Vardy’s positive that Plan B ticks the right boxes
JAMIE VARDY is confident England have struck on a Plan B for next year’s World Cup after the nightmare of Iceland at Euro 2016.
Rudderless and leaderless, Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions crashed out of last year’s tournament in Nice at the knockout stage – a nasty exit which cost Hodgson his job.
Gareth Southgate has since reshaped the squad and promoted from the Under-21s to give England greater depth and a variation in tactics which proved promising against Germany on Friday night.
The goalless draw was the first time in 14 games Joachim Low’s side had failed to score. It also enabled Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Liverpool’s Joe Gomez to force their way into Southgate’s World Cup plans.
Rampant Brazil could yet burst the bubble of optimism at Wembley tomorrow night. But Vardy revealed belief has been restored after the shambles in France. “I think we have definitely got to learn from that,” said Vardy. “There was not really a change of plan in the Iceland game – and it was just hoping we got back into it.
“I think we saw that it worked with a different formation against Germany. We will be working with it on the training field to make sure we have got it nailed down.”
Southgate’s starting team against the reigning world champions was England’s most inexperienced for 37 years – with just 101 caps between them.
They lined up in a 3-5-2 formation, one able to switch into a 3-4-3. Vardy and Tammy Abraham caused problems up front, while Marcus Rashford is set to start against Brazil.
Asked whether England could see one of those combinations up front at the World Cup, Vardy added: “That is down to the gaffer.
“But it showed we can play a different system and that is what we will have to do. We always need a Plan B or Plan C.”