Does the England Team Have Tactical Issues?

[Robbie]

A good insight to what they see as an England tactical issue by Peter Petrov & Hancock Analysis.

It's alright having the best players but should they be placed in the same positions as they are for their clubs just for the sake of it for instance?

Problem is, these players might be playing in similar positions for England but the other players are different, as is the overall balance of the England side, compared to their club side.

So therefore those players may not perform as well as they do for their club side. 

Do PON members see any tactical issues with the England team that could jeopardise England's chances of going far in Euro 24? 

 

[Chris]

Yes, and no.

The players just aren't performing and that's something which Gareth Southgate needs to reflect on for our next match.

I do think there's room for tweaks to the tactics, perhaps the formation needs altering as Harry Kane as a solo striker really does isolate him. Jude Bellingham does well to play off him, but I think we could afford to play two strikers at the cost of maybe one of the defensive midfielders.

Alexander Trent Arnold in the centre of midfield doesn't work, I get the thought behind it but for me, he can be afforded to be replaced by someone else.

Despite our defence being the weakest point of the squad, I don't think they have done all that badly. I believe that we tend to panic and become careless when passing the ball. Alan Shearer made a lot of good remarks about how England play (or how we should). The defence needs to push further up, to make the midfield wider and to actually give us some bodies up front to attack when chances to create something happen.

There should be more urgency to pass the ball into space, however, the players seem to pass in to danger instead. I do think we need to avoid being so narrow, it makes us very compact and easy to push back. This doesn't take anything from Denmark's performance; they were great at controlling this. However, we are very easy to press back.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

How can a Woman be a little bit Pregnant? Reminds of Joke I'll put in Jokers Wild later @Robbie. 

You know you get all these Experts and Pundits Data Analysts and General Know it all's , how England should play, if these people know all the Answers when the England Job becomes Vacant (hopefully after this Tournament) they'll Apply for the Position of England Head Coach, and the 3 Lions will go on to Rule the Football World for Ever, and Win every Tournament that they Enter. But that's Not The Real World.

Get Rid of Southgate there lies your Problem, he has No Leadership Qualities, No Man management Skills, plays players in different positions to what they play for their Club. For example TAA Full Back for Liverpool, plays for England in Mid Field, while proper Mid Fielders are left on the Bench. The experiment regarding TAA being a Mid Fielder should have been worked out before the England Squad even landed in Germany. Over the 8 years he's been in charge Southgate has always picked his Favourites, regardless of match results, it's just the Same Old Same Old over and over again. Same Tactics Same Players (more or Less) No Imagination Tippy Tappy Football pass the Ball Sideways or back to the Keeper. Who as been seen to take a Free Kick from the Halfway Line.

The appointment of a New England Head Coach isn't going to Instantly Cure the 3 Lions Woe's, there's No Instant Fix. The Next England Coach must be the Right Man, Not A Yes Man and be given the Green light by the F.A to Coach the Squad how he wants, with NO Interference from the F.A.  and be Given Time to Produce a England team capable of Winning Major Tournaments.

Who? Eddie Howe or Sean Dyche. Why? Both have Top Leadership Values and Man Management skills as Both have shown by getting unfancied Clubs Bournemouth and Burnley into the Premier League  and in Dyche's case even when his team were Relegated he brought them back Up. Both these Men got their teams into the English Top Flight with a Player budget Vastly Inferior to the Big Six.

[Robbie]

For me @Wheelbarrow repair man it's alright changing the Manager and I would like to see that.

It needs a Manager with charisma as well as coaching skills, but I think we need to have a complete rethink on which players we select.

Do you select the best players we have, then put them together and hope they can gel, or do we pick a team that will play like a team?

The problem with the England team, they don't spend enough time together to be able to gel completly.

But for me, you don't have to pick your best players in the land to build a team capable of winning international trophies. 

You want players who will run their socks off for England like we saw the players of Ukraine did today.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@Robbie

If I remember right the England Team under Alf Ramsey had a  six to eight weeks together before the 1966 World Cup. It gave them time to get together and Gel. Learn about each other and the way Ramsey wanted them to play as a Team. If memory serves they Didn't Do To Bad in 66.

