Reaching the semi-finals exceeds all expectations as the Three Lions do us proud
Well now, Gareth – no need for a hair shirt on your back – and not just because you’ve got that snazzy waistcoat. Southgate’s England finally gave a tournament performance that was beyond so many previous Three Lions’ efforts.
When England made the semi-finals in Russia, one can only wonder what Messrs Hoddle, Eriksson, Cappello & Hodgson were thinking. Southgate and his players managed to trump every one of their World Cup achievements – although in the case of Roy Hodgson’s dreadful tournament in 2014, that was not terribly difficult.
2018 was a tournament for England that needs to be reviewed in a wider context than the bare statistics. They will show that England lost three games out of seven, which might not be seen as particularly brilliant, but if the utterly superfluous and meaningless third/fourth play-off game against Belgium – which even Southgate admitted both he and his players didn’t want – is put aside, it was two defeats whilst the tournament was still alive for England.
More of the actual games later, but in my plea for context I’d ask all England fans how they felt after the exits in previous years, once the dust had settled and some calm reflection was possible. How bright did the future seem on those occasions? How much genuine optimism was there? How confident were fans with the Manager? How confident were they with the players?
I’d wager the post-Russia reflections were more upbeat and hopeful than those of yesteryear.
And if you set a lot of store by feelgood factors, collective enthusiasm and excitement – was there a better place to be than England in the Summer of 2018, when our national football team played? Big screens in parks and beaches, pubs and bars – basically anywhere a crowd could be gathered and suitably refreshed – collective mayhem ensued up and down the country for just about every game England played. Beer showers became a badge of honour for many fans.
Did the England team bring the whole country together for almost four glorious weeks? Cynics would argue not, but there was undoubtedly a lot more interest shown by non-fans who became more and more interested in England’s progress as the tournament wore on.
And so to the games themselves. The group was negotiated easily once an admittedly nervy opening 2-1 win was secured against Tunisia, followed by a thorough 6-1 rinsing of a hapless Panama. All sorts of theories were shared in the approach to the final game against Belgium, and whether or not it was actually better to lose than win, based on the various permutations of possible future-round opponents.
Quite why any manager would tell his team it would be better to lose than win any game of football is hard to fathom, and it’s safe to assume Southgate wasn’t issuing a rallying cry of “Come on guys – we can lose this game you know, if we really try!” in the dressing room beforehand.
The defeat to Belgium, where Southgate made eight changes to his by now recognised first choice eleven, meant that England now played Colombia in the first knockout round. The fact that England triumphed, via a penalty shoot-out, felt like another significant step forward for Southgate’s management. Sure, he wasn’t taking the penalties himself (just as well?), but his calm and methodical approach to the psychology of penalties bore fruit in the best way possible, thanks to Jordan Pickford’s fantastic one-handed save from Carlos Bacca, follwed by Eric Dier’s cool strike to take the shoot-out 4-3.
Sweden were next. Not particularly admired by many – functional, hard-working, difficult to break down. A game England would have expected to win, but as anyone knows, with England in knockout football, you just never know. But, the 2-0 win that England earned felt relatively trauma-free. England played with confidence and belief. This was beginning to look very good for Southgate’s team.
By reaching the semi-final with Croatia, England had matched the heroics of the late, great Sir Bobby Robson and his much-loved side from italia 90. It felt like the momentum was there. The airplay for “World in Motion” increased steadily, with images of Gazza, Gary Lineker, Chris Waddle and John Barnes reminding us of the unforgettable, oh-so-close night in Turin when West Germany ended England’s dreams with a penalty shoot-out win.
This time it was Croatia. They’d steered themselves through steadily, but perhaps unspectacularly, thus far and presented a stiff test to this resurgent England team. Crucially, they possessed a wonderfully talented playmaker in Luka Modrić – he was something that England just didn’t have in their locker at this tournament.
