marc Guehi, which means deploying Konsa at right-back on Saturday or the bench.
And finally…
Bellingham or Rogers? The former has the higher peak, the latter greater efficiency embellished by lightening bolts. Rogers’ work rate and goal threat are hard to ignore and fit perfectly the Tuchel aesthetic.
Bellingham is the soloist, equally powerful and dextrous. But can he take instruction, sacrifice himself for the team? The friendlies in Florida are arguably more crucial for him than any in the squad.
My England XI to face New Zealand (4-2-1-3): Pickford, James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly, Anderson, Mainoo, Bellingham, Rashford, Kane, Gordon
If there is a supposed advantage to Liverpool’s sporting director-head coach model, it is that a change in the latter position should not drastically affect long-standing transfer plans.
Back when Jurgen Klopp was at the helm in the role of “manager”, he wielded far greater influence over comings and goings at Anfield than those around him.
However, the appointment of Arne Slot back in 2024 marked a shift to a way of working long favoured by owners Fenway Sports Group.
And so, despite the Dutchman’s contract being terminated earlier this week and talks being opened with Andoni Iraola to replace him, this summer is likely to go largely as previously planned.
Who could leave?
Stefan Bajcetic has seen his career derailed by injuries (Photo: Getty)
Another summer of major change is coming to Anfield, as evidenced by the already-confirmed departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate.
Federico Chiesa is set to join them after a largely disappointing spell at the club, while it is thought this could be the year that Joe Gomez finally departs amid links to Aston Villa.
Curtis Jones is attracting interest from Inter Milan and showed a willingness to make that move in January before Liverpool shut the door.
Fellow midfielder Stefan Bajcetic will either head out on a loan or make a permanent move after an injury-hit few years, and the fact that no contract talks are planned with Alexis Mac Allister proves he is not considered untouchable with teams in Spain thought to be keen.
Who could stay?
Harvey Elliott endured a frustrating loan spell at Aston Villa (Photo: Getty)
Liverpool want continuity in the goalkeeping department, and have informed Juventus-linked Alisson Becker that they would prefer him to stay.
Kostas Tsimikas is also likely to be retained to replace Robertson as back-up left-back following his return from a loan stint at AS Roma.
The Reds are keen to tie Dominik Szoboszlai to a new deal and so will fend off any interest in him that arises, while the remaining core of the squad were only recently signed.
As such, the only Slot-related alteration to their plans that could be possible concerns both Jones and Harvey Elliott.
It remains to be seen if a change in the role on offer could convince the former to turn down Inter and pen a fresh contract.
Elliott, meanwhile, will return from a loan at Aston Villa that was not made permanent, desperate to prove that he has an Anfield future under a new manager.
Who could come in?
With Salah gone and Hugo Ekitike sidelined for the foreseeable future due to an Achilles tendon injury, Liverpool are looking to seriously bolster their attack.
RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande is the No 1 winger target, though he is also wanted by European champions Paris Saint-Germain, meaning Bradley Barcola could be pursued as an alternative.
While the transfer window may not be open yet, clubs up and down the land are assessing their options, with data departments and scouting networks going into overdrive.
Arsenal’s success this season is not for everyone, but many of Mikel Arteta’s peers have been mightily impressed with how the Gunners have gone about their business. And success leads to replication.
Transfer committees are now looking for players with similar traits to some of Arsenal’s best in their potential recruits. Udinese’s Arthur Atta – wanted by Everton, Newcastle, Fulham and a host of elite Italian clubs – feels he has just what Premier League sporting directors are looking for.
“I’m a player who likes to have the ball in the build-up, to be close to goal, to give my team-mates good balls, create space for teammates and also move a lot to disturb the opponents,” Atta tells The i Paper. “I like to play in the middle and see opponents who don’t understand how to defend those movements.
“I have physical and athletic quality that could be useful in the Premier League. I’m a creative player who can also make a difference one against one. All these things could make me a success in England.”
Which English clubs are interested in Atta?
Fulham had a £17m bid rejected in January for the 23-year-old midfield metronome, named April’s Rising Star of the Month in Serie A. Everton have since joined the pursuit, as David Moyes looks to add some much-needed guile and vigour to his engine room.
With Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes linked with moves away from St James’ Park this summer, Newcastle will need to move fast to replace their outgoing stars. Reports in Italy suggest Atta is the type of profile they could look at.
The i Paper understands all three are considering making an offer this summer, with Udinese looking for closer to £26m if they are to sanction a sale.
