England are in another major tournament semi-final, but let’s not pretend there are no issues to resolve.
Gareth Southgate’s side has yet to deliver a convincing 90-minute performance at Euro 2024 and while that has not impeded their progress so far, the challenge cranks up a notch with Wednesday’s meeting with the Netherlands.
So who should Southgate select for what could be either his last game in charge of the national team or the prelude to a glorious finale?
Our experts lend him their thoughts…
Continue the shape that started against Switzerland, with a few switches to try to make it sing.
Let’s hope Luke Shaw can build on his 42 minutes on Saturday and continue at left wing-back. Denzel Dumfries is a uniquely attacking right-back for the Netherlands, so Shaw and Jude Bellingham have an explicit directive to get in behind the vacated space and cause havoc.
The Netherlands have been vulnerable to set pieces and crosses whipped into the back post, so give Trent Alexander-Arnold the nod at right wing-back with the licence to spray.
Bellingham, Phil Foden and Harry Kane cannot coexist within this England setup, with Foden resembling a jazz drummer struggling to fit in with a rock band. Let’s take him out and move Bukayo Saka into one of the No 10 positions. Warn Kane that he’ll lose five minutes of playing time every time he drops deep and makes an unsuccessful long pass.
Carl Anka
To answer the obvious questions:
- Why revert to four at the back? Because the 3-4-2-1 didn’t work brilliantly on Saturday and because I’m not convinced central defence is where you need an extra player against the Netherlands, particularly if it leaves you exposed in wider areas.
- Why Ezri Konsa over Marc Guehi? Because although I felt Guehi was England’s most reliable player in the first four games, I was even more impressed by Konsa on Saturday.
- Why Kieran Trippier again now that Luke Shaw is back? Because I’m not convinced Shaw is fully back yet. He played 42 minutes against Switzerland after nearly five months out, but that was in central defence. It’s a big ask, physically, to go from that to starting at full-back.
- Why persist with Phil Foden/Jude Bellingham/Harry Kane? Because they’re worth persisting with. Not for 90 or 120 minutes if they’re struggling to make an impact, but I would have no hesitation in starting them again.
- Why no Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney etc? I would expect all of them to play a part. The above is a line-up designed to start the game and, ideally, to control it. It would also leave a lot of scope for attack-minded changes if England end up chasing the game.
Oliver Kay
The balance may be better, but the quest to coax more attacking incision from this England team moves on to Dortmund.
England need a threat down their left to exploit the space left by Denzel Dumfries when he sprints forward. On the assumption Luke Shaw is fit to start after his appearance as a substitute against the Swiss, his combination with the restored Marc Guehi — the Crystal Palace defender does not have vast experience of playing in a back three but is at ease playing as a left-sided centre-back — should help quell the threat of the Inter Milan player’s marauding upfield.
But to hurt the Dutch in behind? Why not give Eberechi Eze the licence to glide forward as he has demonstrated in flashes off the bench over the tournament? There were signs of promise in Dusseldorf, after all, when England asked questions down their left. The sacrifice to accommodate him is Phil Foden, though he could enter the fray refreshed and eager from the bench.
The other issue is probably that of Harry Kane, but his experience and knowledge of Virgil van Dijk’s game probably warrant his inclusion.
Dom Fifield
Three minutes after conceding against Switzerland, Gareth Southgate entered what kids might call his “F*** it, we ball” era: throwing caution to the wind, piling on lots of exciting footballers at the same time and placing his faith in sheer vibes. So I will, too.
The back-three system worked, so it stays. Ezri Konsa played well but Marc Guehi should return at left centre-back, with a now-fit (hopefully?!) Luke Shaw replacing Kieran Trippier at left wing-back to offer more natural width and dynamism.
In midfield, Kobbie Mainoo has also been good, but I just feel Adam Wharton’s physicality, pressing and tempo-setting — if not ball-carrying — is on a different level. Plus, he’s fresh, confident, a leftie, and suits the 3-4-2-1 system also played at Crystal Palace.
Up top, Phil Foden has shone intermittently, but the brave and ambitious Cole Palmer deserves a chance from the beginning. Harry Kane plays despite his evident sluggishness because he’s Harry Kane.
