We have just under a week until England’s opening game of Euro 2024, and Gareth Southgate has many issues to deal with.
1. Who partners Stones at Centre Back?
Embed from Getty ImagesWith Harry Maguire out of the tournament due to a calf injury, England lacks experienced centre-backs to fill his spaces.
Embed from Getty ImagesEzri Konsa, Lewis Dunk, Marc Guehi, and Joe Gomez have had good seasons for their clubs, but can they prove it on the biggest stage?
You could say that Dunk has had a slightly poorer season, but the way Roberto De Zerbi had set his team up meant Brighton was always susceptible to counterattacks.
However, the one thing the Brighton centre half does possess is aerial presence.
This was England’s Achilles heel in the World Cup quarterfinal against France when Olivier Giroud headed in the winner.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe backline’s concentration levels need to be spot on, particularly in the tournament’s latter stages.
2. The Foden Conundrum
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Manchester City Midfielder is arguably one of England’s most naturally gifted talents, but we have yet to see his ability at a major tournament.
The issue for Southgate is where to get the best out of him.
Foden prefers playing the central areas, where he can get on the ball, but Southgate prefers him on the right wing, where he isn’t at his best.
But when you have the likes of Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, who are both at the peak of their careers, it’s pretty difficult to find a place in central midfield.
The other option is a single pivot for Rice, Bellingham, and Foden. Rice is the holding midfielder, Bellingham is in a free midfield role, and Foden is the 10 assisting the attacks.
Embed from Getty ImagesTrent Alexander-Arnold looked bright against Bosnia last Monday, but can Southgate trust him in that position for a knockout game?
3. Pressure Of Being Favourites
According to Odds Checker, England are the odds-on favourites to win the European Championships, but can they handle the expectations?
Let’s not forget that other countries, such as Portugal and France, can win it.
Southgate and his 26-man squad must ignore the media’s noise and focus solely on the football, which surely will be the case.
The last thing the fans want to see is the team crumbling under the pressure and expectation of the nation.
So Southgate must let the team express themselves on the pitch to get the best out of his players.
4. left Back
Embed from Getty ImagesManchester United’s veteran full-back is a doubt for England as he is nursing an ongoing hamstring.
This is a big issue for England and Southgate, as he has been a consistent performer under his reign thus far.
Given his injury-hit season, playing him in this summer’s Euro 2024 is a risk, especially given the team’s history of playing players who have just returned from injury.
So now the question for the Gaffer is, who will he play at left back if Shaw isn’t fit?
Embed from Getty ImagesThe most likely option would be the Newcastle wing-back, who can play right or left-back.
Or Southgate will go with Joe Gomez, who has had a good season at Liverpool.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis may be a good defensive option for Southgate, as Gomez can adapt to different positions in the backline.
But we will have to wait till Sunday evening to find out.
5. Tactics And Substitutions
Embed from Getty ImagesFans have always criticized Southgate for his conservative tactics, particularly against teams that defend in a low block, like Iceland.
But If England is to stand any chance of winning this tournament, the manager must prove that he can tweak his tactics.
His in-game management is much better than it was for the World Cup.
The timing of his substitutions needs to be better than they were in Qatar, particularly when he took off an in-form Bukayo Saka after Giroud had made it 2-1.
England was still a threat, with Saka causing problems for Jules Koundé on the right wing.
He was replaced by an out-of-form Raheem Sterling, who had just returned to the squad after his house had been burgled.
If England are to end their 58-year wait for a trophy, Southgate needs to prove that he has the tactical nouse to change games in their favour.
He must also show the mental strength to deal with these five issues.
Can England bring home their first European Championships?