Like you say England don't need a Team of Individuals But A Team Who Play As A Team. Players who every time they pull on an England Shirt have Immense Pride in the Shirt and Badge and Know they Owe Their Living To Thousands of England Fans who pay their Hard Earned Cash to Follow them around the World and watch them. It should be a forgone Conclusion, that Every Player who plays For England should work their Socks off and leave everything on the Pitch, after Every Match.  As Bill Shankly said it's not an Honour that the Fans follow their Team But an Honour For the Players To Play For The Fans. As it should be. After the Last two England Games the Players Should Hang Their Heads In Shame for the Dismal Performances They Have Produced.

But they won't be they'll Just go back to their Luxury Lives, paid for by the Fans and wait for the Kick Off of the New Season. As you also stated the England team doesn't need the Best Players, but Players who Play as a Team. And a Proper Head Coach To Lead Them.

[Robbie]

@Wheelbarrow repair man

England's usual tactic when they have scored a goal.

 

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@Robbie

If Notts had Adopted this Tactic Last Season they might Not Have let in So Many Goals.

[Robbie]

On a serious note I wonder why elite players that play for England on a regular basis can't be put on an England central contract, where they are released by their clubs for a fixed amount of time during a season when there is a major international competition, so that the players can train together for 10 to 15 weeks prior to the competition.

Those teams that lose players could be allowed additional players in their squad, while those players are absent from their teams.

I know that it wouldn't be good for the clubs, & there is the financial issue too, but some way has to be found to get those individual players to play like a team and know each other backwards.

Other Countries do it, so why can't we?

[menzinho]

I think because we are so stacked with good technical players we need to be dominate, play high in the opposition’s half and try to pen teams in.

The team just isn’t suited to sitting back. I don’t think the current starting 11 has that much pace going forward to cause teams trouble on the break. And Kane is not suited to battling for balls on the halfway line and holding play up, he needs to be in the box (and not our own)!

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@Robbie A lot of Premier Teams wont Allow Players  to be realised to play for their Counties. Alex Ferguson was a Main  one for doing this, many was the Time he was asked to Release Players for England Duty, and every time it was a Firm NO!! 

The Idea of Financial Compensation may have to be adopted as you suggest, the problem arises as I see it,  is the England Players abroad. The F.A. would have to pay other Countries Governing Bodies for them to release English players in their teams. And would the F.A wont to do that? Pay for the Release of Jude Bellingham from the Spanish League or Harry Kane from Germany? My Guess would be No because it wouldn't cost the F.A. any compensation if those players were Left out of the England Squad. Regardless of England's need.

[Robbie]

@Wheelbarrow repair man

I see what you are saying, it seems that the way football is run, as we have always known it was favours the clubs over all our four national sides.

Other Countries, especially the smaller footballing Countries, get their national squad together much much earlier than we do for Football's main international events 

I suppose there's always a solution to be had with a little sensible negotiation. Maybe we could look at players who are not always featured in the first team's of top clubs, or even look at players lower down the leagues, such as the Championship.

England could build a side around Bellingham & a few other top players & they could join the rest of the majority of the squad that have been training together on a semi full time basis.

What I am suggesting is radical, but to ever win a major international trophy, the side has to play as a team and know each other inside out, , but under the existing policy, that is going to be very difficult if they don't get plenty of time together.

[Joshua]

Performance is the main issue, with tactics being the key to getting more out of the squad. I doubt Gareth Southgate is telling his players to be this defensive; that seems unlikely. He needs to put in players who will work hard and play in their strongest positions. We need a quicker tempo, moving the ball further between players and avoiding making seven short passes only to lose possession. Holding onto the ball longer would be a blessing, and I don't mean passing backwards.

[allardyces tash]

Yes, it’s the performance and tactics that are preventing England from advancing. The start has been disappointing, but the talent is definitely there. I’d imagine Gareth Southgate has been addressing this in training, so I’m hopeful we’ll see improvements on Tuesday night.