Atta did start out life as a goalkeeper in the youth academies of Rennes and Metz, mainly due to his size. The French youth international was far too good with the ball at his feet to be stifled that far back, however, eventually settling in a defensive midfield role as he broke into Metz’s first team.
That uncommon blend of size and technique wasn’t going to go unnoticed for long, with Udinese coming calling in 2024.
Does Atta want to leave Udinese?
Atta began life as a goalkeeper before switching to midfield (Photo: Getty)
Atta is not agitating for a move right now. Udinese are Serie A’s safest bet, having been an Italian top-flight staple for the past 31 years. Mid-table is their sanctuary – the perfect place for young talent to develop without being embroiled in the desperate fight for survival.
“We are a really good group this year,” Atta adds.
“It helps me a lot to be here. I said that a lot of times, when I came here I thought that tactically I was ready and I could play without problems, but after being in Serie A, I understood that my tactical level wasn’t enough. I improved a lot.
“I became stronger and I understood in Serie A, like in England, physicality is really important for duels. Playing for Udinese helps me even more because they are always here for my improvement. This club is ideal to let young players grow up.”
Why Atta wants Premier League move
Atta’s stock, enhanced by his fine end to the campaign, has attracted interest from Napoli and Juventus, too, who love nothing more than hoovering up the best talent Serie A has to offer.
Having worked on the physical side of his game, however, a move to the Premier League may just prove impossible to resist.
“The Premier League is the best league in the world, if I were to say otherwise it would be a lie,” Atta says. “It’s a league that everyone would like to be playing in one day.
“I have not spoken to any clubs yet so I don’t know what can happen in the future. I play for Udinese and I would like to keep growing and keep playing – this is the most important thing for me. If there are opportunities in the next transfer window, then the club and I will look at the options. I’m really good at Udinese – they help me a lot. I’m a better player compared to when I came.
“The Premier League is the most followed league where there are a lot of top players. It’s a difficult league, so all games are at a top-quality level. I think that’s why it is the most attractive league.”
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Had it not been for an Instagram post sent in haste and viewed by millions, Gary Lineker‘s plans for the World Cup would be very different.
Cast your mind back a year ago and the plan was for this summer’s tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada to be Lineker’s BBC “victory lap”, the final in New Jersey next month bringing the curtain down on a stellar but sometimes controversial career with the corporation. It was the perfect script for their star presenter.
But an ill-fated pro-Palestine post – which featured a rat emoji widely understood to be an anti-Semitic trope that Lineker hadn’t noticed – put an end to that and perhaps prevented further fireworks down the line.
Released from “walking on eggshells” at the BBC after the furore last year, Lineker will be fronting a daily Netflix version of his The Rest Is Football podcast in Manhattan’s Times Square, immersing himself in the World Cup atmosphere and delivering some straight-talking analysis. Meanwhile his former colleagues will be back home in Salford, passports in the top drawer while they describe events an ocean away.
“I’m surprised the BBC is not going,” he tells The i Paper. “I don’t know whether it’s costs or pressure because they’re always fighting against that but I know if I was presenting I would have been arguing the case to go.
“I’m in the camp that they should be there because it’s the biggest televisual event we get every four years. The top six, eight, 10 shows this year will all be from the World Cup and half of those will be on the BBC. They will probably go out if England are still in it towards the end but I am surprised they’ve made that decision.”
‘I feel liberated after leaving the BBC’
Lineker will front his podcast alongside old BBC colleagues Micah Richards and Alan Shearer (Photo: The Rest Is Football)
Lineker is baffled but not belligerent. His acrimonious exit in 2025 meant he was free to do the Netflix deal and “be there, in New York, rather than sitting in a green box”.
And he does seem happy and relaxed, full of anecdotes and excitement about the World Cup and a Netflix tie-in that will see his podcast broadcast 40 shows in 40 days.
“Something different” is how Lineker describes it and he clearly loves being able to spend most of his professional career now in what he calls “podcast mode”.
Reading between the lines, that means the freedom to say what he wants, throw in the occasional swearword and operate social media without worrying he’s going to start a media firestorm because of it.
“I feel liberated,” he says of life post-BBC. “I don’t have to tread on eggshells anymore because I’m not part of that thing.”
‘I might be stupid but I’m not that stupid’
Lineker feels he was hounded out of the BBC (Photo: Getty)
Always unapologetic about standing up for what he says are “humanitarian causes”, Lineker likens his relationship with the corporation to a “long marriage that just petered out” and the tension had clearly been there long before the final, explosive act in 2025.
