England beat Serbia 1-0: Star players looked out of place.

TPO - The Three Lions achieved their goal of securing 3 points in their opening match of EURO 2024. However, the way Gareth Southgate's team deployed their tactics did not show they were the overwhelmingly superior team.

England started brilliantly, dominating the game completely before Jude Bellingham scored the opening goal in the 13th minute. However, as the match progressed, the "Three Lions" became increasingly disjointed. Bellingham may have been excellent, but he lacked connection with his teammates. England's two wingers – Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden – were ineffective. And Harry Kane, playing as the lone striker, was starved of the ball throughout the match.

This is precisely what the English media are worried about when looking at the England squad for EURO 2024. Coach Southgate has an excellent Bellingham at his disposal, but figuring out how to get the Real Madrid midfielder to perform well playing behind Kane is a difficult problem. Southgate wants to experiment with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, but this adjustment is still too new to the Three Lions.

Kane had a lackluster performance against Serbia.

Kane only touched the ball twice in the first half, despite the England captain constantly moving around. Bellingham's almost all-encompassing coverage forced Kane to prioritize staying close to the penalty area, rather than actively dropping back and creating chances like a false number 10 in previous English leagues. The Bayern star wasn't receiving effective passes from Bellingham, Foden, and Saka, leaving him completely isolated in the final third of the opponent's pitch.

Serbia played with a disciplined formation, effectively dealing with one-on-one situations to neutralize England's attacking stars. However, the main reason for England's attacking deadlock lay with them. Their formation, with Arnold and Declan Rice in midfield, Bellingham as an attacking midfielder, and Saka and Foden on the wings supporting Kane, was theoretically ideal, but the reality was quite the opposite.

Bellingham was the driving force behind every England attack. But the Real Madrid star also squandered opportunities for the Three Lions on several occasions because he was too focused on dribbling. In the first half, there was a situation where Bellingham charged headlong into a cordon of three Serbian players instead of passing the ball to the right wing, which would have created a much clearer attacking opportunity for England.

Southgate's system was disrupted because many stars weren't ready for their positions. Foden couldn't move as dynamically as he did at Man City, leading to him being stuck in the left wing role and disappearing from view. Arnold playing in midfield was a much-anticipated adjustment, especially considering Southgate is considered a rigid manager. However, Arnold's performance was merely adequate, lacking mobility and the unpredictability of his passing.

In the Daily Mail , former England legend Stuart Pearce further highlighted the problems with the way the "Three Lions" are operating. He noted that while the England squad boasts stars in every position, when attacking, the ball almost exclusively goes to the right wing, where Kyle Walker and Saka are positioned. Meanwhile, the left wing, occupied by Kieran Trippier and Foden, is completely ineffective.

Apart from Kane, the rest of England's attack was disappointing. Graphic: Tien Phong.

After EURO 2020 and World Cup 2022, manager Southgate truly gave Foden a starting role. The Premier League Player of the Year award for 2023/24 was a testament to the Manchester City star's abilities at the peak of his career. However, the question of "where should Foden play?" remains a concern for many English football experts.

Ideally, Foden would play on the right wing. However, manager Southgate prefers a versatile Saka in that position, excelling both offensively and defensively. In the number 10 role, behind Kane, Southgate already has Bellingham. Ultimately, Foden's only viable position is on the left wing, or he could continue to be Southgate's strategic asset on the bench.

Against Serbia, Saka consistently stayed on the wing. He had at least two instances of penetrating deep into the touchline to deliver crosses into the penalty area. The link between Walker and Saka was always solid, as seen in many matches where the duo played together for the national team. Meanwhile, Foden was never suited to playing on the wing. The match heat map showed the midfielder constantly moving into the center of the pitch, actively seeking the ball for one-two passes, a habit he has at Man City.

The left wing of the "Three Lions" was completely ineffective because the duo of Trippier and Foden couldn't find each other. Expert Pearce stated that if he were Southgate, Foden would be substituted after 30 minutes, replaced by Eze or a pure left-wing forward to balance the influence of the two wings.

Trippier's preferred position is right-back. Southgate will wait for Luke Shaw to fully recover from injury, return, and bring the best quality to the left flank of the "Three Lions". The reality from the two pre-EURO 2024 friendlies, up to the victory against Serbia, shows that Southgate is still in the process of experimenting with two wing positions. Besides Eze, Southgate has Anthony Gordon ready to play a purely defensive role.

Manager Southgate has Jarrob Bowen and Cole Palmer to replace Saka if the Arsenal star doesn't perform as effectively as he did against the Czech Republic.

The England manager also has to solve further problems regarding Arnold's position. And as the Guardian noted, whether Southgate can bring out both Kane and Bellingham when they play together, or whether only one of them shines while the other remains a supporting player, is also a headache.

Under Southgate, England often struggles at major tournaments. Southgate's habit is to rarely adjust the starting eleven, compared to the positions he chooses from the beginning. The English can only hope that Southgate will do something, tactically or in terms of player positioning, to help the Three Lions perform better at EURO 2024.

Quynh Anh

Source: https://tienphong.vn/anh-danh-bai-serbia-1-0-dan-sao-lac-long-post1646961.tpo