The changes that make Southgate’s
are improving and we’ve got real desire and hunger to keep improving.”
Topping a group containing Spain and Croatia, especially after losing the opening match, is an undeniable step forward. Also, the beginning of a new tournament cycle can be slow, so it is a testament to Southgate’s progressive thinking that he has kept up England’s momentum into November.
By changing formation from 3-5-2 to 4-3-3 and calling up several new faces into a World Cup squad unilaterally deemed successful, Southgate capitalised on the sense of purpose created by ENGLAND have tried many methods to become an international force, but they are looking more of a threat now they have gone back to their roots.
Fans have complained over the years that players do not perform for England the way they do for their clubs. One of the reasons is they have not been allowed to. An obsession with trying to copy how successful teams operated abroad took over, with England more often than not playing a cautious, possession-based game.
Gareth Southgate began to revolutionise things at the World Cup but there was still little for top-level opponents to truly fear. But that has changed now the Nations League format to nudge England for ward towards a more evolved existence — with Euro 2020 very much in mind.
“The players should be very proud of what they’ve done,” he added. “The quality of the play, the resilience they are showing, the way they are coming together as a group, the strength of them as a group, that’s been really pleasing.
“We almost take for granted now some of the football they are playing out from the back, which in the first half was of the highest quality under pressure. There are steps they are taking which are accepted now and the next stages were to win these big matches, and over the last two months we’ve been able to do that. What we try to do now is the same challenge as after the summer: more consistency, but keep pushing and improving and don’t sit back. he has released the handbrake and gone for a front three of Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford in an aggressive 4-3-3 formation.
In the summer, Kane was left isolated on too many occasions, even though Sterling was encouraged to operate closer to him. Now, Southgate is using Sterling and Rashford to surge toward goal either side of their captain. The formation suits them but, crucially, so does the attacking intent that Southgate wants them to play with.
Spain could not cope last month, when the trio combined time and again to secure a remarkable 3-2 victory in Seville. Yesterday, it was Croatia’s turn. The visitors were on the back foot for long periods — and all because South- gate was using a style more customary to teams in the Premier League.
A s E r i c Di e r s a i d , few backlines will want to face Kane, Sterling and Rashford in this mood.
“They are really scary for opposition defences because they complement each other really well,” said the Spurs midfielder. “We all know what Harry can do, but Raheem is playing at a really high level now and Marcus is really kicking on.
“All three of them have fantastic qualities and combine really well. Their work-rate is fantastic, which perhaps people don’t talk about as much. The way they work for the team and track back is fantastic. Raheem did a number of important defensive actions against