Comment|England’s poor attacking play was not only a matter of caution, but there is a serious structural problem in the team’s play, writes Jaakko Tiira.
Football England, one of the biggest favorites to win the European Championships, managed a narrow 1–0 victory in their opening game. Serbia fell in Gelsenkirchen, hitting the bar.
The most relevant statistic is goal attempts. England recorded five of them in the whole match. In terms of expected goals, these companies produced 0.53 goals.
The reading is miserable for England’s ferocious attacking equipment.
In itself, tight attacking play is not unusual for England. Gareth Southgate has relied on careful game plans during his head coaching season that started in 2016 – and he didn’t let off the handbrake even now.
This time, however, there are worrying signs in the air. The poor attacking play was not only a matter of caution, but there is a serious structural problem in England’s playing.
Left The wing was known to be a problem for the Three Lions even before the tournament. Against Serbia, the pain point raged throughout the match.
The left side double harness by Phil Foden and Kieran Trippier’s the joint game did not work – not even a little. As player types, they don’t fit together.
Foden, who attacked on the left, is not a traditional winger, but a skillful player who thrives in the middle. When Foden moves to the center, there is space on the wing. However, Trippier is not able to utilize this space as a right-footed player.
In practice, the game stopped every time the ball was played to Trippier. As a tackle who played with the better foot on the side of the field, he repeatedly had to take extra touches. The attack lost its rhythm.
Kieran Trippier handled his defensive duties in style, but the attacking end was thin.
False-footedness it wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if Pak, who plays below Foden, was familiar with the place. However, Trippier has played his entire career as a right tackle.
Trippier was lost in the attacking direction, and Foden spent 90 minutes on the sidelines. Foden didn’t shoot once and didn’t record a single miss.
Known for his brilliant crosses, Trippier never managed to spit dangerous balls into the Serbian penalty area.
In practice, England did not attack lazily through the left wing.
of Jude Bellingham 1–0 winning goal and Harry Kane the header that hit the top bar in the second period both came from the right wing’s crosses.
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Taken out of context, Gordon is not a Foden-like player, but he fits England better.
Opening match showed that Southgate has to make tough decisions.
Foden and Trippier’s partnership showed no signs of working as the tournament progressed.
England’s left wing is crying out for a player who attacks out wide.
There could be one solution to the problem Luke Shaw’s lifting to the left side of the defensive line. However, the solution would be risky, as Shaw, who is out of shape, last played in February. And defensively, Trippier performed his duties impeccably.
From the point of view of England as a whole, the most balanced solution would be to put Fode on the bench and bring up the speedster on the left side Anthony Gordon to the opening.
The idea sounds radical, as Foden was awarded Premier League player of the season last season. However, the added value Foden brought against Serbia was non-existent.
Taken out of context, Gordon is not a Foden-like player, but he fits England better. The Newcastle player scored 11 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League last season. Gordon is at his best when he gets out wide to challenge defenders in 1-on-1 situations.
That’s exactly the kind of player England’s left wing needs at the moment.
Anthony Gordon got his place on the screen in the training match against Iceland, but he still had to wait for the starting place in the competitive games.
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