On the verge of exiting the competition, England salvage an extra time win over Slovakia to advance to the Quarter-finals. A 90+5 minute overhead kick from who else but Jude Bellingham kept us in the tie, with Harry Kane's header grabbing a victory for the Three Lions. Yet, the dramatic win is still overshadowed by poor tactics, inflexibility and fear. Let's dive into the post-match analysis.
Could England Play Even Worse? They Can
To quote the dulcet Barnsley tones of Mick McCarthy, when asked the question if England were going to play even worse than in the group stages, "it can". Despite evident issues in the starting XI during the whole tournament, Southgate proceeded to make ONE change from the 0-0 draw with Slovenia - Mainoo for Gallagher.
Now, this change was a good one as Mainoo seems to be one of the only players to actually play with no fear and drive at defences but, my word, we needed to change so much much more.
From the outset of the match, Foden continued to drift inside and offer little to the Three Lions' attacking threat. People have clamoured for Foden to play as 10 in his natural position but I've not been impressed with his performances for England on the whole. He hogs the ball and adds little to our attack as well as being on set pieces despite his inability to deliver quality balls. Additionally, he took a free-kick in prime Trippier right-footed territory and hit it straight into the wall. Foden my man, you are not him. I still don't understand what Gordon has to do to start, he produced more in 300 seconds against Slovenia than Foden has done in the whole tournament.
Yet, it wasn't just Foden who was poor. Poor showings from Walker, Rice, Trippier, Bellingham and Kane was evident. There were no forward runs, lapses in concentration and an evident ambient of fear amongst the England players. One can perhaps see the players had heard some of the outside criticism of the team and it showed in the tentative performance of the players. Honestly, I don't think I saw Declan Rice turn on the ball in the whole match.
Gareth, it's not working, some subs maybe?
Prior to England's group stage opener, El Chumbazo's George Frith wrote an excellent piece on the importance and potential game-changing aspect of England's bench https://jackoh100.wixsite.com/elchumbazo/post/5-squad-players-who-could-be-vital-for-england-at-euros-2024
Well, Southgate clearly didn't listen to George nor the millions of England fans who can see the glaringly obvious changes that needed to be made.
The England manager did not make a substitution at half-time despite the worrying statistics. England did not have a shot on target in the first half, the first time this has happened in a major tournament since the 1986 World Cup (Source: OptaJoe).
In addition to the ridiculous 77% possession, that was an embarrassing performance from the English. Credit must be given to Slovakia who had a plan which they executed very well but we also made it incredibly easy for them, playing everything in front of them whilst failing to move the defence.
The match was crying out for substitutions. Only an enforced injury to Trippier brought Palmer on in the 66th minute, moving Saka to LEFT-BACK. Southgate then decided an 84th minute change of Eze for Mainoo was ludicrous. Firstly, why wait so long to make changes when it's obviously not working?! A further sub of Toney for Foden in the 90+4 was puzzling, with Toney clearly showing his anger for only being able to come on for 2 minutes prior to the extension into added time.
It was ironic that Kane's winner came from a scuffed Eze shot which Toney headed to Kane in the box to finish, the goal was created by substitutes who made evident impact. Yet, do not be surprised if Southgate proceeds to play the exact same team next match for momentum. His lack of tactical fluidity and loyalty to certain players is holding the team back.
Moreover, the players need to take ownership. I'm not sure how they cannot see the obvious issues in the team and why it isn't being communicated to Southgate and his team. I would love to be a fly on the wall in the England camp and see what exactly gets said. To be honest, I feel like they say nothing to each other. There has been no change in their approach.
The Swiss Wall May Not Let England Pass
Next match, England face a tough and solid Switzerland side who are undefeated in the tournament. The Swiss contained Italy very well on Saturday in a solid 2-0 win. This match will not be easy at all for England. Unless there are radical, bold changes to the lineup and tactical approach, I can see the Swiss dealing with us very well.
The England squad need to see the fans' criticism not as negative energy but as immense frustration. In previous tournaments we've got far due to having fortunate draws. When playing strong sides (Italy, France) we have been found out. So, this year, after lots of tournament experience for many members of the squad combined with fearless youth, there is high expectation.
The squad need to listen to the fans and the points of weakness and unify to push on. Evidently, Southgate is not the man for the job and will leave regardless of the outcome of the tournament, but the players need to take ownership for how they play. If not, I fear England will crash out in the Quarter-finals, a potential devastating blow to a golden generation.
