The wounds are probably still too raw for the reference.
England’s evisceration by the swaggering technicians of Spain in the final of Euro 2024 was just 56 days ago so when Morgan Gibbs-White described the second goal in their Nations League victory over Ireland as “tiki taka football” those listening in winced a little.
It is not that the Nottingham Forest man was wrong – wind back the video and marvel at the passes between Kobbie Mainoo, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice that teed up Jack Grealish’s finish – it is just that after a summer of stodge, being reminded how this team really can play is still a bit painful.
That is not to dig up the battles we fought at the Euros. Gareth Southgate’s structure got England to Berlin so there is no point in reinventing it as an abject failure. But clearly, the time has come for England to at least try something different.
That they managed to do that so convincingly for 45 minutes at least was the biggest triumph in Dublin – and surely the minimum requirement at Wembley when Finland arrive for Lee Carsley’s second assignment as interim head coach.
What his promised evolution looked like in practice was a mixture of simplicity and subtle tweaks, blended with faith in the attacking instincts players he has inherited. England had more balance with Anthony Gordon on the left, Jack Grealish coming deep as a No 10 and Trent Alexander-Arnold playing on the right of defence.
Then there was Gordon and Saka playing high up on the pitch, freed of the onerous defensive responsibilities required of England’s wingers in Germany when it felt like there was almost an obsession with being difficult to break down. Add Rice playing more as a box-to-box midfielder than a destroyer and it felt like you had some foundations to build on.
Gibbs-White, sat among the substitutes until his second-half introduction, watched on impressed but, as a disciple of Carsley’s in England age group sides, not surprised.
“I feel like it’s exciting football. We’ve been working on that all week,” he said.
“Obviously it’s a short period of time that we’ve had together as a group under this manager but I think he’s installed it really well.
“Seeing the way the boys were playing in the first half, tiki taka football with the second goal, it’s just so exciting, enjoyable to watch and hopefully everyone back home was enjoying it as much as I was on the bench.
“Obviously there’s things we can improve on going forward but it’s a good stepping stone.”
Gibbs-White is a naturally ebullient character but having fulfilled his “dream” of playing for England, he was even more upbeat when he spoke to reporters deep in the bowels of the Aviva Stadium.
Before he came to speak he had time to embrace his family and had “no words” to describe the feeling of becoming a senior international.
It was a reminder that playing for England is supposed to be fun, something that was lost a bit in the summer and hardly encouraged by the ridiculous row around Carsley singing the national anthem that broke out on Saturday. Perhaps an injection of the fearlessness of young players who have won a tournament under the interim manager is exactly what England need right now.
“It’s [about] going into every game thinking we will win the game, having that belief we’re going to win the game, having that belief in the manager’s ideas of how to play and being ruthless,” Gibbs-White said.
“Just don’t just settle for a 1-0 or a 2-0, always striving to get more and more and more. The boys showed that on Saturday.
“We shouldn’t fear anyone, they should fear us. We should have that mindset going into every game, that winning mentality going into every game and if we do we can be a problem like we were in the first half against Ireland.”
It may only be a few days into his audition but it already feels as if the dressing room is swinging towards Carsley, his coaching methods and obvious authenticity.
Gibbs-White sees a more “serious” coach than when he was with the Under-21s – “That’s a good thing, I feel like he’s taking everything as seriously as he can and fair play to him, that shows he wants to stay,” he said – but also a man staying true to his belief that change comes through training ground work.
“I think the boys are really buying into him, really enjoying the time now and hopefully it can stay that way,” he added.
More difficult days no doubt lay ahead, but it feels like this has been a positive start.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/rRq9N1I
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