After a terrific first half display from England, where their organisation, discipline and game-management were once again impressive, they held a 1-0 lead at half-time. Tottenham’s Kieran Tripper, a revelation at this World Cup – so confident with the ball-striking and delivery he could provide from his right foot – buried a sumptuous free-kick past the Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subašić after only 5 minutes, and they held the lead comfortably until the interval.
But the second half unfolded very differently. Modrić, shackled and relatively anonymous in the first half, decided he’d had enough of England’s impertinence, and started to play. And boy, did he play. His vision, passing and willingness to be the fulcrum were game-changing. England simply couldn’t contain him.
Modrić clearly couldn’t do it all on his own, and in Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Persisic, he had two very willing accomplices in the dismantling of England’s grip on the game. It was suddenly a very different match. Persicic equalised on 68 minutes and any hopes England had of withstanding Croatia’s dominance took a body blow. Nobody could claim a winner in 90 minutes so extra-time followed.
Such was England’s struggle now, they may well have been praying just to get to penalties – as many millions of England fans probably were. But it wasn’t to be. Mario Mandzukic pounced with only 11 minutes of extra-time remaining, and England, sadly, never looked like clawing anything back from this position. What they did look was exhausted. They’d danced to Modrić & Co’s tune for so long, they looked as though they had no soles left on their boots.
England’s commendable journey in Russia 2018 was over, but it had undoubtedly superseded the hopes of many fans both in Russia and back home. There were few pundits predicting England as semi-finalists when the ante-post betting was being calculated.
There were some terrific games in this World Cup and some of the flair and skill on show was outstanding. Probably the best game was in the group stages, where Portugal and Spain slugged out a memorable 3-3 draw, with Cristiano Ronaldo providing a performance worthy of his stature in the game with a hat-trick. Nigeria 1, Argentina 2 was also a great contest at the same stage. Belgium 3, Japan 2 in the second round also fizzed with excitement, pace and verve in a see-saw contest that entertained us richly, as did France 4, Argentina 3 in the same round.
The final itself showed the quality France had throughout their whole team, playing with confidence and a real swagger that was great to behold. In a fantastic game of football, the French overcame Croatia 4-2 to be crowned worthy champions. Perhaps Croatia’s efforts against England took a little too much out of them, as they chased the game. They had parity at 1-1, but the French gradually took control and the final scoreline seemed a fair result.
Whilst we can lament the lack of a genuine English play-maker, we could also dream wistfully of a raw talent as confident and gifted as the teenager Kylian Mbappé of France, who shone throughout the tournament and duly collected the young player of the tournament award, whilst Croatia’s Modrić secured the Golden Ball for best player – both awards richly deserved for two players that Southagte would probably give anything to have.
To reflect upon England’s achievements requires many positives – but one cannot ignore a couple of negatives also. Firstly – the good news. Gareth Southgate led his squad and his team brilliantly. Articulate, honest, positive and engaging from start to finish. He seemed confident and comfortable with the task in hand from the word go, and the players clearly believed in him. He suddenly seems like the perfect man for this job and has certainly got the vast majority of supporters onside, no doubt looking forward to the future for England with a great deal more hope and expectation after this tournament.
I must also concede that Southgate has definitely eased the concerns I had about his appointment, in November 2016 (“England expects – or merely hopes?”). Back then I was concerned that he was a “safe and predictable choice”. Well, he probably was at the time…but crucially he has been his own man as he has grown into his role, and for that I salute him.
He decided to enter this World Cup with a key difference in formation, going three at the back with wing-backs encouraged to get forward whenever possible. Whilst this shift was not exactly revolutionary by itself, it was still a bold move on his part. Imagine the media reaction had we crashed out at the group stages with this formation, entirely of Southgate’s choosing?
To see Harry Maguire and Co. carrying the ball out of defence so confidently and so positively at this World Cup has been as refreshing as it’s been effective. Territory has been gained quickly, giving the opposition plenty to think about, and more often than not, pushing them onto the back foot. The advanced positions of Ashley Young or Danny Rose on the left and Tripper on the right also gave more passing options to our three centre backs.
