England's search for a new Paul Scholes
Despite leading the table, England put in two uninspiring performances. Coach Gareth Southgate is criticized and takes the blame - because he subordinates everything to getting out of the group stage.
Like a first aider, Gareth Southgate ran onto the pitch immediately after the final whistle. The England coach wasted no time in rallying his players. Most of the professionals had dropped to the ground in disappointment, probably sensing that the draw against Denmark would not live up to the expectations of the English public. The traditionally demanding motherland of soccer had already criticized the opening success against Serbia. Southgate took full responsibility for England's once again uninspiring performance. "Blame me!", he decreed in his analysis.
In contrast to the critics, who always judge as if England had won and not lost every tournament since the 1966 World Cup victory, the 53-year-old has not forgotten that the national team had not won a knockout game for ten years before he took up his post in the fall of 2016. During this time, the Three Lions were knocked out of the 2014 World Cup preliminary round and suffered a European Championship defeat to Iceland in 2016; in 2008, the country did not even qualify for the European Championship. For this reason, Southgate refuses to give up the humility of subordinating everything to getting through the preliminary round. And so, in a way, he accepted the 1-1 draw against the stubborn Danes after goals from Harry Kane and Morten Hjulmand when he sensed they would not be defeated on Thursday. From his point of view, the points-split reads much better in the table than it had previously looked on the pitch.
Like 2021 and 2022, England's second game ends in a draw
With four points, England lead Group C and have practically qualified for the round of 16 ahead of their final match against their supposedly weakest opponents in the preliminary round, Slovenia. Southgate had already used the same tactics at the last two tournaments. The second game was a nervous goalless draw: against Scotland at the 2021 European Championship and against the USA at the 2022 World Cup. The reactions then, as now, were fierce. The experts picked the national team apart like a harvester picking ripe English strawberries. They thought the Denmark performance was awful and lifeless - and that the coach wasn't getting enough out of the players. The Guardian sneered that anyone who read a post-match review after the live game must be a Scotsman. The Scots are known to be England's Auld Enemy, the old enemy.
However, the media's all-round attack failed to recognize several conclusive arguments for the result: firstly, the quality of the Danes, who had already given England a hard time in the victorious 2021 European Championship semi-final; secondly, the condition of the turf in Frankfurt, which was as hard as moss and therefore hardly allowed for an attractive offensive game; and thirdly, the enormous pressure to which the English, who were considered co-favorites, are exposed. The coach hinted at this several times by attesting to his players' "anxious performance". They were "worrying too much", Southgate believed.
At home, the team is being picked apart like a ripe field of strawberries
In previous years, the final preliminary round match of a tournament - on the basis that progression was virtually assured - proved to be a liberating blow for the rest of the tournament. The fact that England are now once again relieved of the heavy burden of a potential embarrassment for the time being could help Southgate to make some adjustments in the duel with Slovenia. His team lack speed in attack and a creator in the build-up play, someone who sets the tempo and structures the game. Declan Rice is a strong two-way stopper in the middle of the pitch, converted right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is a passing specialist, Jude Bellingham an all-rounder and Phil Foden an attacking free spirit. The young professionals Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo lack international experience.
In other countries, exceptional players consistently fill the position of pace-setter: Toni Kroos in Germany, Rodrigo in Spain, Jorginho in Italy and Adrien Rabiot in France. England also once had such a player, but that was twenty years ago and his name was Paul Scholes. As a result, the Three Lions are unable to find balance and stability in their play. This was evident in almost identical fashion against Serbia and Denmark. Southgate's side dominated the opening stages of both games before losing control and allowing themselves to be forced into defensive positions.
England felt a pacemaker in the build-up play
To remedy the long-standing problem, Southgate opted for a three-man midfield of Bellingham, Rice and Alexander-Arnold in the first game. In the second game, only Rice and Alexander-Arnold provided defensive cover, with Bellingham moving further forward. As a reaction to the increasing passivity, the coach always substituted the pressing player Conor Gallagher for Alexander-Arnold in the second half. However, changes to the starting eleven are now inevitable. Neither left-back Foden nor captain Harry Kane are really coming into their own in the current statics.
Foden often moves into the middle and is sometimes at loggerheads with Bellingham, who operates in a similar way. Likewise, as a left-footer, he is rarely able to finish directly on his way into the center. He hit the post against Denmark from the half-right. And Kane needs a quick partner at his side who he can bring into position with clever runs. He, Foden and Bellingham are all excellent passers, but only the dribbling right winger Bukayo Saka is usually available to receive the ball. An additional explosive winger is therefore urgently needed, especially as the team's forechecking must also become more energetic. Foden could become the playmaker and Bellingham could move to the back to join Rice.
In view of the mood in England, the most important maxim now seems to be to keep calm in the tense situation. And that is exactly what Gareth Southgate tried to exude after the game.