Gareth Southgate is still England manager but this reprieve must come with wholesale changes for the Euro 2024 quarter-final after another poor performance.
Jude Bellingham’s response to his extraordinary equaliser could have been interpreted in many different ways across the preceding 90 minutes and stoppage time.
, with a December 2024 contract expiration allowing for a theoretical post-tournament cooling-off period but far more likely an extension of his terms, with no obvious candidate to replace him. Defeat here and in this manner would have made it impossible; Southgate could not have lasted another week.
But his blueprint for Switzerland is impossible to decipher. The irony of his only starting line-up changes from match to match thus far being in central midfield, the one area in which those who must play is now beyond doubt, is not lost. Kobbie Mainoo has cemented himself as Rice’s second but both full-backs and every attacking place warrants scrutiny and deliberation.
But whether he is available next Saturday or not, this is another experiment which must be curtailed. England used four different left-backs in this game and the least solid defensively, the one which imbalanced the team the most, was the one which started.5) Walker deserves credit for somehow making right-back more of a problem position despite it being one he has ostensibly made a career out of playing.
He did superficially get the ball with his tackle on Haraslin, but had to come through the Slovakia forward to do so. It was at the very least a foul, and already Bellingham’s second at that early stage. Jordan Pickford advancing 20 yards out of his box, ushering his teammates forward and then just launching it long for Saka; Trippier showing for the ball, shrugging at the lack of options available to a left-back who only uses his right foot and passing back inside to Guehi on repeat; John Stones capturing the essence of England’s tournament by carrying the ball forward, seeing nothing ahead of him and angrily turning back to recycle possession.
It was the sort of thing Foden would simply never do with Manchester City, a moment belying his astonishing game intelligence and supporting the theory that something inherent changes in these wonderful players once they don the England shirt. Southgate cannot be blamed entirely for that or at all for the discretion on that goal, and another poor display prompts further questioning of where he fits in this team.
Despite his obvious reluctance when being shifted to left-back during the second half, Saka provided a brilliant example of what Foden must strive for. One of England’s better players in attack, at least in the sense that he was willing to try and take a defender on, was moved to a position he publicly dismissed as being the “solution” for before the game, yet he carried it out well.
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