Why is England in this situation?

England were very close to qualifying for Euro 2024 after a 1-1 draw with Denmark in the early morning of June 21. But watching England play, fans couldn't help but worry about the Euro championship candidate.

Coach Southgate is having problems using England's stars - Photo: Reuters

Coach Gareth Southgate's players played soullessly, blandly and completely out of line with the quality of the players they had. England is the most expensive team at Euro 2024. Coach Southgate has the top scorer of the German Championship (Harry Kane), the best player of the 2023-2024 Premier League (Phil Foden) and one of the best midfielders of the Champions League (Jude Bellingham)... But Coach Southgate has turned them into mediocre players in the Euro 2024 shirt...

Coach Southgate's confusion

What fans need from England is for them to play like the number 1 candidate for the championship. With a squad full of quality players, England must have convincing wins, similar to the hosts Germany. However, the "Three Lions" played sluggishly, surprisingly below their inherent ability. The players were indifferent and lacked fighting spirit in most of the disputes. Former player Rio Ferdinand told the BBC: "The current balance of the England team does not allow players to reach the level they have achieved at the clubs they have played for. Phil Foden is not in the right position and does not play his best. Jude Bellingham would probably play better in the No. 8 position. That is a big problem for England." Rio Ferdinand is right. Coach Southgate seems to be confused because he has too many stars and does not know how to use them properly. Coach Southgate does not have the right tactical options for each player. Instead, he crammed his best players into a squad to avoid wasting them. However, this led to a situation where the stars were not playing in their best positions and their talents could not be exploited. In that chaotic context, coach Southgate also experimented with putting full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. This experiment quickly failed when Trent Alexander-Arnold was completely stifled by Serbia and Denmark's midfielders. The failure of the Trent Alexander-Arnold plan completely destroyed England's style of play. The "Three Lions" could not keep the ball, attack and contain the explosion of other stars. Perhaps everything would have been better if Southgate had simply put the players back in their best positions.

Phil Foden is the number 1 striker in the Premier League for Man City, but plays poorly for the England team - Photo: REUTERS

England players need sacrifices

England is a team of excellent players. Therefore, their egos are very big. However, to be successful, England players must know how to sacrifice for each other. Top stars must accept being on the bench or playing in the wrong position for teammates who are more capable. For example, if Phil Forden and Bellingham are too similar, one of them must sit out. Or depending on each match, coach Southgate will use which player to achieve the best results. The players must work together, play more aggressively and have a high sense of responsibility. In the past two matches, the cohesion between England stars is almost non-existent. Every player wants to shine and prove themselves. That should not be the case because no team can be successful without working together. Euro 2024 has only gone through two matches with England and it is not too late. Coach Southgate still has enough time to change and help England return. In some ways, it is a good thing that England has revealed their shortcomings so early. The key for the "Three Lions" therefore lies in whether coach Southgate is willing to change or not!

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tuyen-anh-vi-dau-nen-noi-2024062208531211.htm