‘Solid, not spectacular’ – five key talking points in England

England’s Euro 2024 campaign started in the winning manner demanded by manager Gareth Southgate, but it was not an easy journey against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen.

Jude Bellingham’s impressive display provided several highlights in one 1-0 victory which saw England get the job done solidly rather than spectacularly.

Southgate will be delighted with the three points but there was still plenty to think about for the England manager ahead of Thursday’s second Group C game against Denmark in Frankfurt.

Bright talisman from Bellingham England

Jude Bellingham’s relentless brilliance, which saw him win the Champions League and La Liga in a stellar first season in Spain, shows no sign of slowing down at Euro 2024 with England.

The then-teenager Bellingham shone on the international stage in front of a global audience at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, performing with the confidence and just the right amount of footballing arrogance that are the hallmarks of a truly special player.

He is not yet 21 but Bellingham acts as if he was invented to play at this elite level and here he produced another headline-grabbing display as the inspiration behind England’s victory.

Bellingham set England on the right track with a dynamic run into the box and a 13th-minute header that simply carried too much power past Serbia goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.

Serbia have had to resort to illegal means on several occasions to stop Bellingham, but he is very powerful physically, also possessing an additional advantage in his game to savor physical confrontations.

English fans also have a new hero to worship, providing a songbook with various chants in honor of the player that manager Southgate will count on so much here in Germany.

And it’s adulation that Bellingham not only accepts, but encourages.

We watched his now trademark outstretched arms celebration in front of the English fans at one end of the AufSchalke Arena after scoring, before he ran back to the halfway line to demand more noise from those following Southgate’s team at the other end.

It’s a love affair between Bellingham and English fans that is sure to last for many years to come.

Bellingham’s season has been close to perfection – now England are hoping he can give it a final flourish at Euro 2024.

Foden fails to make an impact

Phil Foden was one of the best players in the Premier League when Manchester City won their fourth title in a row, but he is still struggling to find a comfortable place in the English team.

Foden’s natural position is to work centrally, as he did to brilliant effect in Pep Guardiola’s team, but in England’s current system under Southgate he is unlikely to be deployed there, with Bellingham being the figure around whom he revolves. this team.

Southgate wants to utilize Foden, but against Serbia he once again struggled to make an impact in an area where there have been overwhelming reports about Anthony Gordon, a potential rival for his position, filtering through the England training base.

Foden’s partnership on the left flank with Kieran Trippier did not look like a natural fit and is something Southgate should consider before England face Denmark on Thursday.

There was no shortage of effort, but Foden was never the constant threat he poses to City at club level.

Foden made 64 touches, but just one in the Serbia penalty area. He created a chance, but it was a discreet and peripheral performance.

No one would ever question the talent of the English footballer of the year, but accommodating him effectively is a conundrum for Southgate.

Foden wasn’t the only one to have a quiet night, with captain Harry Kane touching the ball just twice in the first half.

Southgate’s team loses control again

England looked on course for the kind of routine night that would have been the perfect opener to Euro 2024, where their experience at major tournaments and the talent at Southgate’s disposal make them among the favourites.

Bellingham’s header provided the perfect platform but, as in the past, England failed to maintain their intensity after the break and offered too much encouragement to middling Serbia.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a crucial late save from Dusan Vlahovic as England unleashed pressure of the kind that could have proved costly against a team more talented than Serbia. They must learn the lessons. Quickly.

In the end, however, England got the job done and deserved to win the three points, always so vital in the opening game of a major tournament.

England were also able to enjoy the added advantage of establishing early supremacy in Group C after the first game between Denmark and Slovenia ended in a draw.

Saka justifies selection

Bukayo Saka was at the center of a debate over whether he would be left out of England’s starting line-up for this tournament with the emergence of Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, a standout player in his first season at Stamford Bridge following a £40m move . from Manchester City.

Palmer showed that he is comfortable at England level in his brief appearances and can still make his mark in Germany, but Southgate was right to stick with Saka and was rewarded with an excellent performance from the Arsenal player.

When England were at their peak, Saka looked fresh and dangerous on the right flank, with the highlight coming with the cross that invited Bellingham to score.

Saka is one of Southgate’s most reliable players, and the added bonus is that he has formed a strong connection with Trent Alexander-Arnold in his matches for England.

He has made his point clear and is certainly a sure starter against Denmark.

Was the Alexander-Arnold selection a success?

Southgate’s choice of a midfield partner for Declan Rice has been one of the hot topics in the build-up to the start of England’s campaign.

The manager decided to opt for the positive attacking option of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, despite having Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo and impressive Crystal Palace player Adam Wharton in his ranks.

Alexander-Arnold’s excellent range of passing gives England an added dimension, while his set-piece ability could be a world-class weapon.

Questions still surround whether he can perform in this role against top class opponents at international level. Southgate has made his choice, so it is very likely that we will find out later in Euro 2024 whether England progress.

There were moments when Alexander-Arnold’s unfamiliarity with the position was exposed, particularly when he gave away possession and Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic fired inches wide of goal in the closing stages of the first half.

Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold also showed the unrivaled passing that is his trademark. It is this creative ability that Southgate is counting on as England begin their quest to win their first major men’s trophy since the 1966 World Cup.