According to Gary Neville, Gareth Southgate was the most important contributor to Sunday’s sunny success against Croatia. Neville’s mighty testimonial was a striking entry in the blizzard of opinion whirling about the England manager and his selection for the Euro 2020 opener.
Neville’s words carry the authority of vast experience as a player and exposure to the England set-up as a coach under Roy Hodgson. They also slotted into the polarisation around Southgate that is entirely imaginary. While many disagreed with the XI chosen, the points made were not without merit.
Sure there is some Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-like stored negativity towards Southgate that is poised for release the moment England fail. However, most like-minded folk incline towards Neville’s position if not with the same fulsome embrace.
Critique is not enmity, a feature of the debate that some in the media space seem incapable of grasping.
So, in the spirit of love and more sunny days like Sunday, here are some observations that Southgate might want to ponder ahead of Friday’s barnburner with Scotland.
1. Left-back
As one of those who expressed disbelief at the selection of Kieran Trippier ahead of the two established left-backs chosen by Southgate, my position has not changed.
The performance of Renan Lodi for Brazil against Venezuela in the Copa America later on Sunday was a demonstration of the value of a left-footed defender supporting the attack, delivering a series of appetising crosses into the box with his left foot that are entirely beyond the range of Trippier but not of Luke Shaw or Ben Chilwell.
The selection of Trippier was more to do with tournament experience. With Southgate placing a premium on not losing, he invested in Trippier’s versatility and maturity in the context of a team already featuring five players making their tournament debuts. Fair enough. Now the first match is out of the way, Southgate must back either Shaw or Chilwell to do the job for which they were selected.
England are unlikely to progress deep into the competition with unnecessarily compromised selections. Besides there is a job to do at right-back, where Kyle Walker gave an erratic performance, particularly in advanced positions.
2. Tyrone Mings
A sound performance against Croatia alongside John Stones went largely unremarked but will have eased Southgate’s concerns surrounding the fitness of Harry Maguire.
Croatia do not have the most threatening front three in the world but they have width and when the crosses came in Mings gathered everything with the certainty of a Venus flytrap.
Mings is the uncompromising stopper of old and, in some ways, a better foil for both Stones and Maguire, who like time on the ball. Mings treats it like a bomb about to detonate. That is not to say he can’t play, only that he distributes quickly, and has few qualms about clearing his lines in an epoch when too many defenders elaborate unnecessarily. Blame Pep!
3. Phil Foden
English football’s great technician started well but is not a wide player in the traditional sense. He is a classic No 10 who unbalances opponents with his quick movements, exceptional balance and adhesive touch, but he does not blow them away with speed.
His early flourish was typical of his gifts, shifting the ball from under his feet quickly and getting his shot away. He is best in tight spaces, with rapid changes of direction.
Foden was handed the right-hand side spot to get him in the team, but there are better exponents. Foden would be best deployed more centrally where he can attack the channels, much like Mason Mount. Imagine having to choose between those two every week. And we haven’t even got to Jack Grealish yet.
4. The front three
Raheem’s Sterling goal and the praise it elicited on the weekend he received an MBE was a robust rebuttal of the anti-faction and restored the Manchester City striker to the centre of things with England. Sterling was not perfect against Croatia, his goal and work-rate offset by some wasteful passing, but he did enough to justify Southgate’s faith.
The answer against Scotland might be to shift Sterling to the right and bring in Grealish on the left. There we go again banging the Grealish drum. Grealish is equally adept in tight spaces but has a winger’s change of pace and an ability to go past a player on either side that is just not Foden’s game.
Since both Grealish and Sterling like to cut inside, the deployment of overlapping full-back’s to feed Harry Kane reinforces the case for Shaw or Chilwell on the left.
Kane’s muted performance against Croatia was partly due to poor supply from wide positions. To win the tournament England will need goals from Kane.
Southgate has the players. He just has to pick them in the correct order.
More from i on Euro 2020
- Eriksen’s collapse has thrown a spotlight on football and its relentless thirst for more
- ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ showing he has perfect blend of silk and steel to be a star
- Where Schick’s strike against Scotland ranks among greatest Euros goals
- Daniel Storey’s guide to all 24 teams – from hot favourites to no hopers
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3iIM11K
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