A DEFEAT... BUT MUCH TO ADMIRE
Southgate’s revival job is on track
WHEN Gareth Southgate came to the decision to do something radical with England’s formation here last night, he presumably had memories of Euro 96 in mind rather than the national team’s most recent attempt to play a back three.
That, Wayne Rooney would recall, was a night in Zagreb in 2006 when Steve McClaren’s bold tactical experiment blew up in his face so spectacularly that the sight of Gary Neville’s first international goal — an own goal that was also the stuff of nightmares for Paul Robinson — had supporters calling for the reinstatement of the axed David Beckham.
Fortunately for Southgate, there were not similar demands for the return of Rooney here last night, an equally ambitious reshuffle working out a little better for this new England manager even if the match ended up being the perfect send- off for Lukas Podolski that concluded with his grandmother leading the tributes on television.
Southgate kept his cards close to his chest in the build-up to this friendly against the world champions, even making his players wait until early yesterday afternoon before naming the team.
But in hindsight the clues were there; the references to the Terry Venables team he was part of and the nod to the tactical versatility they possessed.
He wants this group to be every bit as adaptable, confirming afterwards that he arrived at the idea to switch to 3-4-3 some six weeks ago after studying videos of Germany and focused very much on the system once his players gathered on Sunday night.
Ideally, he would have gone into this game with stronger personnel. John Stones would have played had he not needed a rest ahead of Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against Lithuania. And had Phil Jones not been injured in training on Tuesday, he would have been selected ahead of Michael Keane, a debutant much more familiar with the back four formation he is part of at Burnley.
Jake Livermore, with respect to a young man who deserves credit for the way he has rebuilt his life and career after a positive drugs test and the tragic circumstances that led to that error of judgment, would not necessarily have been someone Southgate wanted lining up against Toni Kroos.
But Keane and Livermore did well, however much the pressure might have been lessened by the fact Germany approached this like it was a testimonial match for Podolski on his 130th and last international appearance.
England’s preparation for this game was limited to one proper training session and some light tactical work yesterday morning, but Southgate must have been heartened by what he saw.
Clearly he is getting his message across, in the rousing presentation he delivered at St George’s Park on Monday but also in the instructions he has delivered since. When you reflect on the statements he has made since becoming England manager on a permanent basis, Southgate has been impressive.
He is articulate and his assessment of England’s standing in the world game has been brutal in its honesty. Combine that with what seems to be a clear vision of the issues that need to be addressed and a sense of optimism as well as purpose emerges.
It helps probably that Southgate has experienced some truly dark moments in an England shirt. He can empathise with players who capitulated against Iceland last summer and then quickly lost the manager, Sam Allardyce, selected to rebuild them.
Rarely has morale in an England squad been lower than it was when Southgate suddenly took charge and the manner of this display provided evidence that they are slowly being resuscitated.
Ultimately they were punished for not taking the chances they created here in Dortmund, with Adam Lallana denied by the thickness of a post and Dele Alli squandering a one-on-one opportunity that took the shine off an otherwise excellent display.
The formation seemed to suit him, as Southgate declared afterwards. He thought it ideal for Alli and Lallana. Throw Harry Kane in there too and he really might have something. Podolski punished England for their failure to be clinical in the absence of Kane but the signs of an England revival were nevertheless there. They passed the ball confidently and only conceded once the managers began to make their customary second-half changes.
Defeat will not shake Southgate’s resolve. There was already a quiet confidence about him; a mental toughness that has come not just from the experiences he has endured, but from being a damn fine centre half who has never shied away from a challenge.
He most definitely did not take the easy option with his approach to this game.
It lacked the recklessness of McClaren’s gamble against
Croatia. That was an important European Championship qualifier after all; the beginning of the end for another former Middlesbrough manager.
But Germany in Dortmund still carried a certain prestige and a level of risk when this was also Southgate’s first proper game in charge. Never mind that England were on a weirdly impressive run in Germany, having won their previous three matches there.
So credit to the new England manager for backing up his coherent thinking with a tactical plan his players executed with some success. A friendly that ended in a narrow defeat still amounted to a solid start.