What Happened To: England?

They may have reached the semi finals, equalling their second best ever performance at a World Cup, but England were frankly shocking. With the squad depth and talent they have, they should have breezed passed a Colombia side without James Rodriguez. They should have also put twice as many goals passed Sweden, and should have run Croatia, who had essentially played a game more than them, into the ground. The semi final between England and Croatia was very entertaining, but should have been over at halftime. Croatia didn’t show up until the second half, and with only a one goal lead, found it easy enough to get the equalizer needed to force extra time. At this point, England should again have killed the game. Croatia were fatigued, and were dropping like flies as the lactic acid caught up with them. In the end, Mario Mandzukic poked in a goal that would take Croatia to their first ever final, and send England to the third place playoff match, which they also lost.

I do not want to criticize England like I did Germany and Argentina, for fourth place is very reputable. Particularly since they have been quiet for so long, England do have a right to celebrate and look to the future. However, England should not cheer as if they had won the tournament. They have so many problems to solve. Much like the other teams that I have spoken of, England’s failures stem from multiple angles, with one being the coach. Gareth Southgate was an unpopular selection as the new manager, but it was a pretty smart decision made by the England Soccer Association. Southgate had been a youth coach for a number of years, so knew many of the players well. England seem to always be blessed when it comes to their qualification group, and for the 2018 tournament, it was no different. England breezed passed the likes of Malta, Slovenia, and Lithuania, and many tipped them to be on track for a strong performance in Russia, and this was largely thanks to Southgate’s coaching style, and his willingness to give youth a chance. For once, England did look like they were changing from their old ways. They no longer looked washed up, and without a plan. Southgate had implemented a new strategy, new players, and a new belief in an entire nation. He also keeps a very calm atmosphere around him, and when managing many players who have a tendency to get riled up, this is a much needed trait as an England coach. However, Southgate seemingly focussed far too much on how his players and the fans viewed him, instead of spending time on creating a title winning team, which he could have quite easily created given his resources. Despite giving youth its’ chance, he made the mistake of not taking larger variety of players with him, and instead opting with those that fit his one system. Players like Jonjo Shelvey, Adam Lallana, and Jermain Defoe could all have made huge impacts on this particular team, had they been given the call, as could Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Fabian Delph, had they seen the field more often. This brings us to the main thing that fans and pundits around the world are arguing when it comes to Southgate: his lack of in-game decision making. He rarely made any substitutions before the 70 or 75 minute mark, giving the incoming player very little time to get up to speed and impact the game. When he did make substitutions, they were often the wrong ones, with many being like-for-like swaps instead of changing the strategy. Finally, he didn’t change his squad from game to game. This was the main thing that irked me as an England fan. It is difficult for me to understand how the exact same starting lineup from the Colombia game, which went through extra time to penalty kicks, was used in the Sweden game, and the Croatia semi final match. It is not only the sloppy performances exhibited by the players that makes this an asinine decision. It also makes it incredibly easy for the opposing coach to prepare his team to face you, as he knows exactly what to expect. Had Southgate switched up even one or two players, it would have kept the opposing team honest, and they would have had to respect this different looking team and feel them out. Southgate’s lack of experience coaching at the top level is likely to blame for this, and if nothing else, he has certainly learned a lot from the 2018 World Cup.