He accuses management of “moving the goalposts” in the latter stages of his presenting career by introducing a stricter code of conduct around social media. “I wasn’t prepared to go with them and I had the benefit of being pretty secure so it was better I left in the end,” he says.
“It wasn’t how I wanted it to end, of course. I missed an emoji, I didn’t see it, I don’t think anybody thinks for a second it was deliberate. I might be stupid but I’m not that stupid so it was a shame.
“I thought an apology should have sufficed but I think at that point there was a lot of weight, a lot of pressure, lobby pressure, from various people.
“But to be honest now I’m kind of glad because I wasn’t doing Match of the Day this season anyway, I was only going to do the FA Cup and the World Cup and actually it would have meant I couldn’t do this and this is something different and fun.
“It means I can be there, in New York, rather than a green box [in Salford, where the BBC will present it].
“I’m pretty happy – not with the way it happened, because it was unfortunate – but I’m happy with the outcome.”
‘Trump is so unpredictable’
Trump is expected to take centre stage in a World Cup like no other (Photo: Getty)
Lineker flies out next week into a tournament that he is worried about. We spoke four years ago about feeling “queasy” with Qatar hosting the World Cup but it is the Trump factor that most scares him this time.
“This one is unique because I can’t remember the host country being at war with one of the competing nations. So that’s something that worrying and Trump is so unpredictable,” Lineker says.
“The ticket pricing as well – are they going to price people out? What’s one of the great joys of the World Cup? Thousands of Argentinians, thousands of Brazilians, the Dutch all wearing orange. Are we going to get that? That worries me a bit.
“But I’ve also learned over the years in my experience of this – including in Russia, including in Qatar – once it starts everyone focuses on the football.”
When that begins there will be relief but taut nerves, too, particularly around England.
‘England have got a chance’
Tuchel leads training at England’s pre-World Cup camp in Florida this week (Photo: PA)
The appointment of Thomas Tuchel was done to bridge the gap between nearly men and winners but Lineker is realistic.
“I think it’s going to be really difficult but I think we’ve got a chance,” he says.
“We looked really tired two years ago and I don’t think Harry Kane was fit, which made a really big difference. But there’s bigger squads this time and a lot of our players have been out injured this season, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They’ll be going in much fresher.
“We’ve got the quality but it’s just the question of getting a bit of luck, no injuries and then it’ll be about good management because this tournament – more than anything – you will need to change things from time to time because there’s an extra round of matches.”
‘I thought I was going to die in Mexico’
Lineker is England’s record goalscorer in World Cups (Photo: Getty)
He doesn’t necessarily think heat will be a factor but recalls feeling as if he was “going to die” when he played in Mexico in 1986.
“It was murder, absolute murder,” he recalls. “We played three times in Monterrey, one at 12pm, the other two at 4pm, and it got to 42 degrees. When I played and scored the hat-trick [against Poland], in the second half of that game I really did think I was going to keel over and I might be a goner.
“My legs had gone and I started to feel dizzy from the heat and exhaustion but you get on with it and it will have changed a bit now.
“We didn’t have a drinks break, for a start…”
For all of the baggage, Lineker still seems genuinely enchanted by the magic of the World Cup. This will be the 11th tournament in succession he has either played in or worked at. “It’s just wonderful isn’t it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” he says. Which is just as well.
What he said… Lineker’s views
Lineker feels more at ease with expressing his opinions when in ‘podcast mode’ (Photo: The Rest Is Football)
On the BBC’s decision not to go to the US, Canada and Mexico for the World Cup
“I’m surprised. I’m in the camp that they should be there because it’s the biggest televisual event we get every four years. The top six, eight, ten shows this year will all be from the World Cup and half of those will be on the BBC.
“I know if I was presenting I would have been arguing the case to go but I get it, it’s not easy.
Calling England ‘shit’ at the last Euros
“I couldn’t believe it was such a big story! Of course not.
“If I’d have said ‘very, very, very poor’ no-one would have said anything but I was just in podcast mode, I never thought anything of it. And I think everyone agreed.
“But it was put to Gareth Southgate as ‘Gary Lineker says you’re shit’ without any of the context around it. I understand why. While I could have done without that nonsense it was actually very good for the podcast, we got a lot of listeners.
“The ‘papers were after me at that point anyway – well the right wing press were – but it actually really helped in terms of growing our podcast and I was grateful for that.”
On Trump and the World Cup
“Trump is always a factor. We’ll have to wait and see what happens because he changes his tune quite regularly.
“I genuinely don’t know what to expect. I don’t think any of us know.
