Gareth Southgate’s England have been here before – for the third time in a row, they drew their second group game.
Just like performances in the goalless draws with Scotland at Euro 2020 and the USA at the 2022 World Cup, this 1-1 stalemate with Denmark has left Southgate with as many questions as answers, despite being unbeaten and on the verge of progressing to the next phase. .
Theories abound about what the England manager can do to improve his team as Euro 2024 progresses. Although reaching the knockout stage is very close, optimism is evaporating.
“I don’t know if they are being told to play like that,” former England defender Micah Richards told BBC One. “They are lethargic – they need more energy and to be more aggressive.
“We are constantly inviting pressure. We have a group of players who can keep the ball.”
Why is England so “passive”?
Many pundits and fans questioned why an England team so full of talent, who play for clubs like Manchester City and Liverpool who press with style and abandon, were sitting on a low block.
Having, as they did against Serbia, started with a goal and scored a deserved opening goal, England notably withdrew from the fight in midfield and ceded momentum to their opponents.
It was this lack of pressure that gave Morten Hjulmand the space and time to pick his spot and score a magnificent equalizer, slotting past Jordan Pickford and hitting the post.
“England need to be more intense in the press – they are very passive at the moment,” said former England defender Rio Ferdinand.
“They got some good positions at the top of the field, but they lacked that intensity, and when you are passive you get played.
“The current balance of the team does not allow players to reach the levels they achieved at clubs. Phil Foden is out of position and not playing his best, perhaps Jude Bellingham would be better playing at number eight. concern.
“At the moment, England don’t know when to tighten up the field, who goes when, the distances between them. When you have doubts tactically, the picture can change in a split second in front of you and you are lost.
“It’s disconcerting and worrying.”
What do you do with the midfield? Could Alexander-Arnold play at left-back?
It appears to confuse Southgate, who said after the game that this was not part of the plan.
“No,” he said, when asked if he tells the team to go deep after scoring.
“I think we face teams that are quite fluid in defense and it is not easy to put pressure on them, but we have to do it better than in the last two matches. Not keeping the ball has been another problem.”
When it comes to England retaining possession, Southgate’s choice will be questioned.
Trent Alexander-Arnold struggled to make an impact in the game against Serbia and was completely swamped here.
Absent were the passes from the quarterback that Southgate expected – instead he was beaten and eventually removed in the 54th minute by Conor Gallagher.
If the Trent project fails, Southgate must assess options – will Gallagher start against Slovenia? Will Bellingham fall deep? Is it time to trust Kobbie Mainoo or Adam Wharton?
Southgate faces the need to experience a live tournament – a boom or bust scenario.
“Alexander-Arnold came into midfield to add a creative element. I think Southgate was hoping to be more dominant in possession, where Trent would be found in more attacking situations where he could utilize his right foot,” former England defender Izzy Christiansen told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“What I would say as a consideration is playing someone else alongside Declan Rice, like Mainoo, or leaving Bellingham deeper.
“Could you move Trent to left-back because Kieran Trippier hasn’t excelled?”
On the balance of England’s midfield, Ferdinand added: “I would put Declan Rice at six, Jude Bellingham at eight, running from distance and Phil Foden in the free role as the 10. I think that’s how you’ll get the best. these players.”
‘Kane for England is like Ronaldo for Portugal’
But perhaps the biggest elephant in the room was Harry Kane. England’s talisman for so long, it couldn’t be helped that they looked sharper when Watkins replaced the captain with 20 minutes remaining.
Kane’s goalscoring record for England is unmatched, his goal against Denmark was a typically opportunistic finish that broke yet another record, making him the first man to score in four different major tournaments for the Three Lions.
But, as he did against Serbia, against whom he had just two touches of the ball in the first half, he was a peripheral figure for long periods on Thursday.
It has drawn comparisons with another international talisman, and not in a positive way.
“Harry Kane is always there and the ball always falls to him in the box, it’s like a magnet,” said Ferdinand.
“That’s the problem with Gareth Southgate. Portugal will probably have that with Cristiano Ronaldo too – you can’t have everything from a striker, he won’t offer that intense pressure.”
Former England striker Gary Lineker said Kane “needs his manager to come and ask a bit more of him” after his display against Denmark – and that he himself “would have expected that if I had put in that kind of display”.
“As a striker you have two roles: to score goals, something Harry Kane has done well throughout his career, and to create space,” said Lineker.
“Against a defense of three he has to stretch the play, run one way and then stay short so you don’t have to go too far to receive him.
“He needs to create more space for the midfielders behind him to create chances.”
Former Three Lions striker Shearer agreed the key was to get the midfield players to run past the striker.
“As I grew up, I needed rhythm within and around me. I still managed to score goals, headers, position myself in the box, but one thing I couldn’t do was chase. Harry Kane is the same now,” said Shearer.
“He needs players who have the legs to run further and open up space. That’s why I would have [Anthony] Gordon on the team. Foden is occupying the same spaces as Kane at the moment and it’s not working.”
There was some surprise on the part of the English team with the criticism after the game with Serbia. There was a lot more acceptance this time, even though it’s not a game over scenario.
The last time England drew the second game of the Euro group stage, they reached the final. But to guarantee a repeat, Southgate has many questions to answer.
