England’s Midfield Plans Gone Awry
Kosport Magazine brings you the latest update on England’s performance in Euro 2024. After the disappointment of their World Cup semi-final defeat in 2018, hopes were high for England heading into the European Championships. However, their midfield plans have not gone as expected.
Kosport Magazine’s Take:
England’s manager, Gareth Southgate, had been working on a midfield experiment with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold at its core. The hope was that his passing range and defensive experience would bring a new dimension to England’s play. Unfortunately, this plan has not worked out.
In their recent match against Denmark, England were lucky to secure a 1-1 draw. They struggled to control the game and looked disjointed for the majority of the match. This has been a recurring issue for England in tournaments, and Southgate’s gamble on Alexander-Arnold has not paid off.
Despite his undeniable talent, the Liverpool player is not a natural playmaker. England have lacked this type of player in the past and it has cost them dearly. This was evident in their defeats to Italy in 2012 and Croatia in 2018, and in the Nations League semi-final against the Netherlands in 2019.
Southgate’s decision to play Alexander-Arnold in midfield has left England without a player who can dictate the game and pull the strings. This was highlighted in their latest match, where Denmark’s midfield controlled the game and eventually equalized through a well-crafted goal.
The fact that Southgate made the decision to substitute Alexander-Arnold early in the second half is telling. It shows that he was not happy with the midfielder’s performance and is considering drastic changes for their next match against Slovenia.
Kosport Magazine’s take on the situation is that Southgate needs to reevaluate his midfield plans. The likes of Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher should be given a chance to show what they can do. It’s clear that the current experiment is not working, and England’s hopes of winning the tournament will be in jeopardy if changes are not made.
