There are many ways to win a summer tournament and hitting the ground running is just one of them. That’s probably just as good for England.
The victory over Serbia in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday evening was costly. Gareth Southgate and his side are already one foot in the last sixteen. However, some of English football was prosaic.
An opening half hour of fluid and confident play eventually gave way to a loss of control and that was somewhat worrying against a team sandwiched between Peru and Qatar in the FIFA rankings.
There were clear highlights. The first half performances by Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka. A tournament debut full of reassuring calm and composure from Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi.
On the other hand, there was a desperately quiet night for Harry Kane, a night of competitive indifference from Phil Foden and, perhaps inevitably, a performance from Trent Alexander-Arnold that raised questions about his suitability for a central midfield role. into the air again.
England produced a nail-biting performance as they defeated Serbia in the opening match of Euro 2024
Jude Bellingham (centre) scored the only goal for the Three Lions on Sunday evening
Despite the win, Gareth Southgate must consider rearranging the furniture in his side
Afterwards, Southgate put it all down to fatigue and a lack of match fitness among some of his players. Right-back Kyle Walker, meanwhile, admitted England had been fearful beforehand. At times, however, there seemed to be a little more going on than all that and one would like to think that the Alexander-Arnold experiment is now over for the time being.
The heat of a European Championship is no place for a player, no matter how talented, to learn a new position as he goes along. If England want to win this tournament, they need a platform for their attacking talent to play.
On Sunday evening, that platform fell away like rusty scaffolding during a storm, as Serbia found the confidence to enter the match. Alexander-Arnold made way for Conor Gallagher twenty minutes before the end and that actually said it all.
“We used a lot of energy in that first half and I knew we were going to collapse,” said the England manager.
“I thought we had physical players who needed the game. We’ve had a lot of players who haven’t played 90 minutes for a long time.
‘In the second half I didn’t have the same control. And it was a good time to bring Conor into the game, who can get on the ball and provide that little bit more defensive strength.”
Southgate will undoubtedly find the fuss about Alexander-Arnold a bit exaggerated. Under pressure to play him alongside Declan Rice for so long, the wisdom of finally doing so in a big game is now being questioned. That just comes with the English manager’s territory.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (right) had a disappointing evening in central midfield
Southgate’s experiment with the full-back should certainly come to an end due to their draw against Denmark
However, underlying the debate lies one indisputable principle of tournament play. Defensive solidity – and in particular the clean sheet – ensures championships like this.
There was plenty to admire and remember about England’s passage to the final of the last European Championship in 2021, but the truth is that Southgate’s team got there because they didn’t concede a single goal until Denmark’s 2-1 defeat in the semi-finals. If they can provide that kind of certainty at this summer’s festival in Germany, they will go deep again.
England have enough attacking talent in this emerging side to create chances and score goals no matter who plays alongside Rice. But if they look vulnerable, unbalanced and a little skittish, as they did against Serbia – and indeed when they lost to Iceland in a warm-up match at Wembley early this month – then it’s entirely possible that all Bellingham, Saka and a long list with student supply on one side of the field could be undone by problems on the other side.
“If you keep a clean sheet in tournaments you have a very good chance of going on and winning them,” Walker said.
‘I think that matters. In the Premier League, the Champions League. If you have a good base at the back, then you have a good chance, because with the attacking threat we have up front, we have to score goals.
‘Obviously in the first game there is a lot of unrest in the camp because you want to get a good start.
England’s defense will need to be determined when they take on Denmark on Thursday
‘We want to make the country proud. Hopefully we’ve got that game behind us now and we can move on and achieve something really good.”
Everyone has an opinion about England. They remain one of the biggest attractions in the world. Many across Europe were dismissive yesterday.
Even Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag – who works for Dutch television – seemed to suggest that the decline in England’s level was typical of them. It’s amazing what a win in the FA Cup final can do for a man’s confidence.
The fact is, however, that not much needs to change in terms of personnel. Luke Shaw will replace Kieran Trippier once he is fit, while Alexander-Arnold has been withdrawn for the time being.
Beyond that, Southgate must maintain the courage of his convictions. During the last World Cup, people asked Kane questions and it was as ridiculous then as it is now. He is the best center forward in Europe.
As for Foden, the Manchester City midfielder was the top player in the Premier League last season and it is nonsense to drop him from Southgate’s team after one indifferent performance. Foden should play Denmark here on Thursday.
Man City star Phil Foden is yet to find his sparkling club form with the national team
If he does, he would be one to benefit from Alexander-Arnold’s absence. With Bellingham’s tendency to try to occupy four positions at once and demand the ball at all times, England’s midfield and forwards became a little overloaded at times against Serbia.
Another player holding the player can give everyone a little more room to move forward. Against Scotland, the German midfield was perfectly balanced in the opening match. The same could not be said of England.
In any case, there was only good news to report about the back four. Guehi was exceptional against Serbia and Walker was happy to elaborate on that topic.
“I think everyone is feeling pressure,” the 34-year-old said.
‘I am the oldest head of the camp and I still go onto the field with a bit of fear. You feel a little nervous just because you want to make everyone proud.
‘But Marc, I thought he was fantastic. He hasn’t put a foot wrong and hopefully that has made up for his feelings at the moment and calmed the nerves a bit and we can form a good partnership along that back line.
“The media loves to build up a storm and put thoughts in your head that probably shouldn’t be there.”
Kyle Walker praised the Three Lions’ defense during their 1-0 win over Serbia
‘But all these players are fantastic players. I’ve played against them countless times in the Premier League and I know what they can do.
“It doesn’t matter who’s here, who’s not here, whoever’s going to represent England, they’re very good players.
‘So we use the players we have and we work on our strengths when other people can cover up other people’s weaknesses. It’s that simple.’
England defeated Serbia on Sunday. We must remember that. Southgate just needs to rearrange the furniture a little. The sledgehammer can remain stationary.