A A familiar figure stood on the sidelines of Blankenhayn Stadium, watching the humiliation unfold. Earlier this week, an impromptu 11-a-side match between a superior British media team and the Football Association’s backroom staff was going down in predictably horrific fashion – full context: They had a very fit, positive Enterprising striker Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink – As I made my way down the right wing, I realized the man on the touchline was Kyle Walker, England’s vice-captain and the greatest of his generation. One of the right backs.
“You know,” I said. “It’s actually quite scary.”
Walker got the message. He smiled and made some suggestions. “Just enjoy it,” he said.
Those words could easily have been thrown back at England’s players four days later when they faced off against Switzerland in the quarter-finals in Dusseldorf. Off the court, the atmosphere at training camp was electric. It’s a festival filled with cricket tournaments, cycling around the German countryside and Phil Foden beating everyone at darts.
When it comes to football, however, one would be hard-pressed to find any joy in the England team. Gareth Southgate, who scored a century in charge on Saturday night, looked tired at times, as if it was a game too far. He endured fans throwing plastic beer cups at him after the 0-0 draw with Slovenia and watched his team struggle physically, tactically and mentally in each of the four games.
Enjoyment is not the theme. The football world has been at a standstill and it was shocking to see senior players bickering with each other during a desperate first half against Slovakia last Sunday.
All this goes against Southgate’s reign. One of his greatest triumphs, besides taking England to their fourth consecutive quarter-finals, made the experience interesting again. The old cliques are gone and there is a connection between players and supporters.
As Southgate explained on Friday, the first challenge after taking over in 2016 was to rebuild confidence. “We want the country to fall in love with this team again,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot to regain credibility.”
Yet in Germany, the love for the country was running low before Jude Bellingham’s equalizer against Slovakia. Since then, messaging has been a turning point. John Stones talks about England’s need to rediscover their mobility. They had trouble organizing the offense and pressing up front.
Is the shirt heavy again? Foden, a hugely talented attacker, admitted he was frustrated with his performance. He thinks differently than Bellingham, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka.
England have scored four goals in four games, predictably. They didn’t create enough clear-cut chances – Kane said the poor playing surface contributed to the low-scoring game – and were statistically the slowest team at the Euros. They need more carefree, expressive ball-players like 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.
Southgate has spent almost a full week preparing for the trip to Switzerland. Are England the underdogs? Southgate admits Murat Yakin’s talented side are full of positive energy after beating Italy 2-0 in the last 16.
Newsletter Promotion Post
This couldn’t be more true in England. The possibility of a switch from a 4-2-3-1 to a back three is not surprising. This is partly a response to Mark Gay’s suspension – Ezri Konsa, who has made just five appearances for the team, is expected to replace him at centre-back – but also an attempt to address England’s imbalance on the left.
The good news is that Luke Shaw is available after nearly five months out with a hamstring injury, although Saka is likely to step up from the right at left-wing back. Southgate must be careful. He needs Shaw for more than one game. “We’re not here to play in the quarterfinals,” he said. “Obviously, we’re happy to provide the missing pieces.”
In those 99 games there were some thrilling wins and outstanding performances, but also disappointing performances in major knockout rounds and the Euro 2020 final against Italy. Southgate’s management of the game has been called into question and he has fallen out of favor with the public heading into the game against Slovakia. Despite England’s disappointing performance, they are still standing.
“You always want to manage a team that is never beaten,” Southgate said. “They actually showed great courage. When you’re behind in the knockout rounds it’s very difficult to keep trying to create quality chances. There’s a lot of anxiety on the pitch, a lot of people keen for the ball to go forward faster and sometimes we Can move the ball faster.
“But the patience shown in constantly trying to create the best opportunities is a very important trait. That hasn’t always been the case over the years. Eventually, we might have run out of time that night and the result would have been different. But here we are fighting.
The desire remains and Kane says the best way for players to mark Southgate’s 100th game is to give him a win. To beat Switzerland, though, England need to remember how to have fun. As Walker points out, playing football isn’t meant to be a chore.
