There is a platoon of analysts who explain on a daily basis how England should play. The problem is that the only one who has not understood is the manager Gareth Southgate. The manager has become the brunt of all the blows from fans and critics because he does not know how to make a team play well, full of stars who are admired every week for their excellent games in the Premier League. It could even be said that they play badly or very badly in the Euros. The national team’s football has nothing to do with that of Manchester City, Arsenal or Liverpool. The English internationals have been unrecognizable so far in their four games played in Germany. The team should play alone, on autopilot, or even connected to artificial intelligence, supposedly unbeatable without Southgate.
The crux of the conflict lies in the midfield line that Rice, Bellingham and Foden initially form. The doubt is not in any of the three, who seem untouchable, but in the fourth midfielder or third striker, a position that Alexander Arnold, Gallagher and recently Mainoo have paraded through. The formula does not work, not even when acclaimed players such as Palmer have appeared. The game is very centrifugal and the ball does not stop spinning without finding the goal, as if England were a washing machine in the hands of the neat Southgate. They already had to cheat in the qualifying phase with two goals and in the round of 16 they needed the virtuosity of Bellingham to reach extra time in added time and then finish off Slovakia with the opportunism of Kane.
Individualism and English-style resources such as a throw-in and a couple of headers kept the team in the competition and further fuelled the debate over Southgate. The players, however, realised in the final minutes of the last match that they needed to turn things around and face the quarter-final against Switzerland with confidence (Düsseldorf, 18.00, La 1). The Swiss feel they have the opportunity of a lifetime, after participating in the various final stages of national team tournaments since Brazil 2014. The draw with Germany and the victory in the quarter-finals against Italy have emboldened a team with very good, experienced and in top form footballers – Xhaka, Schär, Sommer, Freuler, Akanji – after their successes with top clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Bologna, Inter or Manchester City.
Solidity and balance make Murat Yakin’s team one of the worst rivals for favourites like England. Southgate will also have to intervene again due to Guéhi’s suspension. The absence of the centre-back could lead to a reshuffle of the line-up and a change at left-back, a position that has been occupied by the right-footed Trippier, pending the recovery of Shaw. The coach, in any case, is a predictable character, not at all spontaneous, very pragmatic and politically correct, so much so that he often does not seem English, at least during the Euros. Southgate’s character has infected a team that surprisingly plays without passion, more passive than active, as if it did not fancy taking risks or being favourites in Germany.
Even under Bobby Charlton, England have not been able to win the European Championship, but they are not allowed to lose, a challenge that Southgate himself has taken up, ready to step down if they do not win in Germany. The candidates for the post would then succeed the analysts who are now pointing to Southgate. England needs a hero after its history has been littered with villains since the 1966 World Cup.
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