Despite losing to Germany in his first game in (permanent) charge, Gareth Southgate will have found much to be pleased about. A bold, attacking formation seemed to liberate the players and there were hints that this is a team that could go on to great things.
The 3-5-2 formation allowed wing-backs Kyle Walker and Ryan Bertrand freedom to launch attacks from the flanks, while Delli Alli and Adam Lallana were full of flair and creativity behind the striker. The Liverpool man was particularly impressive and was unlucky not to score, when his cross shot rebounded off the post in the second half.
Yes, the German side was also an experimental line-up and Lucas Podolski produced a thunderous winner. But England still gave a good account of themselves.
Southgate has been given a long list of goals for his team over the coming months and years, with qualification for the 2018 World Cup an absolute priority. Once there, the team must purge the memory of that horrendous summer night in Nice when we were humiliated by Iceland.
The players on the pitch last night looked comfortable, which raises a further question about those who weren’t there. Past problems for the national team have centred around the loyalty shown to experienced players, in particular Wayne Rooney. England’s record goalscorer is injured right the moment but does Southgate welcome him back when he is fit? The way Alli and Lallana took control of the midfield would suggest that Rooney’s England days are numbered. He is no longer a regular at Manchester United so how can he expect to walk back into an England team that has shown real promise?
It is surely time for Wayne Rooney to bow out gracefully.
Southgate faces another big task in convincing fans to have faith in his team. We have fallen out of love with England after a generation of tournament disappointment. The days of epic World Cup performances like the 1990 semi-final against Germany seem a million years ago.
Don’t be fooled by the numbers who travel to the away games. Those are hard-core England fans who plan their lives around trips to Lithuania and Serbia. The real problem is with the man in the street, who is becoming almost apathetic about England’s performances. We are resigned to a promising qualifying campaign, followed by an abject tournament. With every passing failure since that faraway victory in 1966 fans have beome more and more resigned.
In the same way that some define Premier League success as finishing fourth we look on a quarter-final appearance by the national team as a real achievement. This is not good enough and Southgate must work to repair this acceptance of failure.
The signs last night were promising and Southgate’s calm, confident approach to the job does generate hope. The next test will come against Lithuania on Sunday evening at Wembley, when nothing less than a confident, fluid and above all winning performance will do.
The post Gareth Southgate’s Very English Poisoned Chalice appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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