Euro 2024: Dysfunction may be England manager Gareth Southgate's best hope
England reached the quarter-finals of a major tournament for a fourth consecutive time under manager Gareth Southgate, but Sunday's 2-1 win over Slovakia owed more to good fortune than design.
A moment of individual brilliance by Jude Bellingham and a Harry Kane header came in a two-minute spell that straddled the end of the 90-minute regulation and the start of extra time. It was England's best period in 120-plus minutes.
Bellingham, England's gun player, and Kane, the Three Lions' talisman, otherwise had games to forget. They were by no means alone in that department, and those who tagged this England team as favourites to win Euro 2024 are now conspicuous by their absence. Four games in and the only takeaway is that England are simply not good enough.
There are reasons for that and plenty of column inches will be dedicated between now and Saturday's showdown against Switzerland in highlighting the deficiencies and disconnect.
Manager Gareth Southgate will be the main target, and it's hard to make a case for his defence after performances so far. The Trent-Alexander Arnold experiment has failed, jettisoning experienced players – 12 of this England squad are playing at their first senior tournament – looks questionable and a seeming inability to make changes when they are needed most has given his critics plenty of ammunition.
Football is notoriously fickle. The goodwill Southgate built early on in his tenure has now dissipated. Southgate has led England to 50 per cent of all their major semi-final and final appearances and was within a penalty kick of claiming only a second trophy for the nation at Euro 2020.
But to lay all the blame for England's ills on Southgate overlooks the failure of the players on the pitch. Save for the first 45 minutes in their opening game against Serbia, England have looked ponderous on the ball, lifeless off it. The forwards have all the energy and movement of an asthmatic ant.
Pundits were incandescent at Southgate's delay in making changes and a reluctance to switch things up against Slovakia after falling behind to a Ivan Schranz effort. The first change, midway through the second half when the Slovaks had already made three of their own, was out of necessity following an injury to Kieran Trippier.
ENGLAND RATINGS: Dived to his left after five minutes as a shot went wide of his post from the side ranked 45th in the world. He was soon punching the floor and picking only a second goal of the tournament out of his net, one he wasn’t at fault. A spectator for most of the game. EPA
Rare that he’s caught out, but he was three times including in Slovakia’s best early attack in a chaotic start. AFP
Clattered before half time in what should have been a yellow card challenge. Unaware of a short pass that almost led to a Slovakian second. PA
Early yellow card, which means he'll miss quarter-final, then blocked a Slovakia attempt. Clunky and beaten in the air as Slovakia went ahead, but top header in build-up to Bellingham’s equaliser. Getty Images
Right-foot shot went miles over after nine minutes. Excellent pass to Foden down the left. Thought he’d set Foden up for the equaliser five mins into second half. Went off injured after 65. AP
Better. Forceful, but accurate tackle, at a time when yellow cards were being dished out. Passed well to Bellingham, hit the post on 80. Getty Images
Stepped into the team and did little wrong. Started well and heavily involved, though another with an early yellow card for a late challenge. Volleyed over on 23. EPA
Bright start when he was England’s main threat. Moved to left-back when the injured Trippier went off. AP
More involved than in previous matches. Set up Trippier early on, but yet another with an early yellow from a referee letting little go. Tried to lift the crowd after England went behind. Dived and asked for a penalty on 70. By that time, he looked shattered. Yet he stayed on and with good reason for his overhead kick on 95 saved England. Beautiful technique. EPA
Went down after 22 amid called for a penalty. Wasn’t happening for him or his team. Getty Images
Unselfish pass to Trippier stretched Slovakia and led to England’s offside goal. Came alive after and headed a cross down and wide on 77. He’d normally score those. Got the second in the first minute of extra time with a close-range header – his 65th England goal. PA
SUBS: (On for Tripper, 66'): Came on to an enthusiastic welcome – and he immediately gave England energy. EPA
(On for Mainoo, 84'): Found himself playing as a wing-back. Bizarre. Involved in the match-winning goal. Reuters
(On for Foden, 94'): Did well with a header, flicking the ball into the danger area where Kane scored the second. Blasted a shot over after 120 minutes, going for power. Getty Images
(On for Bellingham, 105'): Introduced at half time in extra time. Went to left-back in a five-man defence. AFP
(On for Kane, 105'): Came on at half time in extra time. Drew fouls, won a free kick, got a booking. PA
It set in motion a merry-go-round to fill a position that has become England's Achilles heel, but one that could offer them license to experiment and galvanize a team in desperate need of it.
In all five players, for different lengths of time and with varying degrees of success, occupied the left-back berth. Trippier started before injury curtailed his involvement. Bukayo Saka, who made it painfully clear pre-match he'd rather sit on the bench than operate there, was shunted back from his role wide on the right wing before substitutes Eberechi Eze, Ivan Toney and Ezra Konza took turns on patrol.
More by luck than judgement, the chaos breathed a much-needed nervous energy into a lifeless team. The malaise, in some aspects, emboldened England to adopt a new approach. Bellingham's spectacular overhead kick on 95 minutes came courtesy of a flick on from a throw-in from the right but the build-up owed much to Eze's willingness to operate as a one-man flank on the left.
Toney's flick on from a mis-hit Kobbie Mainoo shot fell invitingly for Kane to head home to seal the comeback.
It's by no means a strategy to win a major tournament, but dysfunction could be England's best hope of finding a winning formula. Order has failed, let chaos reign.
“All along the players that have come into the games have had a big impact, they’ve been ready, they’ve trained well, and all of the guys that came on played important roles either in creating the goals, steadying the ship," Southgate said.
“We want to be better. I’m not going to hide from that, but the spirit and the character was there for everybody to see, and we’re still in there fighting.”
Marc Guehi, right, picked up his second yellow card of the tournament and is suspended for England's match against Switzerland. PA
At least one change will be forced on Southgate with defender Marc Guehi suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament. Konza or Lewis Dunk are the main contenders to get the call, but Southgate could do worse than revert to a formula that served him so well at the 2018 World Cup in Russia when configuring his defence.
Back then Southgate deployed a three-man defence with Kyle Walker on the right side of the defence with Trippier ahead of him at wing-back. With Trippier an injury doubt, Southgate could turn to Alexander-Arnold with either Saka or Eze operating on the left.
The change offers a new look and calls on the ability of Alexander-Arnold, England's best passer, to operate in a role he is more familiar with and the energy of Eze to offer a threat down the left.
No matter the formation, Southgate has to find a place for Cole Palmer to offer incision to England's attack.
Before setting off for Germany, Southgate showed his squad a presentation of England's 1966 World Cup winners, highlighting the team's difficulties before going on to win what remains the country's only major trophy.
England will need to invoke the same spirit that carried Sir Alf Ramsey's team if they are to have any chance of challenging for a second.