Southgate might be responsible for the lack of personnel changes and one-dimensional strategies, but in every single match they played, England had enough quality on the field to be dangerous going forward. Many people have taken to social media to highlight Harry Kane’s ineffectiveness in the knockout stage, and this is a just assessment. Kane was a shadow of the player that had lit up the group stage. However, Kane was also one of England’s best players in Russia, and this is not so much down to what he did, but rather what others didn’t. Kane won the Golden Boot with six goals. Three were from the penalty spot, and five were against Panama and Tunisia. Kane was absent against Colombia, Sweden, Croatia, and Belgium. However, had it not been for his work ethic in each of these games, England would likely have been knocked out in the Round of 16 or quarter final. Kane is a fantastic leader, and an inspiration for the younger players. His passion for his country is something to look up to, and he should be proud of all he achieved in Russia. Had others around him played with a similar tenacity, he might have scored even more goals, and England might have reached the final, or even won the tournament. Kane’s Tottenham Hotspur teammate Kieran Trippier was another England player to impress. Despite only breaking into the Spurs team recently, Trippier was outstanding both offensively and defensibly for the Three Lions, scoring a spectacular free kick, and assisting a couple of goals from his other set piece deliveries. Like Kane, he hustled for every minute he was on the field, and should be very disappointed with how his other England teammates performed. Other than this pair, Jordan Pickford and Harry Maguire were the only England players worthy of their fourth place finish. Pickford was immense between the sticks, proving his doubters wrong straight away with some phenomenal saves in his first match against Tunisia. He held his place, and kept his form, and with him in goal, Everton could do well this season in the Premier League. Leicester City’s Maguire was also impressive in Russia. A rather unorthodox defender, Maguire often looks awkward at times when on the ball, but is very effective with it at his feet, and was arguably one of England’s best players going forward. He scored his first ever goal for his country against Sweden, and there are rumors that his heroics have earned himself a move to one of the big four teams in England. The main reason why Maguire looked so effective was largely because he was having to make up for his teammates mistakes. Kyle Walker and John Stones were poor in every outing, with Maguire on more than one occasion having to cover for them. Granted, he made a few mistakes of his own, but this is to be expected of a player with such little experience. Admittedly, Stones somewhat made up for his errors at the back with his goalscoring at the other end, but Walker was diabolical. He is a player who is playing out of position, however his new role should suit him well. A right back by trade, Southgate used him as one of a back three, hoping his pace would secure things defensively. Instead, Walker would have to use this speed to make up for his own mistakes, and was one of the mentioned players who should have had their starting spots stripped by Southgate. The other players in this position were Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard, and Deli Alli. All coming off the back of stunning seasons, I understand and appreciate the want by the coach to get all three players in the team. However, they all play so similarly, that this realistically was never viable. Lingard was the brightest of the trio, and Alli was particularly disappointing, given that he and Kane usually link up so well for Spurs. Sterling, for me, was easily England’s worst player in Russia, and how he kept his place is staggering. The Manchester City winger has been the recipient of much praise from pundits and the media, particularly for his energy and work rate. Granted, Sterling is a quick player who undeniably has the ability to be one of the world’s greats. However, he does not have the stature to play as a striker as he was being used, and on the ball in Russia, he was dreadful. His game was plagued by too many touches, poor passing, and miscommunications with his teammates. With Marcus Rashford and Jamie Vardy on the bench, Sterling should not have graced the field much in Russia, or at least not from the start of each game. 

So what’s next for England? Well, unlike many, I think they should keep hold of Southgate. He seems the sort of person who will learn from his mistakes, and after all, it is he who helped reshape this England team to where they are today, which is far and away greater than the past squads. Some of the players, at times, seemed to want to rebel and revert back to the old England way of playing for a draw, and Southgate must work hard to eliminate this thought process from his squad once and for all. To do this, he must identify the core group he wants for the long term. One huge advantage that England have is just how young their team is. They were one of the most youthful teams in Russia, and if they play it right, will be a threat for years to come. Before he selects these personnel however, Southgate must pick a strategy he thinks will lead the team to success, and it most definitely is not the one he has now. As said, Lingard, Sterling, and Alli are all too similar of a player to be used at the same time, Moreover, he must stop using players out of position. Every player mentioned who was poor for the Three Lions was played out of position, and every player who shone for England was kept where they like to play. It might mean leaving some players out and on the bench, but this is the beauty of having squad depth like England has. You can’t play everyone, and you can’t please everyone. With as many players as England have, there are always going to be those who miss out. This is a place where Southgate must get more ruthless, and become more of a strong coach. The importance of competition within a team is something often overlooked, and something that England have not had for decades, with players becoming too comfortable, and ineffective in the team. Southgate has the opportunity to truly create something special with this squad. Additionally, he needs to have strategic depth. To do this, he must utilize the vast array of players he has at his disposal to form a 23 man roster that has a large variety of playing styles. He must incorporate a passer like Shelvey, a workhorse like Delph, and a goalscorer like Vardy, into proceedings more, in order to get the most out of his team. If you’re not going to give your all for the badge of your country, you should not be anywhere near that field, and there are too many in this current squad who are treating representing one’s country with a lack of respect.

Southgate should be proud of just how much he has achieved in so little time. But he must recognize his faults. By learning from his mistakes, Southgate could blossom into a fantastic young coach, but he will need to buck the English trend of just pretending everything is okay, and ignoring the faults, to do this. If he does, England will be on course to reach that elusive World Cup final soon, perhaps even in 2022. Come on lads, bring it home.