KPeople cheered when England beat the Netherlands at Euro 1996, but no one – except maybe coach Terry Venables – saw it coming. Dutch football at the time was considered an incredibly complex affair, so when Venables’ tactics baffled Johan Cruyff’s country, his team’s 4-1 victory in the 28th was inevitable. It is still a topic of conversation years later.
Now, however, England need more than just winning a major group game to capture the popular imagination. The days of measuring success by measured progress in tournaments are over. Expectations have reached a fever pitch this summer and, while Gareth Southgate is proud of the progress he has made during his eight years in charge, he knows the only question that needs to be answered is whether he will be able to play at Euro 2024. Pushing his team across the finish line.
No one was interested in hearing the discussion of the third semi-final in four games. In Dortmund, as England prepare for Wednesday night’s semi-final against a good but not formidable Netherlands side, everyone wants to know what the doubters say about Southgate being too limited and boring to win the trophy. Is the statement correct?
Some of the criticism goes too far. No one is pretending that England have been playing Total Football, but they have defended well and their resilience against Switzerland and Slovakia owes much to Southgate.
Likewise, there are some legitimate questions about his management. England’s left side is unbalanced and it is difficult to find a suitable combination in the midfield. While a lack of entertainment in low-scoring games has been an issue for many teams, their offense has struggled. “13 fewer goals than the last European Championship,” Southgate said on Tuesday. “Ours is a sport where sometimes you can play as well as your opponent allows you to.”
The coordinated model is more difficult to implement in international football. England won’t perform like Manchester City just because they have Phil Foden, and the answer isn’t just Southgate taking his hand off the handbrake. In last Saturday’s quarter-final against Switzerland, they were better in the first half as their switch to a 3-4-2-1 gave them more control in midfield.
But there are still some issues that need to be resolved. Mark Gay is likely to replace Ezri Konsa at centre-back, but Kieran Trippier is likely to remain at left-wing-back despite the return of Luke Shaw after five months out with a hamstring injury. Holland will have Denzel Dumfries plundering down the right flank and they will be looking to exploit that flank. On the other hand, they will hope that Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo can continue his excellent form against Kyle Walker. If they need a goal, expect Ronald Koeman to send Wout Weghorst straight on.
If England’s momentum wanes, Southgate must be proactive. They were no longer as indecisive as they were against Switzerland in the second half, and did not make any offensive changes until they fell behind 0-1.
The question is whether Southgate can see things through quickly enough. He admitted his changes could have come sooner, although he was also rewarded for keeping Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane on against Slovakia. Southgate said: “You can force changes, but if the team is in the rhythm of the game and the individual performances are good, you can add freshness but we still have confidence in the players. “I think the team through this Thrive with support.
“I’ve seen a lot of other big managers sit back and wait a long time before making changes. You just have to try and feel the flow of the game.
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England’s hope is that they don’t need to press the panic button. They need Declan Rice and Kobe Mainu to dominate Frenkie de Jong’s midfield. The Netherlands also had flaws – they were heavily criticized after losing to Austria and finishing third in the group – and were edged out by Turkey in the quarter-finals. UEFA technical observer Rafael Benítez noted that the Netherlands were vulnerable to Turkey’s attacks at the back.
Can England do it? They play in front of the team, have to work hard to build the attack, and need high-tempo passing. Bukayo Saka is in fine form and is an obvious outlet as an attacking right-wing back, but Foden doesn’t have enough of an impact on the game, while Bellingham can also make an impact in moments. Kane’s fitness issues, combined with the lack of runners around him, also made things difficult.
Kane, of course, once again denied that he was not in good health. He will see how many chances Turkey create and will back himself up against any defender – even Virgil van Dijk. “Virgil is one of the best defenders in the world,” Kane said. “He’s strong, powerful, fast. I might have to exploit and try to hurt him in different areas. It might not just be me, it might be other players dragging him out of position.
But if England struggle in the final third, or they find themselves in trouble, Southgate will need to use his bench. He spoke of breaking more new ground, pointing out that England had never played a final on foreign soil. He was not satisfied with reaching the semifinals again. But in Dortmund, where the famous yellow wall is expected to turn into an ‘Orange’, much will depend on whether he can make bold decisions under pressure. Can he win the tactical battle? Can England finally attack and advance to Berlin? Can they respond if things turn around in the second half? If not, the Southgate era is over.
