Southgate embraces creativity… at last
England 4 v Iceland 0
Last Sunday, 15th November, England played Belgium in a must win Nation’s League clash. There was nothing to lose, particularly given that the game was to be played in an empty Belgian stadium, diminishing any antipathy towards English players. It was a chance for Manager Gareth Southgate to throw caution to the wind and fill his team with attacking talent. Yet his response. Declan Rice and Jordan Henderson at the heart of midfield pulling the creative strings. Or rather not.
2-0 down at half time the lumbering Henderson was replaced by the more “expansive” qualities of Harry Winks. Winks is struggling to hold down a regular slot at Tottenham which therefore left Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka (who wasn’t in the starting line-up but came on for the injured Ben Chilwell) to embrace the mantle of creativity. Which they did. But you need more than two individuals to beat top class opposition and it therefore came as little surprise that by the game’s end England had failed to muster a single shot on target in open play.
It is two and a half years since England lost their World Cup Semi Final to Croatia playing a conservative brand of football that relied heavily on nicking goals from dead ball situations. Southgate recognised the team’s shortcomings yet a year and a half later in the European Championship qualifier v Slovakia he was still relying on the workhorse Henderson, now paired with a younger clone, Declan Rice. Result? England lost 2-1, although they would eventually qualify for the finals.
In the subsequent Nation’s League, against Belgium (twice), Denmark (twice) and Iceland (once) England had mustered a mere three goals, only one of which had been created in open play. Rather than act on his post world cup words by embracing expansive football Southgate had gone the other way, a lacklustre campaign the result of his overly cautious approach. With just four games remaining before their opening game v Croatia on Sunday 13th June 2021 he needed to find a team. And on the evidence of England’s performance this evening, I believe he has found it.
Not only was the side balanced but in Mason Mount, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden he has found three creative talents who can take players on, can see a pass and execute it at pace. Somewhat disingenuously Sky pundit Alan Smith claimed, that Iceland are not a great side. Yet four years ago they were good enough to beat England at the European Championships by nicking a goal and then defending resolutely. For as long as I can remember England’s Achilles heel has been an inability to break down stubborn defensive sides. This evening they found in Iceland just one such stubborn defensive side. Yet the interplay between Mount, Grealish and Foden, aided by Saka and Kane, was so quick and with such excellent understanding that time and again chances were created, four of them eventually being taken. With Rice as the sole holding midfielder, behind which was the solid three of Dier, Walker and Maguire England have the foundations to develop into a formidable unit.
For years we have been crying out for fast paced creative football. Perhaps, at long last, Southgate has found it.
©Mark Brennand