NO PANIC, NO DRAMA... THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
TWO clean sheets, two games unbeaten, four points and qualification for the knockout phase as good as sorted.
Where has it all gone wrong for Gareth Southgate and England?
“Football’s not coming home,” snorted Graeme Souness, magnificently.
Probably not, but let’s not go basing these assumptions on group-stage performances.
The last team to win either the Euros or the World Cup after registering a 100 per cent group record was Spain in 2008.
At the last Euros, in 2016, eventual champions Portugal did not win a single match in a group that was completed by Hungary, Iceland and Austria.
They sneaked into the knockout stages with three points.
France drew with Denmark on their way to winning Russia 2018 and Germany drew their second fixture of Brazil 2014, against Ghana, before going on to win a fourth World Cup.
Spain were successful at both World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012, but lost their opening game of the former and drew their first match of the latter.
It should go without saying that teams can improve during a tournament or get worse. Or stay the same.
A decent effort against the Czech Republic, themselves unbeaten, should put England in good heart for the challenge of the last 16.
And they should be in good heart right now, despite the ridiculous booing at Wembley and the critical spotlight after the indifferent performance against the inspired Scots.
Reasons to be cheerful are several, if not plenty.
Let’s start right at the back and Jordan Pickford, a goalkeeper who appears to have his temperament under control and seems to have found some calm assurance from nowhere.
He made one smart stop in particular against the Scots, but it was the manner in which he commanded his entire manor that impressed the most.
In central defence, John Stones might have given the ball away occasionally, but he still exudes class, normally passes incisively and creatively and is a threat at the other end.
Tyrone Mings has been all about no-frills defending. Southgate has not got enough from the two sets of full-backs he has used, but they have not let him down.
Considering the limited amount of chances created across the opening two fixtures, it is clear England need to discover a creative spark from their playmakers. But Raheem Sterling has looked a threat, Mason
Mount has flickered brightly now and again and ditto Phil
Foden.
But Southgate has enticing options, particularly if he decides to break up the Declan Rice-Kalvin Phillips axis that served him so well against Croatia, but not against Scotland.
Interestingly, one of those options is Jadon Sancho, a golden boy of world football, surely heading to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund for a huge transfer fee and an improbably extravagant contract. Yet he did not even make the squad for the opening game and was an unused substitute against Scotland.
It makes you wonder if Sancho (below) is impressing Southgate in the camp. It also makes you wonder if background transfer sagas really can be a distraction at major tournaments.
The evidence provided by Harry Kane and, through his non-selection, Sancho, would suggest so.
Still, Sancho is fresh and ready, as is Marcus Rashford.
Jack Grealish is chomping at the bit to start a match and Dominic Calvert-Lewin would provide an extra dimension up top.
In other words, it is now over to Southgate to come up with a combination in front of his defensive unit that will look a little more potent. In whatever formation he uses, I would like to see Grealish in behind Kane.
It could help solve the Kane conundrum. Otherwise, drop him.
The manager has some tough decisions to make… but not from a position of desperation.
No panic, no drama.
Two clean sheets, two games unbeaten, four points, and qualification for the knockout phase as good as sorted.
It hasn’t all gone wrong for Gareth Southgate and England.