GARETH ROLLS THE DICE AGAIN
England stick with young guns against Brazil ‘juggernaut’
GARETH Southgate does not have an answer for everything. At one stage yesterday a reporter asked how many pairs of pants she should take to the World Cup and he neatly sidestepped the question.
But the response she did get was a fascinating one during what developed into one of the most stirring press conferences from an England manager for some time.
Southgate’s ambitious approach on the pitch is certainly being matched by a boldness off it, and listening to him say he is prepared to take risks even if it costs him his job is refreshing to say the least.
Not even the prospect of facing a brilliant Brazil side at Wembley this evening — one he described as ‘a juggernaut’ yesterday — has tempered his desire to experiment. He remains committed to a shift towards younger, less experienced players. They are in, he insisted, not because he has one eye on life beyond the World Cup but because he hopes many of them will be with him in Russia.
‘The innocence of youth can be wonderful,’ he said to the reporter who wanted to know whether she needed to pay for a bag in the hold. ‘ In some instances it can be a real advantage, maybe in others it can be a disadvantage. But I saw more in one game (against Germany last Friday) from some of those youngsters than you might see in many more games from other players.’
He is obviously referring to players like Ruben Loftus-Cheek but tearing up the playbook, changing the formation and blooding so many young players carries a risk. Dominic Solanke, for example, was a star at the Under 20 World Cup but he has never started a league game in England and yet might be playing for the national team against Neymar and Co tonight.
Southgate accepts it is a gamble so close to a major tournament. ‘But I go back to this,’ said a manager who also revealed how he sometimes uses Eric Dier — his captain again tonight — as a ‘sounding board’ because he is so tactically astute. ‘We could take the short-term view regarding who might be more experienced going into a tournament and have more big-match experience, or we think a little bit outside the box.
‘We could have waited another six months for Ruben to have another 15 games for Crystal Palace. But I actually wanted to pick him in October. ‘I think it is the right decision for England (to be picking these young players). My job is not just to do things that get me a bit of praise. It is what is the right decision for England. Whether that’s next summer or beyond, whether that’s for me as a manager or other people, we’ve got to make decisions that are right for England.’
Another poor tournament for England, though, and Southgate’s successor could be in place sooner than he might hope.
To his credit, however, he is prepared to take that chance, declaring not just how much he ‘believes in the cause’ — ‘ there’s something bigger I’m working for,’ he added — but insisting he cannot concern himself with the possible reaction of his employers at the FA if it does go wrong. If you worry about that, he said, ‘ you can become risk averse’. He is not entirely throwing caution to the wind here, and he will be stressing to his players that tonight’s opponents present a very different challenge from a Germany side who strolled through much of Friday’s contest. Loftus-Cheek should certainly prepare for more of an examination, judging by the problems Japan endured last week in trying to get the ball. Not that Southgate wants his young players to be in any way in awe of the mighty Brazil. On the contrary. He made it clear yesterday that any attempt to swap shirts with Neymar, for instance, would be frowned upon.
‘I’ve got a wardrobe full of shirts at home and I think they’re all full backs because it wasn’t high on my list of priorities,’ he said. ‘ By the way, I imagine there are a load of full backs saying, “I’ve got f***ing Gareth Southgate’s shirt”, so I accept that it works both ways.
‘I used to talk to young players about this at Middlesbrough. I remember young David Wheater: I hauled him over the coals because he bowled off with Thierry Henry’s shirt after a game and I said, “Right, OK, where do you think that leaves you when you play him again next time?”
‘You are either going toe to toe with these guys or we are just here for the tour.’