Max Mathews
I was always an advocate of Gareth Southgate playing a back four, but there were green shoots of promise in this system against the Swiss — even if England still only scraped through on penalties.
Southgate has shown the ability to adapt formation in his 100 games in charge, most notably in the last European Championship final, and may have stumbled across a system that can go one better in Dortmund and then Berlin.
Ezri Konsa was impressive in place of Marc Guehi on Saturday, but the latter would be the only change to bring more balance to the left of the back three. There were calls to play Bukayo Saka on the left, but his goal showed exactly why he should remain on the right with Kieran Trippier, who has been unfairly targeted, providing security on the left.
Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice have formed an effective midfield partnership, allowing Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham to get closer to the isolated Harry Kane.
Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold all impacted the game from the subs bench and that is where they should remain, particularly as great options if England are chasing the game again. Luke Shaw also managed to get much-needed minutes in his legs for the first time in months, but at centre-back rather than either left-back or left wing-back, which would be far too big a risk in the semi-final of a tournament.
Jordan Halford
Yes, I know that the new formation worked OK (sort of) in the first half against Switzerland, but you’ve got to be aware of the opponent.
The Netherlands’ main threat comes from overloading the right with the overlapping Denzel Dumfries. Asking Kieran Trippier to play out of position as a left wing-back, or Luke Shaw to make his first start since February in such a high-energy role, feels like an undue risk. So it should be four at the back.
But there will be attacking opportunities. Dumfries’ sense of adventure means there will be space in behind. The left-footed Shaw will help exploit that and while Anthony Gordon is ideally suited to make those line-stretching runs, it feels as if Eberechi Eze is further up Southgate’s pecking order. I also thought he had some good touches when coming on against Switzerland.
At right-back, Kieran Trippier has had a better tournament defensively than Kyle Walker — and he now offers more going forward when on his favoured side.
One controversial change I considered was bringing in Conor Gallagher for Kobbie Mainoo as the Netherlands’ midfield is not particularly athletic and can be vulnerable in wide spaces. Against Austria, they really struggled against the energy of Florian Grillitsch and Nicolas Seiwald — and Gallagher is England’s best pressing midfielder.
Ultimately, however, Mainoo’s ball progression was too tempting to ignore, but Gallagher could be worth an early substitution.
Jacob Whitehead
It seemed unthinkable before the tournament that England would head into a semi-final with the positions of Phil Foden and Harry Kane remotely open to debate, but as the tournament has progressed, the conversation has become legitimate.
Foden has now had five games, albeit often out of his favoured position, to transfer his superb club form to Euro 2024 but has been unable to do so. Cole Palmer has made such an impact each time he has stepped off the bench that the case for his inclusion should now be irresistible.
And Kane has simply not looked fit. There are questions about his positioning and where he needs to do his best work but, in simpler terms, he has just not looked sharp enough. Ollie Watkins would be an option to replace him, but Ivan Toney’s style of play makes him a more natural replacement for Kane.
It seems unlikely that Luke Shaw is ready to start and Bukayo Saka did too well on the right to switch flanks, so Kieran Trippier has to start again with Shaw to step in later on. And Marc Guehi has been so good throughout the tournament that he must return, even though Ezri Konsa did nothing wrong at the weekend.
Steve Madeley
The performances may not have been overwhelming against the Swiss, but there is resilience about Southgate’s England and unity within the squad, so I wouldn’t change too much. Ezri Konsa did well during Marc Guehi’s ban, but the Crystal Palace defender had arguably been England’s best player in the first four games. I would bring him back in.
I would go for the greater attacking influence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, ahead of Kieran Trippier, which would be a slight gamble as England are playing a better side than they have faced before with players who will test them defensively.
Harry Kane continues to struggle, so I would have Ivan Toney primed to make an impact, while Cole Palmer could slot in if Phil Foden continues to struggle to find his club form.
It’s great to have those options off the bench, although Southgate has been reluctant to make early positive changes so far.
Rob Tanner
(Top photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Read the full article here