Football

Unwarranted and ridiculous frustrations with England and Southgate

Despite failing to register a single win in their last six competitive international fixtures, England enters Qatar 2022 as favourites. In the lead-up to the quadriennial footballing extravaganza, Gareth Southgate has been relentlessly criticised. 

For a nation that had perpetually disappointed in the international arena to impress in the finals, it has been a roller coaster ride. The man under the microscope had been lauded to usher this revolution and is now at the stake. 

Gareth Southgate

Faults have been found chiefly with the Three Lions squad selection and preferred formation. Daily Mail’s Football Editor, Ian Ladyman, has rubbished these accusations against the gaffer and pointed at his achievements to calm the nerve of English fans. 

Talking in the World Cup Confidential podcast, Ladyman gave his full support to Southgate and believes his pedigree in knockout tournaments will see him rise to the occasion.

‘It struck me that even by our standards of pessimism, the way that the national view of Gareth has dropped off a cliff… it’s almost as if that summer didn’t happen!” Ladyman said. 

‘What is that about? Is that just the life of an England manager? Because my personal view is that it’s been a bit ridiculous!’

‘I think he made the crucial mistake in the public life of threatening to do something good and falling just short. There’s an anger, that that was our final,’ he said.

‘There’s the arrogance that we sometimes have a nation that it was our birthright to win that final. It just wasn’t. Ultimately they drew the game. 

‘There is a little bit of anger. Literally, within a year, we’ve gone from “Southgate you’re the one” to “Southgate you don’t know what you’re doing”.

The Three Lions Formation Conundrum

Thanks to his current form and past heroics, Harry Kane is touted as a Golden Ball front-runner. The England captain will be aptly supported by Raheem Sterling and the Three Lions’ youthful crop of Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Phil Foden.

It is the backline that worries the English faithful and would have surely given Southgate sleepless nights. Ahead of their curtain raiser, there is no certainty about who will start between the posts. 

Moreover, the shape of the defence is still up in the air. Harry Maguire has not featured regularly for Manchester United while John Stones has usually lined up at right-back for Pep Guardiola at the Etihad. 

This begs the question of how the Three Lions will start against Iran on Monday, November 21. Southgate has employed a four-man and five-man defence ahead of the World Cup and has the squad to put it into force with ease. 

Daily Mail’s Chief Football Writer, Rob Draper believes England will take the pitch with a back-five, a tactic that gives them more opportunities in attack and defence. 

‘Thomas Tuchel kind of felt the same well. It’s not that Gareth’s unique. Antonio Conte is similar,” Draper opined. ‘It’s not like the back three is something only Southgate does because he feels we’re not good enough, it is a system that people use.’

‘There was that great 10-minute spell against Germany, where we scored all those goals in the Nations League. And when you watch that, the full-backs are really aggressive and we’re on the front foot – because we’re chasing the game. If you can get it to a 3-4-3, it’s not so much of a problem.’


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