“The head of Fifa has given him a peace prize and all these strangely baffling things. I’ll be relieved when it gets underway but it’s so big – the biggest sporting event in the world – that it generally takes on a momentum of its own.”
The Rest is Football begins on Netflix on 10 June
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Sorry. Five letters. It’s not complicated. To mean it is another matter. Southampton have failed emphatically to read the room – the owner, the coach, the senior staff. Everybody, it seems, bar the kid caught doing the deed.
According to the English Football League investigation into Southampton’s spying operations against Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town and Oxford United, the analyst intern caught in the act is the only one who felt remotely uncomfortable about the practice.
Owner Dragan Solak, the dude ultimately responsible for all club matters, berated the kid for not protesting enough yet is determined to keep the bloke who sent him to the front line, head coach Tonda Eckert, in his post.
Across the piece the messaging is dire. Eckert’s mea culpa to camera begging for understanding and forgiveness was as authentic as an episode of The Real Housewives of Cheshire.
Southampton’s reputation has been seriously damaged by ‘Spygate’ (Photo: Getty)
Delivered from the heart, apparently, and unscripted. That’s not how it looked, unless the teleprompter was playing up.
For context, he offered his experience in Italy and Germany, where this stuff is routine.
What have the cultural practices there to do with the regulations here? Irrelevant. If Eckert was unaware of the rules, why was the intern uncomfortable? And if we accept his ignorance, that does not mean the rest of the coaching staff were as clueless as he.
The whole episode is a lesson in how not to behave. Where are the grown-ups on the south coast? Has nobody heard of optics, or even ethics? The maddest aspect of this tawdry chapter is how little material gain there might have been.
It is not as if reels of EFL teams are collector’s items. More than half of matches across all competitions, that amounts to 1,000-plus games, are televised. Available to Eckert and his team were 20 recorded matches of every single team.
Pretty much everybody knows how Ipswich set up anyway, how Oxford play, how Boro are big on tiki-taka. Pointing a camera through a hedge is unlikely to reveal anything not already absorbed unless, of course, Kylian Mbappé was spotted tearing down the wing.
Solak feels hard done by, arguing that the sanctions – slung out of the Championship play-off final and levied a four-point deduction next season – are disproportionate.
He cites missing out on the £200m Premier League bounty as punishment enough.
Again, that is irrelevant since you can’t miss what you never had. Southampton were not guaranteed a happy ending at Wembley any more than Middlesbrough were.
Instead of threatening to appeal any further sanctions that might result from the separate FA investigation and backing the guilty coach, Solak would have been better showing some humility, accepting guilt, firing Eckert and moving on.
He chose not to because of the exceptional job Eckert did in mopping up the mess left by Will Still, climbing skyward from 18th in the league. By keeping Eckert, Solak believes he is giving Southampton the best chance of succeeding next term. And that’s all that matters to him.
To hell with the consequences or the stain attached. To hell with accepting responsibility. To hell with being sorry. That’s for mugs with morals.
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Anthony Gordon’s stunning move to Barcelona does not mean Marcus Rashford’s Catalonian dreams are in tatters.
While Barcelona are not flush with cash, The i Paper has been told they are in a much better financial position than they have been for some time. They are therefore treating both Gordon and Rashford’s deals in isolation.
The fact Barcelona are in the running for Julian Alvarez – and willing to pay a nine-figure fee – is proof of this. If they want to find the cash to make Rashford’s stay in Barcelona a permanent one, they will. The issue is how much they are willing to pay.
It is understood no such decision has been made at the highest level yet. The i Paper has been told that most key figures would prefer to keep the 28-year-old. That includes manager Hansi Flick, Rashford himself, sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta.
But given Rashford’s age and the potential salary involved, his future is up in the air.
What is Man Utd’s stance on Rashford’s future?
Rashford has turned his career around in Barcelona (Photo: Getty)
Rashford is understood to retain no animosity towards Manchester United despite how things turned desperately sour before he moved on loan to Barcelona last summer.
He still retains a close relationship with some of the players, still follows all matches as any fan would, and sources close to the player insist he has not achieved all he wanted to at Old Trafford.
As things stands, Rashford is under contract until 2028. The i Paper has been told United want to move the player on, to save on his £325,000-a-week wages and garner a fee while he is a sellable asset.
The player is not against returning to his boyhood club. Sources said that he will report for pre-season training at the earliest opportunity, if no move away has materialised.
Insiders added Rashford has not spoken ill of United since leaving, and thus does not deserve to be sent to train alone or with the reserves. His social media message of thanks last week to Unai Emery, Hansi Flick and others who have helped him rekindled his career in the past few years, from what sources said was a “bleak place”, was not the dig at United many interpreted it to be.