[liampie]

i think we all know how we would like england to play and the squad are capable, they just need to put the effort in and manage the game better. watching england has been a lot like watching notts in the spells last season when we lack energy going forward. the lack of quality and creativity is surprising.

[Piethagoram]

 

[Piethagoram]

 

[KB1862]

England have both a performance and tactical issue. Both of which stem from Gareth Southgate.

It's frightening to hear comments from Kane like "we don't know how to press".

We have one of the, if not the, best attacking players in the Euros but how can we have all that ability in attacking options and capabilities yet we're the most defensive minded team in the tournament. Go 1-0 up against both Serbia and Denmark then we sit back and soak up all the pressure with very little going forward. We should be a team, especially with the attacking threat we've got, continually going at teams and not dropping back defending a 1-0 lead. We should be a high pressing team and not a counter attacking team. 

The criticism aimed at Gareth Southgate is justified. Things aren't working but Southgate isn't capable of making tactical changes to change the course of the game in England's favour, never has been. 

It's hard to criticise the players too much because they're being instructed to play a certain way and unfortunately this is why the performances aren't up to scratch.

Phil Foden isn't a left winger, he's a 10. He's shown little glimpses when he's moved more centrally of what he can do. 

Jude Bellingham needs to be put alongside Declan Rice. The past 2 games he's not looked comfortable in the 10 role, England would get the best out of him if he was played in the 8 role. 

Before the tournament started, I had very little expectations for England. I predict a Quarter Final exit even despite the tag of being one of the favourites. The performances in the 3 group games haven't filled me with confidence and we'd be lucky to get to the Quarter Finals.

Harry Kane also needs to stop dropping so deep but game after game we see it. If Southgate is happy for him to drop that deep then he should really have him playing off someone like Watkins who likes to run in behind. 

Another tweak needs to be make the substitutes earlier. Anthony Gordon deserved more than 4 minutes on that pitch and even then he created more chances than anyone else.

Yesterday was a free hit and even despite qualification secured, there was only one change to the side that started the previous 2 and even that was a defensive change. The game yesterday changed when the likes of Palmer and Mainoo came on, 2 players that pushed forward. 

Pickford

Walker Stones Guehi Trippier

Bellingham Rice

Palmer Foden(if he's back) Gordon

Kane

That's the team for next game on Sunday. 

[KB1862]

I forget what podcast it was on, either The Rest is Football or Footballs greatest, but they mention that in the 1986 World Cup England were struggling and key senior members of the squad went in to see Bobby Robson to explain that things aren't working tactically and maybe it would be better to go 3 at the back. Bobby Robson listened, he changed his ways and went 3 at the back. From then on England looked a better squad they got stronger, unfortunately due to 2 Maradona goals that should have both been disallowed they went out in the Quarter Final. 

This is what I believe needs to happen. Pundits and fans are all calling for the same thing and saying exactly the same thing. They can see the tactics are wrong, they can see where things need to change but unfortunately the only man that can change that is the man that doesn't seem to realise it. The performances are only as bad as they have been purely because of the tactics. I strongly believe that with a tactical tweak, we'll see an exciting England squad. A squad that plays the fast free flowing attacking football that we know they're capable of doing. 

[Piethagoram]

 

[Piethagoram]

 

[Piethagoram]

 

[Piethagoram]

 

[Piethagoram]

 

[KB1862]

8 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

 

Unfortunately, I agree with this. Dismal group. None of the teams have shown as much as teams in other groups. 

[KB1862]

On 21/06/2024 at 13:56, Chris said:

perhaps the formation needs altering as Harry Kane as a solo striker really does isolate him

This is something I've been calling for for a while for this reason exactly. Harry Kane is so set on the idea of dropping really deep and on many occasions full backs and midfielders are usually ahead of him and balls get played in to areas in which Kane should be. Kane can be effective at dropping deep and playing passes we know he's got a strength in his game when it comes to pinging the ball and playing passes. 

However, if Southgate is happy for Kane to continually drop this deep then why doesn't he partner Kane with another striker like Watkins who likes to spin defenders and make runs in behind defenders? 

For me, it seems illogical to have a lone striker and allow him to drop as deep as Kane does.