Southgate’s midfield has gone missing as we face ANOTHER Finals
I say should, because their last two performances suggest it may not be the formality everyone is predicting.
But, assuming they get there, what does Gareth Southgate have to do – apart from panic – to turn them from the team that was sometimes reduced to a shambles against Scotland and France into one which can compete in Russia?
For starters, he has to find a creative midfielder. Without one, England are dead. In fact, let’s be brutal here, they have to find a midfield full stop.
Against France, the limitations of Southgate’s selection were painfully exposed.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Paul Pogba play so well and N’golo Kante looked as if he was strolling through a training match.
The reason was simple. We were outclassed in the middle.
I don’t blame Alex Oxladechamberlain, he’s not used to that position and looked confused about his role. For me, too, Eric Dier is not a world-class central midfielder.
England have missed Jordan Henderson’s industry, and his ability to hit long passes. I think he’s underrated, to the extent that I believe Liverpool lost the title in 2014 when he was suspended for the last three games.
With him back, it would allow Dier to drop into a three-man defence, which he does for Spurs.
Just because the back line was taken apart by a quick, exciting young French team doesn’t mean we should rip up that system.
I think it would suit England’s players right now – and for too long in our history we’ve tried to squeeze players into systems, instead of the other way round.
It happened in my time... all the time! Paul Scholes kept finding himself on the left wing and, on the rare occasions I played, I never played in my true position.
The same could be said of Michael Owen for a long time, when they tried to somehow make him work with Alan Shearer.
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard?
Look at the evidence. Our two best teams last season, Chelsea and Spurs played with three at the back – and their English players are key to Southgate’s team – so why not use them in positions they are familiar with?
Manchester City can adapt to that system, too, and Liverpool have used it from time to time, so it’s not alien to any of the squad. It would strengthen us at the back and Dier has the knowledge to step into the midfield when he needs to. More importantly, it would give space to find someone alongside Henderson who can actually pick out a pass.
With the pace and movement we have in Dele Alli, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Oxladechamberlain, we can be devastating on the break and we showed that at times in the first half against France.
Harry Kane is a striker who thrives on service too, but the best delivery he got – the only delivery – came from the full-backs, who were actually pretty decent.
I think the time has come to look at a younger player in the middle.
Maybe give Ross Barkley an extended run, or even Tom Davies, who has a look of quality about him and could take a big step up next season.
We need to do something dramatic. I can see a three-man defence giving us the ability to defend and then using the quality we have going forward, with Adam Lallana adding an extra option of movement and creativity.
But we have to find a midfield, one that can do the running and pressing, but also create – and if we don’t, expect another World Cup