Of course, it has its scary moments defensively, but perhaps we need to consider it’s still a work in progress? Kyle Walker has himself admitted that a centre-back role still feels unfamiliar to him, so occasional positional errors must surely be expected? With greater time and familiarity, the system will probably get tighter and look stronger the more the players get used to it.
Continuing with the positives, Southgate has fostered a great team spirit with his squad, and a culture with no egos. He’s treated the players like men, allowing them to use their own judgement in key areas of behaviour and protocol.
He’s also served up some attractive football too. Whilst the opposition in the 6-1 demolition of Panama has to be considered, it was still gratifying to see so many chances being created, and so many taken. England’s threat from dead-ball situations has rocketed at this World Cup – a huge endorsement of Southgate’s management and coaching. Suddenly we appear to have an England team who literally cannot wait for their next corner or free-kick.
I swear that during some of England’s matches there was a GPS tracking device in operation that forbade any corner to land anywhere other than firmly in the middle of Harry Maguire’s forehead, such was his effectiveness at winning headers. Set pieces are a genuine weapon and always have been. Southgate and his staff seem to have rekindled this idea for an England team that hasn’t been especially effective in this area for quite a while.
Southgate also had a first choice eleven in mind and only deviated from it when he felt he could afford to rest players or because of injury. Many fans weren’t happy with the continued faith he showed in Raheem Sterling and Dele Alli. Southgate was convinced of their worth, frequently speaking about his focus being more on the team and less on individuals. Mercifully we didn’t have any of the head-scratching and constant chopping and changing of team personnel – and team shape – of previous regimes.
On the negative side, I’d make just two observations. England still don’t possess an international quality playmaker, and whilst that can be masked and got around against some opposition, there usually comes a time when it can cost you dear – hello Luka Modrić, hello Croatia….
Southgate cannot manufacture a player that we simply don’t have, so it’s hardly his fault. In fact, you could argue that the current England team, with the shape and players he employed at this World Cup, and the progress they made, is pretty much the best that could be done if you simply don’t have your own Eden Hazard or a Modrić.
Jack Wilshere had his supporters, pre-World Cup, who feel he should have been on the plane to Russia. I’m sure Southgate considered him carefully, but even though Wilshire does have many supporters and (fitness permitting) could have offered England an alternative dimension, is he really 100% a playmaker in the truest sense?
Post World Cup, it will be interesting to see if Southgate brings in something perhaps a bit different into his midfield – there is some impressive creativity and youthful expression out there amongst some of our promising youngsters who have already impressed at various England age group levels.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (if played centrally?) and Mason Mount at Chelsea, Phil Foden and Taylor Richards at Manchester City, Tayo Edun at Fulham, and Tashan Oakley-Boothe at Spurs to name but a few. It’s also worth bearing in mind that Harry Winks at Spurs is still only 22.
Lastly, whilst this was indeed England’s best performance at a World Cup for 28 years, and it captivated so many people, attracted huge praise and gave us all a lot of optimism for the future, there is one thing we cannot ignore.
The way this tournament unfolded, with the unexpected early exits of Argentina, Spain and Germany – plus the fact that two other international powerhouses in Italy & Holland didn’t even qualify – opened things up for England in such a way that you’d never really expect it to happen again. And to be fair to England, they capitalised on it by getting as far as the semi-finals, which was of course an over-achievement in many people’s eyes.
Croatia are a very decent side, obviously, and have some impressive individuals as we all know. But after 45 minutes, did England give themselves a platform that, on another day, may just have led to victory? And then you’re in the World Cup Final. Against France. Tough opponents, no doubt, but it did feel – for a while at least – like we certainly had an opportunity to get there?
Football didn’t quite make it all the way home this Summer, but it got a heck of a lot closer than most of us thought it would. Thanks Gareth, you and your squad were a credit to England. You’ve given us a glimpse of what just might be possible in the future – and it looks good.
By Chris Tribe
17th July 2018
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