Time is the most precious commodity at a major football tournament and Gareth Southgate bought a golden piece of it when England defeated Serbia in the opening match in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday evening.
That 1-0 win, thanks to a brave, committed header from Jude Bellingham, gave the England boss more time to hone his squad, more time to experiment, more time to decide.
Sunday’s victory, no matter how much lukewarm water has been poured on it since, removed much of the danger that might otherwise have been attached to tonight’s match against Denmark in Frankfurt.
It gave Southgate the latitude to smile wryly at the hand-wringing that has taken place since then and remind England’s players that even victories will be treated as disasters by the kind of observers who say he’s a failure because England didn’t win the last game . three major tournaments in a row.
And it gave him the freedom to smile at the reflexes that urged him to drop Phil Foden, who had such a great season at Manchester City and was named the best player in the best league in the world, because he had one quiet match against the Serbs.
Gareth Southgate bought himself time to continue experimenting with the 1-0 win over Serbia
The win gives Trent Alexander-Arnold another chance to prove he can excel in midfield
It means Southgate has another chance to inject confidence into Phil Foden’s attacking play
Southgate would no doubt baulk at the idea of the match against Denmark being a free hit, knowing the level of criticism that will come if England don’t win, but the reality is that a draw would most likely see his players qualify for the knock out phase with a win. game over. And then there are no more free hits.
The result matters, but what’s more important is that it’s an opportunity to rekindle Foden’s confidence in attacking play, and as far as the experiment of playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield is concerned, this is the final audition.
Alexander-Arnold, one of the best passers in English football, played well against Serbia in the first half, without playing well enough to convince those who say it is madness for him to learn the position in a tournament.
He is so richly talented and so adept at producing crosses and passes that can unlock even the lowest of low blocks that Southgate wants to continue playing him alongside Declan Rice, the kind of bold move that many of his critics said he was incapable of. Now he’s apparently too bold.
Alexander-Arnold will face one of the most stylish midfielders in football, Christian Eriksen, in Frankfurt. While Southgate expects the Manchester United player to play a more advanced role, watching him pull the strings is always a learning experience.
Former England left-back Stuart Pearce said on Wednesday he believed Alexander-Arnold could exert the same influence that Glenn Hoddle once exerted for England. Southgate was asked whether he saw the Liverpool player as a quarterback passer or a metronome like Frenkie de Jong. van Nederland, who determines the tempo of the piece.
“I think it’s less likely that he’s a pace-dictating player,” the England manager said. ‘That’s a different type and they’re probably midfield players who have always been there and really understand the flow of a match.
‘What I do see is that range of passing and that ability to open up a defense that blocks spaces and defends low. He is someone who ensures that opponents are aware that we can play balls behind them with fantastic accuracy at any point.
Calls for Southgate to replace Alexander-Arnold and Foden must be resisted, at least for now
However, he will have to consider plan B if Alexander-Arnold and Foden fail to flourish
There have been calls for Cole Palmer (L) or Anthony Gordon (R) to replace Foden
‘His understanding of the game is good. With all the defensive responsibilities we’ve asked of him, it’s not necessarily where he’s been playing for years, but he’s been very diligent and open to taking that on. So look, we know it’s a work in progress.
“We know it’s something that will get a lot of attention because it’s not the norm, but we think it can add to what we have.”
It’s hard to argue with Southgate about that. To win this European Championship and surpass the qualities of France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, Southgate knows that playing it safe will not be enough.
England have suffered defeats by fine margins in the last three major tournaments and a player like Alexander-Arnold, if he settles into the role he has been assigned, can tip the balance the other way: towards England .
The same goes for Foden. Sunday was Bellingham’s night. The Real Madrid player played, not for the first time, like a superhuman, and sometimes there is only room for such a performance in a team. The rest play a supporting role. Perhaps the tables will be turned against Denmark and Foden will take center stage.
Although they are both good, seductive and brilliant players, and although tournament football accelerates the evolution of a team, calls for Southgate to replace Foden with Cole Palmer or Anthony Gordon must be resisted at this stage.
“There will be a story after every England game around a player, a few players,” Southgate said, referring to the Foden conversation.
‘This is a different world than the one you experience at clubs. The players recognize this as a collective after the past few days. We talked to them about it. It’s rare for their club to win a match and experience what they’ve been through in recent days.
Southgate called on his England stars to ignore criticism after their tepid win over Serbia
Sunday was Jude Bellingham’s night, but perhaps the tables have been turned against Denmark
“I have to make sure I can guide them through that, get them to understand it and recognize that it is the reality of our world, but we can’t let it throw us off track. “We’re in a good position, we know we want to play better, there’s a lot of things we’ve done really well and we’re heading into tomorrow’s game.”
Alexander-Arnold and Foden will get another chance against the Danes, as they should. If they excel, England will go into Tuesday’s match against Slovenia with more confidence.
If they don’t, Southgate will have to consider Plan B. And when that happens, time will no longer be his friend.