England need a strong start against Iran, but don't expect Southgate to embrace all-out attack 🟢 danielstorey85 Qatar2022
The easiest method for Southgate to win over his public is through aesthetic, artistic, attacking wonder. He could reason that England will control possession against Iran and face a stubborn, deep-lying defence, picking a back four and midfield three containing Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden with Bukayo Saka as the right-sided forward alongside Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane. “Go out there and get them and win it by half-time.
Or he could stick what he knows, protecting Jordan Pickford with three central defenders, asking the full-backs to get high up the pitch, allowing the two wide forwards to drift infield and look to win matches in a series of moments as he did in the first four games of Euro 2020. Southgate – ever the diplomat – makes the point that he can do both at once.
“We have got players that are used to playing in both systems,” he says. “But like every team in the modern game you play a system and build up in a certain way, and you defend in a certain way and you’re rarely in the tactical shape that is written on the teamsheet. It’s all very, very fluid. The key for us is there are some basic principles of how we defend and attack that are exactly the same whatever the formation is.
“Plus ca change,” was Southgate’s take when asked about the criticism of his supposedly defensive style. He pointed out that England’s Euro ‘96 team, of which he was a part, scored four times against the Netherlands but only managed four goals in their four other matches. Southgate appears to disagree that “just attack more” is an answer, or at least is an overly simplistic one, and never has been. History is viewed with a rosy tint.
And so Southgate, his players, this country, walk through another door without much comprehension of what lies on the other side. It seems impossible to believe in a middle ground, where England come home empty-handed but with the manager lauded. England are going to do it Gareth’s way, for better or worse; he has earned the right and he has earned the trust of his players to do so. But draw with Iran on Monday, and he will feel the wave of opprobrium from four thousand miles away.
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