Southgate’s England lack playing identity not talent

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England have arguably the strongest squad at EURO 24 but have so far failed to get the best out of their world class talent.

Gareth Southgate has been manager of England since 2016, during that time he has led the three lions to a final at EURO 2020 and a world cup semi final in 2018.  Despite the clear progress under Southgate compared to his predecessors, with the talent he has under his disposal the English should be more dominant on the pitch.

In Thursdays 1-1 draw with Denmark, all the flaws of Southgate’s tenure with England were front and center.  A squad led by the top goal scorer in Europe Harry Kane backed up by Premier League player of the season Phil Foden and Arsenal’s star boy Bukayo Saka created virtually nothing.

Add a midfield of Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Southgate’s starting XI looks straight out of FIFA career mode.

The issue with England has never been about talent.  A style of play that prioritizes key players abilities is what is missing.  This stems from Southgate opting for a pragmatic approach, which is fine, but this approach does not suit the stars listed above.

Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice all play for club sides that prioritize possession and control, they want the ball at their feet and do not want to exclusively chase long-balls and face pressure when isolated.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is the greatest creator and passer of his generation, he plays at a club that deploys forwards to stretch defenses and run behind into dangerous areas.  None of England’s attackers that started against Denmark or Serbia excel at this.

When Gareth Southgate spotted this issue against Denmark he brought on Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and West Ham’s Jarod Bowen, both players who love and thrive on running into the space behind their opposition.  At this point Trent Alexander-Arnold had already been substituted, without Trent this tactical adjustment was null and void.

There is still a long way to go in this competition and England will still be amongst the favourites, but unless the English hierarchy choose a lineup that brings more balance to their attacking game, waiting for something to click by forcing square pegs into round holes will see another promising opportunity under Southgate go to waste.

Photo: Twitter @UpshotTowers

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Dylan Johnson