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LONDON – Gareth Southgate was always going to win his 50th game in charge of England. Despite the old cliché that there are no easy games in international football, the reality is always quite different when San Marino is the opponent.
There are 210 teams in the FIFA World Ranking and San Marino is ranked 210, so the result against the worst team in football was never in doubt for England, who are in fourth place. However, Southgate is not a man to put statistics before progress, so the 50-year-old would have preferred to see his players put through a tougher test of their ability with Euro 2020 just three months away and Qatar. 2022 starting to loom on the horizon. .
“We did the best we could,” Southgate said. “I was very pleased with the way we pushed when we lost the ball. That highlighted the mentality of the team for the whole 90 minutes. Of course, he is an opponent we must beat, but I think they did the job very well.” “
This walk from Wembley marked the start of England’s qualifying journey to the World Cup, and Southgate will have learned nothing from his team’s 5-0 victory, secured with goals from James Ward-Prowse, Dominic Calvert-Lewin ( 2), Raheem Sterling and rookie Ollie Watkins. Sunday’s clash with Albania in Tirana and Tuesday’s home game against Poland are likely to offer England increasingly difficult challenges, but this is a nation that repeatedly crosses the standings against weaker teams, only to find themselves failing. against the elite nations in the big tournaments.
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But after 50 games in charge of his country, Southgate has undoubtedly restored the Three Lions’ reputation as a national team to be reckoned with.
When assigned to the job in September 2016, initially in a four-game interim capacity following the sacking of Sam Allardyce after a match in charge, England were still reeling from a disastrous Euro 2016 campaign that ended with the humiliating defeat of Round of 16 against Iceland. Confidence had bottomed out within the team and Southgate took it upon himself not only to rebuild the team, but also to lower expectations around a national team that had underperformed any other major country since winning the World Cup. in 1966.
However, four and a half years after taking office, Southgate can look back on a race to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals in Russia and qualification for the final stages of the inaugural UEFA Nations League a year later. He has put an end to the international careers of Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and many others and has put his faith in younger players, delivering 40 debuts to players like Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount.
Marcus Rashford, who was missing against San Marino due to injury, has made more appearances for Southgate (37) than any other player and the Manchester United striker will be a key figure in this summer’s delayed Euro 2020 alongside players like Harry Kane and Sterling. That entire trio played in the Euro 2016 loss to Iceland – substitutes Kyle Walker and Eric Dier against San Marino also suffered that infamous loss in Nice, so Southgate has certainly found a way to make that group of players have success in the international. stage.
But where is England heading under Southgate? Can they overcome the obstacles that have tripped England so often and find a way to win Euro 2020 or Qatar 2022?
When they face Croatia at Wembley in their first Euro 2020 group match on June 13, England, injury permitting, will start with Kane, Rashford, Harry Maguire, Jordan Henderson and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, none of them which was a starter against San Marino. Foden is also building a strong case for inclusion in Southgate’s Best XI.
Pickford’s inconsistent form for Everton this season has put a question mark on his position in England, with Burnley’s Nick Pope as his possible replacement, but Pickford has always been dependable for Southgate, so he’s likely to stick with the number one shirt.
At the rear, England have relative riches, highlighted by Southgate’s decision to drop Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in favor of Walker, Kieran Trippier and Reece James. Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw are vying for the left-back spot, while the resurgent John Stones is back in the picture in the middle, allowing Southgate to pair the City defender with United’s Maguire in the Euro Cup.
Southgate is also blessed with attacking talent. Kane has the ability to add a Euro 2020 Golden Boot to the one he won in Russia as the World Cup top scorer, while Rashford, Sterling, Calvert-Lewin and Jadon Sancho also possess a real attacking threat. By the time Qatar 2022 rolls around, Mason Greenwood is likely to emerge as an England regular, so the future is bright from a goalscoring perspective.
But it’s in midfield that Southgate has yet to find a solution to England’s long-standing problem of lack of creativity and the ability to control games. Ward-Prowse and Kalvin Phillips anchored the midfield against San Marino, but to do so against Spain, France or Germany would be a completely different challenge. Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson and Dier have also been deployed in that position, but they lack the talent to make a difference against the best teams, so perhaps Borussia Dortmund’s dynamic 17-year-old Bellingham is the answer.
England’s defeat in the World Cup semi-final against Croatia in Moscow was a painful lesson in the importance of keeping the ball, but while Southgate has seen creative talent emerge since 2018, we are yet to find out if he really trusts them. Foden and Jack Grealish have made a huge impact for England this season, while Mount has also shown the ability to open holes in opposing defenses. The discovered James Maddison is another who could give England the much-needed flair in midfield. Perhaps Southgate considers the four creative midfield options to lack the necessary experience at this stage (Qatar rather than Euro 2020 may be the defining moment), but without the ability to keep the ball and pass through quality opponents, England will have a hard time doing it. summer and at the World Cup.
However, England are in a better place after Southgate’s 50 games than when it started. He has won 30 games, losing 10 and drawing 10, and has regained the pride of the national team. He has the talent at his disposal to go even further, but despite the progress made, Euro 2020 still seems too early for this England team, unless Southgate is bold enough to back his creative stars in midfield. .
