It’s mostly been smooth sailing for Gareth Southgate’s squad so far in the 2022 World Cup, and perhaps the only “setback” was back in match-day 2 against the USMNT, a game in which Southgate’s squad displayed some of its flaws, not only because England couldn’t inflict damage to the American defence, but because managerial tactics lacked ambition and awareness of what was going on the field. It seems that the English manager learned the lesson after this game, and tried different approaches for match-day 3, and the last-16 game, but does England have a realistic chance to beat the reigning World Champions?
Choosing the Right XI
One of the main “struggles” for Southgate is how can he manage such a talented squad, this is what we can call a “happy problem” since it seems as if England has all the raw material to succeed in the tournament, but you can’t play all of your squad at the same time, so this has become quite a puzzle to figure out for the manager. Who should start on attack against France? What’s the right approach to this game in midfield? If we recall the game against the USMNT, one of the main issues was that when the game started to go against England, Southgate could not adjust accordingly and he even left on the bench players like Foden and Phillips that could’ve helped breaking the deadlock, and players like Harry Kane stopped providing anything positive to the team after the 65th minute. Southgate needs to pay special attention, and if he notices a flaw in his starting XI, he needs to adjust pronto.
How much too Risk on Attack
When you are facing one of the best teams in the world, it’s always going to be tough to take them straight on, but should England try to go toe to toe with France? Southgate is not one that likes extreme risks, so we wouldn’t count on it. But besides Harry Kane starting upfront to try to hold on to the ball, and take advantage of any goal opportunity, it seems as if Bukayo Saka is also set to start, since his stamina and level of play has been outstanding, and he can provide the coverage needed when England lacks possession as shown against a physical team as Senegal. On the other flank, is going to be tricky, since Foden may be too much of a risk to start against a fierce opponent, so could Rashford or Graelish take on a more defensive approach if needed?
Midfield Control
If any team plans to compete against France, one of the main keys is holding the midfield. England has very good options, and against Senegal, both Bellingham and Henderson had superb performances. There’s no doubt both will take on a starting role, but can Declan Rice hold the centre of the field? Or should Phillips see additional playing time in a tricky game against the French? How long can Henderson compete in a high intensity match? As we mentioned before, it’s going to be an additional risk to play someone like Mason Mount early on, since he is not favoured on the defensive end of the field, but if England find themselves trailing early, Southgate will have to give it everything he’s got sooner or later.
Defensive Perfection
England has not conceded a goal since their World Cup opener (in a resolved game) against Iran, so the saga is at ease at the moment with Maguire and Stones on centre, but everybody knows who is the main weapon of France’s elite attack. Who will take on Kylian Mbappe? Should Kyle Walker take on the impossible task, or is Trippier a better option for this particular game? Plenty of the English chances will linger on stopping Mbappe, and if Maguire and Stones hold the line there may be a hope after all, or it may even be down to Pickford having an incredible game. So, can England make the Semis?
