The next game won't be easy, but it's not impossible
Words and feature image by Alysia Georgiades
Southgate Tube Station Celebrated the England Manager in 2018 with a personalised Underground sign.
Image by Alysia Georgiades
Winning two of three matches, keeping a clean sheet, and finishing top of the group. It couldn’t be going much better for England, yet fans are still not happy.
Concerns that they have only scored two goals so far, both courtesy of Sterling and assists from Phillips and Grealish. Concerns of losing momentum in the second half, with Pickford and defence working hard to keep their opponents at bay. Concerns that the teams we have played so far are no Germany, France or Portugal, one of which we are likely to play next Tuesday in the first game of the knockout stages.
These concerns are valid, of course, and Gareth Southgate is fully aware of them. But there’s plenty of positives that outweigh these doubts, and put England in a strong position.
“We are difficult to score against at the moment and although we're not perhaps flowing as much as we'd like, that solidity is critical for any team doing well,” Southgate told Radio 5 Live after the game against the Czech Republic.
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It’s a point that Gary Neville picked up on whilst speaking on ITV. “I genuinely think we will win it in the way we are playing now which is professional, by keeping clean sheets, making sure the back is protected by the two in midfield and then creating those individual moments of brilliance.”
It’s not the most entertaining football, but it is working.
Maintaining a calm and collected style of play that has so far resulted in conceding no goals is essential for a high-quality team. But the ability to move forward and create opportunities means England can also score the goals needed to win matches. They’re showing balance, and that’s vital.
It will be tested by whoever they play next week, but the fact that England have shown this maturity in all their games so far, rather than a frantic push to score goals that puts their defence in jeopardy, means they are practiced, confident and ready for any opponent.
Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell self-isolating due to contact with Scotland’s Billy Gilmour - who tested positive for COVID-19 - is likely the biggest concern for Southgate. But if anything has been proved at the Euros so far, it’s that England is not short of talent.
After the news of Mount and Chilwell, everyone expected Jadon Sancho to be named in the lineup, and disagreed with Southgate’s choice when he wasn’t. But Bukayo Saka’s performance earned the manager vindication and himself man of the match.
The Arsenal player was fearless, calm under pressure, and key in the lead up to Sterling’s goal. At just 19 years old, the team fed off the energy Saka brought to the pitch, which then fed into the crowd, who were already in good spirits thanks to an appearance from one Jack Grealish, who also didn’t disappoint. Earning an assist by chipping the ball to Sterling who headed it into the net, and winning a couple of free kicks with his ability to draw opponents to his feet. The freedom he and Saka flew around the pitch with was what every England fan had been waiting for.
“The manager told me to go out and express myself. To play how I have played for my club all season,” Saka told ITV Sport. That expressive play ended up winning England the match, and spread to other players. Kane made his first on-target shot at the tournament against the Czech Republic, and Henderson would have scored his first goal for England and second goal of the match if the offside flag hadn’t been raised.
Harry Maguire finally made his first appearance at the tournament after being out on injury, and told Radio 5 Live, “the fundamentals are there and now we’ve got to tidy up in every part of the game. I still think there’s a little bit more we can get out of each other and push each other.”
This is likely to be the focus of training this week, along with scoring from set pieces which Southgate admits are “normally such a good source of goals for us but deliveries have been really poor”. But in the meantime, finishing the top of the group should be celebrated, reaching the last 16 with a clean sheet should be celebrated, and the amount of talent on our side should be celebrated.
England’s goal is to win, and they’ll do everything they can to edge closer to that trophy. So let’s be proud of their success so far, and believe there are more celebrations to come.