SAMI MOCKBELL: Expect Gareth Southgate to apply the parking brake again … England will probably continue tactically cautiously at the World Cup after the gambling for an attack on Hungary has the opposite effect
- Gareth Southgate admitted that the 4-0 defeat of England was a painful experience
- Those hoping the Three Lions will change their style of play will be disappointed
- His comments after the match suggest that he will stick to two defensive midfielders.
By Sami Mockbell for the Daily Mail
Posted: 22:30, 15 June 2022 | Updated: 23:12, 15 June 2022
Those who hope England’s gloomy summer will change Gareth Southgate’s approach are likely to be disappointed.
The stigma of being a defense coach is one that the England manager is struggling to change. There is logic in the idea that the national team will take advantage of Southgate to release the handbrake a bit, although the decision to use a more attacking style against Hungary was spectacular on Tuesday night.
It remains to be seen how exactly Southgate will react to Moline’s 4-0 loss – a humiliating result that ended a miserable 10 days as England failed to win or score in an open game in four League of Nations games.
Jude Bellingham is a man that many England fans want to start regularly in the midfield
Chelsea’s Mason Mount is one of Gareth Southgate’s trusted favorites and hardworking
But the smart money is that Southgate has doubled its “safe, I’m not sorry” style.
“There is a great desire to see an open game, but we saw against Hungary that you have to have the right balance of the team,” Southgate explained. “You have to make the right decisions.
“With a club, maybe if you’re on top and have a long time to work with the players, you can play a more advanced game.
“But even the best teams, they are so good in defense, they are good in the transition, the balance of everything is right. So the idea that we can just play with a lot of attacking players and rely on talent to win matches is not.
“And you know, it was a reminder to me against Hungary in the second half that it was gambling. You bet to try to win the game because you think it’s important. But what happened can happen.
Gareth Southgate adheres to a conservative approach that serves him well in general
The midfielder duo of Calvin Phillips (left) and Declan Rice (right) can be seen as negative
All this suggests that Southgate starts with two holding midfielders in Declan Rice and Calvin Phillips in Qatar, a scenario that will disappoint many who believe that striker Jude Bellingham should be in the starting lineup.
This means that Southgate will probably prefer Kyle Walker’s physicality and experience to Trent Alexander-Arnold – the best far-sighted full-back in Europe – on the right side of England’s defense. It can also be seen that Mason Mount’s discipline and work ethic are preferred to Jack Greenish’s independent approach to attack.
And the reintroduction of the five-man defense, which served England so well in Russia four years ago, should not be overlooked, although Southgate said he would prefer to play with a four.
It remains to be seen whether the conservative approach is appropriate for England. However, this will further repel some fans who fear that Southgate’s preference for caution against intrusion will eventually cost this group of English players their chance at fame this winter.
Trent Alexander-Arnold remains second choice after right-back Kyle Walker
Southgate was booed by England fans after 4-0 Hungary hit Moline
But Southgate won the right to be trusted. The negative story that the manager’s indecisive approach cost the team four years in the semi-final loss of the World Cup to Croatia may be true. Similarly, England’s failure to focus on the Yugoslav after taking the lead against Italy in the Euro final last summer could cost the country its first trophy since 1966.
But the fact that England finished fourth in Russia in 2018 and runner-up at Euro 2020 is remarkable.
English football was in the gutter after Euro 2016 and Southgate’s work to turn the group into a World Cup team with real hopes of winning the tournament is an illustration of the steps the national team has taken under the 51-year-old.
“We have raised optimism and expectations,” Southgate said. “It’s understandable because people accept that there will be progress all the time. But it doesn’t always work that way. And we know that competition at the highest level is incredibly high.
The supporters of England are ready if the Three Lions do not improve
Jack Grillish has an individual approach that is not yet entirely convincing for Southgate
These remarks will not be removed by some fans who believe that Southgate’s tactics are the biggest obstacle for England to lift the World Cup in Qatar in December.
“I will not be able to change my mood in the next few months, I have to accept that,” Southgate said. “It will be a different experience as a manager of England, which I have not yet had, but one that I was prepared for and that I knew could happen at some point.
“And it’s probably unrealistic not to do that at some point. So this is the disadvantage of international football, sometimes you are judged for a short period of time. Sometimes it can be 10 minutes that change your life.
“I can’t do anything with the players now. They need a break. They need to get out and clear their heads.
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