England will work to improve set pieces after failing to score from one during the Euro 2020 group stage – despite setting a record at the last World Cup.
Corners, free kicks and penalties defined Gareth Southgate’s side at Russia 2018. England scored nine set piece goals during their run to the semi-finals, overtaking a record set by Portugal in 1966.
Set piece goals accounted for 75 per cent of their tournament goals and for five of captain Harry Kane’s six Golden Boot-winning strikes (three penalties, two from corners).
But they have been lacking at this summer’s European Championship, where England only scored two goals – both in open play – en route to topping Group D with seven points.
“It’s quite rare for us,” Southgate said. “We have gone four or five matches without a set piece goal and that’s an area we can improve upon.”
Southgate’s set piece plans were left in tatters for the final group game against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night. Mason Mount and Phil Foden were the intended takers and they had worked on corner and free kick routines in training on Monday.
But Mount was ruled out of the game after being forced to self-isolate due to close contact with Billy Gilmour, the Scottish player who tested positive for Covid-19 after their game with England on Friday night. And Southgate made the late call to drop Foden after England were guaranteed progression to the last 16 following results on Monday evening. The Manchester City midfield-forward was booked in the first game and would have missed the last 16 game if he received another yellow card, a risk England’s manager did not want to take.
Instead, left-back Luke Shaw and central midfielder Kalvin Phillips took corners against the Czechs and England did not come close to scoring from any of them. “The service was dramatically bad,” Jose Mourinho told Talksport. “They have so many good players to attack corners. Luke Shaw, in my opinion, very good tonight but very poor on the corner.”
The World Cup was all about England’s “Love Train” – when four players would stand in a line inside the penalty area ahead of a corner and peel away making different runs to create space. Glenn Hoddle mentioned Southgate’s “Love Train” twice while co-commentating on matches and the term stuck. At the tournament, they scored from four corners, as well as three penalties and two free kicks.
Kieran Trippier was on corner duty then, but though he started at left-back in the first Euro 2020 game and took set pieces against Croatia – which Southgate considered “excellent” – the Atletico Madrid full-back has not played since and Southgate concedes his players “haven’t matched that since”.
England did almost score from a corner in game two against Scotland when Mount’s cross found John Stones. In three group games, England have yet to utilise the Love Train – despite trialling it in their warm-up friendlies in Middlesbrough – but have been using a variation of it, where four players group together inside the box near to the edge of the penalty area and make varying runs.
That routine made space for Stones and Mount’s delivery found the defender in the middle of the six-yard box with a pacey cross, but the centre-back headed onto the post. Mount, who is set to miss England’s last 16 game next Tuesday due to his 10-day self-isolation, also came close shooting from a free kick against Croatia.
But Southgate admitted: “Our delivery hasn’t been good really.”
More from i on Euro 2020
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- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2SmZC3P
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