Rashford is just very happy to have turned things around. He has not only won a place back in the England squad, but he could feasibly be a World Cup starter.
Currently, there is no panic. Barcelona have until 15 June to enact the option they have to buy Rashford for £26m that was inserted into his loan deal. There are no plans to accept any lower terms currently.
However, sources in Spain indicated Barca simply do not intend to come close to that figure, and will let the deadline pass before revisiting. Gordon’s arrival puts them in a strong position. An offer closer to £15m is more likely, if it even comes at all.
Which other clubs are interested in Rashford?
Part of the reason for United’s confidence in getting a respectable fee for an England international forward is that there are other interested clubs.
At least three Premier League clubs are understood to be monitoring the situation. One source added Newcastle could turn to Rashford as a replacement for Gordon, even if it does not fit into the overall recruitment policy of the club. Aston Villa could also re-sign the forward who spent the last half of the 2024-25 season at Villa Park.
Tottenham’s recruitment policy is different to that of Newcastle’s. They are keen to add Premier League experience to their young ranks, with Rashford understood to be of interest to them.
Bayern Munich are another still assessing the situation. They are in the market for another wide option to provide competition for Michael Olise and Luis Diaz.
With no offers on the table, another season-long loan away from United cannot be ruled out, which opens Rashford up to wider options.
Rashford’s team expect to be able to provide some update one way or another in the coming weeks. They are understood to be trying to shield Rashford from all the transfer talk, with focus solely on the World Cup, where he has arrived early to begin training in the heat.
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Thank you Arsenal for reminding England of the poverty of diffidence. If they approach the World Cup as Arsenal did the Champions League final, England may not survive the group stage.
Thomas Tuchel emphasised the importance of team ethic and structure in leaving behind a cohort of stylists, including Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton, raising the prospect of a minimalist summer. Surely we learned at the cautious hands of Gareth Southgate the limits of setting up a team to nullify the opposition.
Mikel Arteta might argue that Arsenal were only a couple of bad penalties from toppling the best team in Europe, but that would be to overstate a method described by French sport bible L’Equipe as a double-parking of the bus. It was also a repudiation of the attacking principles inculcated at the Barcelona academy.
There is no future for any team with only 24 per cent possession. For the 83 minutes he was on the pitch, Bukayo Saka, one of England’s signature blades, was back at full-back, where he started his career.
The issue was less technical than mental. Paris Saint-Germain are fearless and spent the greater part of the night in Arsenal’s half and entirely in their heads. Arteta played it like Southgate and would have been hailed a genius had he pulled it off. Yet the chances of doing so are significantly reduced when control is ceded so readily to opponents who cherish the ball.
Saka spent much of the final covering at full-back (Photo: Getty)
PSG were PSG, concerned only with themselves. This is the lesson Arteta must learn and Tuchel heed. Success is rooted between the ears in unshakable self-belief and a sense of mission.
Yes, Luis Enrique has an exceptional front three, but none of it is inevitable.
Ousmane Dembele was erratic and peripheral at Barcelona. Imbued with confidence and purpose the same player decides matches under Enrique. Ditto Desire Doue and the mesmerising Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The most effective way to defuse potency is to inflict your own, as Bayern Munich did in the Champions League semi-final first leg in Paris. PSG won by the odd goal in nine yet looked vulnerable. It might be that England are eclipsed by a better team in the coming seven weeks. Spain, France, Portugal, Argentina and Brazil are all capable of winning and none of them sit back as England did in the Euro 2024 final against a Spanish team set up not unlike PSG.
That is the message for Tuchel to absorb. The game has moved on. It rewards vibrant, attacking teams that focus on their own strengths, not the opposition’s.
What a missed opportunity Budapest was for the English champions and the English game. A clean sweep of European trophies was there to be had, reinforcing the sense of Premier League supremacy.
The message should have been “We are Arsenal, catch us if you can”. Instead Arteta opted for supine resistance, handing the initiative straight to PSG. Saka, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, William Saliba and Gabriel are way better than that. As is Eberechi Eze, had Arteta the courage to start him.
Southgate took England to two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final, falling in much the same way against Croatia, Italy and Spain. Ironically, Southgate’s best performance against a top-ranked team came in Qatar where England were the better side in a losing quarter-final against France.
Had they played like that in Moscow, London or Berlin the wait for a second major trophy might already be over – and the fear of losing, somebody else’s complex.
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