England need a cohesive team, not stars

Gareth Southgate needs to replace some stars to build England into the best team. Photo: UEFA

In the history of EURO and World Cup, England have never won two consecutive matches from the opening match. This statistic continues to repeat at EURO 2024, when the "Three Lions" missed the opportunity to book an early ticket to the round of 16 after a disappointing result against Denmark. Similarly in the opening match against Serbia, England's unconvincing performance followed a familiar script, scoring the opening goal and then playing down and giving the game to the opponent. The only difference is that this time, Denmark is not Serbia.

After a few unsuccessful team experiments in the opening match, Gareth Southgate surprisingly did not change any of the starting 11 players against Denmark. In theory, England's starting lineup for the EURO 2024 group stage is considered the most optimal option for him to combine all the stars at his disposal. However, in reality, this formation has too many problems and is just a collection of good players, instead of the best team.

Jude Bellingham and his teammates are having a hard time at EURO 2024. Photo: UEFA

"Gareth Southgate is following the same path as every England manager since 1966. That is, taking the best players, playing the best at club level, and then putting them all together. The lessons of the past remind me that the way to win is to build a team from the best, not to combine all the best players" - Jamie Carragher shared on the Telegraph.

Carragher feels regretful that two of the Premier League's best players, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden, have not been able to play to their full potential for their national teams. For Alexander-Arnold, being placed in midfield at a major tournament like the EUROs is a risk that Southgate needs to seriously reconsider. Because the role of central midfielder always requires much higher physical factors and fitness than full-back - the position Alexander-Arnold excels at.

Playing on the wing also gives the 25-year-old more time and space to use his passing ability. Before being substituted against Denmark, Alexander-Arnold had already made his mark with a convenient pass to Bukayo Saka. However, he could have made 4-5 similar passes in a match if he played in his preferred role at Liverpool.

According to Carragher, Southgate should not start Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in the same starting lineup. That makes the three constantly "step on each other's toes" because they have the same playing style. Instead, the English captain should focus on exploiting and building a style of play around players who have no backup options in the "Three Lions" squad such as Harry Kane and Declan Rice.

According to Jamie Carragher, England should play with a 4-3-3 formation in the final match of the EURO 2024 group stage against Slovenia. Photo: Telegraph

A striker of Kane’s calibre – who can play as a traditional No. 9, a false No. 9 and even a No. 10 – should be surrounded by pacey defenders. In the Three Lions’ last three internationals, Kane has tended to drop deep to receive the ball and deliver passes to wingers like Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford. Therefore, the best option for England is a 4-3-3 formation with Kane in the centre with Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon on the wings.

In midfield, Declan Rice is a classy name and will be supported by a deep-lying player like Jude Bellingham. The remaining choice will belong to Conor Gallagher - who is not rated as highly as Kobbie Mainoo, Adam Wharton or Alexander-Arnold but has plenty of energy and mobility on the pitch.

Declan Rice showed signs of exhaustion in the match against Denmark after having to shoulder too many tasks in midfield. Photo: The Independent

“Look at Rice, I’ve never seen him so tired. Every time Rice gets the ball, the Danes rush in and surround him. In the second half against Denmark, Rice looked exhausted, having to shoulder too much, covering and covering up the gaps in midfield. That’s a typical image of how tired the England players are. That’s why they dropped deep as soon as they opened the scoring,” Carragher said.

Source: https://laodong.vn/bong-da-quoc-te/doi-tuyen-anh-can-mot-tap-the-dong-bo-chu-khong-can-cac-ngoi-sao-1355663.ldo