England coach sticks to gameplan
Southgate prepares for semi-final
England manager Gareth Southgate says he is not about to change his team’s approach for tonight’s World Cup semifinal against Croatia, saying he wants the “same again” from his young side.
Although Croatia are the most difficult opponent England will have faced in the tournament, Southgate’s words suggest he will continue with his attacking formation and personnel.
Asked what he would be demanding from his players, the England coach said: “To be able to keep doing what we have been doing, play with real defensive discipline, good organisation, tactical awareness and then with the ball play with the freedom and expression that we have and the same patterns and movements that we have shown.”
While Croatia possess arguably the best central midfield pairing in the tournament in the shape of Real Madrid’s Luka Modric and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, Southgate’s language does not indicate he is about to bring in Eric Dier as an additional defensive midfielder alongside Jordan Henderson.
But he is certainly well aware of the threat that Croatia pose in the centre of the field. “They of course have a very strong midfield so, [it is about] denying them space and making sure awareness of distances and coverage of the pitch is correct and [knowing] the right moments to press. The higher the level of opponent, if you press in a disorganised fashion, then you will get picked through and we have got to be conscious of that,” he said.
The contribution of Raheem Sterling remains a polarising debate in England with the Manchester City player without a goal for his country since October 2015 but Southgate says the forward’s contribution in Russia has been essential.
“I think Raheem has been fundamental to the way that we have played his movement, the positions he takes up, his pressing of the ball, his work-rate for the team, the winning of free kicks and corners, his speed to stretch teams. “The feel of this group of players is similar to what we had in 1996 [when England reached the semi-finals of Euro 96]. That team was more experience but had tactical understanding. That team had six captains of clubs but we have approached the tournament in the same way. The lads have learnt along the way but it is the next step along the journey, our preparation for each matches has been the same.” While England enjoyed a relatively stressfree 2-0 win over Sweden in the last eight, Croatia had to come through a gruelling extra time against hosts Russia and then a penalty shootout. But Southgate thinks talk of that handing a physical advantage to England is being overplayed. “We experienced the extra time and penalties [against Colombia] and we know the physical and emotional consequence of that,” he said. “But any team in a World Cup semi-final is going to find the energy and going to find the motivation.” It is the first time England have still been in the tournament at this stage since Italia 90 and the defender Kyle Walker admitted it was the biggest chance England have had to win the World Cup since 1966.
“It’s the best opportunity that England’s ever had, and probably might ever have,” he said, “because no disrespect to Croatia but the other side of the draw was a lot more difficult.”
Meanwhile, the Ukraine Football Federation has offered to pay a fine imposed on a Croatia official for making a pro-Ukraine video at the World Cup.
Fifa fined Ognjen Vukojevic 15,000 Swiss francs for “unsporting behaviour” after he and Croatia defender Domagoj Vida recorded a video including the phrase “glory to Ukraine” after the team beat host nation Russia.
UFF president Andriy Pavelko told Ukrainian broadcaster 112 that he and other members of the UFF management offered to pay the fine and help Vukojevic with legal costs if he wants to appeal the ruling.