ENGLAND’s CHANCES HINGE OF SOUTHGATE’S WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE
Image courtesy of @England on X
England have not had the start to EURO 2024 that some would have hoped. Senior players like Harry Kane and Kyle Walker have rightfully, for their own team’s sake, insisted they are taking the positives from it. However, there is no hiding from the fact that without a drastic improvement in England’s level the longer the tournament goes on, their chances of lifting silverware will look less likely.
After the loss in England’s final warm-up game against Iceland, I wrote something about the toxicity levels surrounding the team following game. I felt like the way the team has played so far in this tournament has presented a good opportunity to share some of that below:
“Last night presented a bubbling level of toxicity only reached under Southgate when England lost 4-0 at home to Hungary in summer 2022, even then, England had months and more matches to play before they left for Qatar that November. This time, the toxicity has broken out on the eve of the tournament. Journalists can’t resist the temptations to generate interaction, whilst the blame game unsurprisingly bases itself on tribalism.
Why is this happening? Why has the criticism devolved into something that little bit more sinister and reflective of the pre-Southgate era?
Fan-fatigue has to play a huge part. The more tournaments of Southgate go by, the more losses England accrue, the more people get sick of the football. In football, when things are not going well, fans like change, it shows that the people in charge are doing something about it. It validates their frustrations and breeds ‘new hope’. The term ‘new manager bounce’ is often used to describe on the pitch performances, but can be applied to the psychology and general mood of fans as well.
Quite frankly, some are just sick of Southgate. Nothing about how England dealt with going 1-0 down to Iceland showed he has broken out of his shell as a coach. The losses to Italy and France at EURO 2020 and the last World Cup saw Southgate lack bravery in games which England had the ability to win. England have the players to be ruthless, to blow other countries away, and whilst there needs to be discipline in tournament football, being scared and ‘holding on’ instead of ‘going for it’ lacks conviction. It exudes a lack of confidence, it inspires fear in everyone around you. Those feelings translate to the fans.
Qatar felt like the right time for Southgate to depart. He will never get the credit he deserves for it, but the job he has done transitioning the national team from one filled with hopelessness, to one that we aren’t just inspired by, but one we actually have confidence in, has been exceptional. But that feeling is slipping. Southgate’s tactically limitations have become too present with such a talented squad to ignore. He’s become the ultimate floor raiser, England have been a certified top five team in the world his entire tenure. Whilst that still may be the case, the squad and talent he has far exceeds what he was working with in 2018.
This England team is at a huge crossroads in its development. Whilst Southgate has yet to show an increase in bravery in games, his squad selection for the tournament definitely shows some. Inclusions of Anthony Gordon and Eberechi Eze over Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford. The axing of long-time favourites Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips for the fresh faced Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo. The belief in such talent is promising, but it comes with a catch. The fans, subconsciously or not, will have a lack of trust in these players. When Rashford, Grealish and Henderson took to the pitch, they knew what they were getting, they were more experienced, they were popular figures to the wider public and in the squad. Wharton and Mainoo are extraordinarily talented and will be mainstays in this squad for the next 10-15 years. But their age and inexperience will raise questions in the present.
This is only natural, Southgate has to find that balance, any rational England fan recognises the exceptional talents these kids are and want nothing but the best for them. Leaving Grealish and Rashford out is a huge call, the type of call some will like, the type some won’t. There is no doubt, however, that it’s created a huge unknown.”
I felt like what was written here applies to the feelings people have after the first two games. Whilst I don’t like some of the toxicity that surrounds the team, the footballing precedent to defend Southgate is becoming weaker and weaker.
Drab performances leads to an influx of opinions on what the antidote for the poor performances is. Unfortunately, Southgate is now showing that he is a ceiling for this England side. Changing the way the team sets up won’t make it immune to how poor his game plan, substitutions and in-game management is. The excerpt mentions the losses against Italy and France at EURO 2020 and World Cup 2022. The lack of conviction, bravery and trust he put on his players to kill the game off. —From what we have seen in the first two games, this trait hasn’t gone away. When a manger isn’t learning from his previous mistakes, it’s worrying.
As for the squad itself, Southgate is convincing everyone that he picked that squad to please fans and not for footballing reasons. The likes of Mainoo and Wharton in for Henderson and Phillips was popular amongst fans. However, Southgate cited the ‘lack of a natural replacement’ for Kalvin Phillips as to why England struggled with midfield balance. A statement that has multiple things wrong with it. Firstly, he is talking about Kalvin Phillips, a man who since leaving Leeds for Man City, has essentially been exiled by Pep Guardiola and had a pretty torrid 6 months on loan at West Ham since January. Secondly, there is a natural replacement for Kalvin Phillips - Adam Wharton. A player willing to take the ball off the centre halves and implement tempo and control to England’s possession. Southgate has limited Wharton’s minutes to a half hour substitute appearance in the latter stages of the Bosnia game where England were already winning the game 2-0. Finally, Kalvin Phillips is a available and injured, if he is that important to the way England play for the manager to use it as an excuse for poor performances, not picking him shows you are apprehensive of fan reaction.
If Southgate is going to pick a brave squad, he has to show some bravery in his game plan to reflect that. Instead, he has shown that he has very little trust in anyone other than a core group of experienced players. He also has not learned from falling short in previous tournaments. You could argue that defending a lead in a knockout tournament is good on paper, but the way England have executed it means they will get beat by the first real test they face unless there is some improvement.
I would throw up a lineup I would play against Slovenia and for the rest of the summer, but I think a lot of is futile unless Southgate changes his mindset. Many have spoken on the issues with the role Alexander-Arnold, Foden and Kane play in this system and whether they are doing well enough. I think these issues are exacerbated by a system setting them up to struggle.
Positivity is important, and I don’t like being so judgemental and critical in the middle of tournaments when the team needs backing. But for Gareth and the team’s sake, the footballing mindset has to change. Otherwise an early exit will give a man who has served this country better than basically any manager has, the exit from the national team he does not deserve.