Southgate should go – out with a bang!
The buck stops with the manager. England’s stumbling progress into the knockout stages of the Euros was not achieved in spite of their manager: it had Gareth Southgate’s safety harness all over it.
The England coach is the kind of man who would mow the lawn wearing goggles; play badminton in a helmet and don a Hazmat suit to take out the trash.
His players have bought into this numbing negativity, playing as if in quicksand, weighed down by world weariness, terrified to go near the opponents’ box.
The same players who star for their clubs turn into statues under Southgate.
Opponents pick up on this. Slovakia have already said England look ‘miserable’ and intend to capitalise on Sunday.
As an international manager, Southgate is out of his depth but has led a charmed life with a good crop of players and some kind draws.
But he’s never won anything and the only club he’s managed, Middlesbrough, were relegated.
And now, booed by fans and slaughtered by the press, he looks to have had enough.
Win – however unlikely – or lose, he is sure to go when his contract ends in December.
A decent man, he’s good behind the scenes but not tactically astute nor brave enough: more a director of football than a coach.
But with these players, no injuries and having landed yet again in the easy half of the draw, all is not yet lost.
The squad he chose was surprisingly bold – he went on form not reputation.
But he must do the same now and not be afraid to drop big names.
He should also release the handbrake; tell the players this is his last hurrah and try to go out with a bang.
Rest Kane and let the Bell ring
Before the tournament started, England’s two superstars were Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.
Both were headline acts in Europe, Kane scoring almost a goal a game for Bayern, Bellingham becoming Real Madrid’s Player of the Year.
But one is a No 9 who drops deep and the other a No 10 who played much of the season as a No 9.
The upshot is that for England, they are going for the same ball, almost colliding instead of combining.
Both look jaded, Kane more so, and he’s carrying a back injury. When he was hooked against Denmark, England briefly looked better.
Ollie Watkins injected a bit of pace and although he did little else, it was a spark where previously nothing would ignite.
If ever there was a time to try something new, it’s now.
Give Kane – as the older man by a decade – a rest and let the younger one – who was 21 yesterday (Saturday) – have the keys to the door.
With Watkins up top, it would allow Bellingham to drop deeper and help midfield which is England’s greatest need.
Bellingham and Kane combined better in the 2022 World Cup when the Real Madrid man did stay back.
This is where his future surely lies and by removing Kane altogether, he’d have more room to play in his natural position.
Besides getting a tune out of the Bell, it might help when Kane makes his inevitable return.
Kobbie ready to be the Mainoo man
Amidst all the gloom and doom – and genuine mystification – surrounding England, there have been one or two glimmers.
Giving up on Conor Gallagher against Slovenia and replacing him with Kobbie Mainoo was one of them.
It was only a half, but what a difference the Manchester United teenager made.
We knew he was special, but it’s still a big step up.
He only made his first team debut in November and this is the second biggest tournament in the world – but he took it in his stride.
The ease, the elegance, the calmness… with which he’s adapted all belie his 19 years.
Instead of chasing lost causes – as Gallagher did – Mainoo was comfortable on the ball and finding teammates in tight spaces.
His introduction lifted England and only Southgate knows why he didn’t play him earlier after Mainoo had taken to international football as if to the manor born in the pre-tournament friendlies.
We must now assume the experiment with Trent Alexander Arnold in midfield is now abandoned.
Mainoo looks like it’s his spot for the next decade.
Luke to Shaw up left field
Besides being underwhelming, England have been unbalanced.
Kieran Trippier has made a fist of playing at left-back but he’s a natural right-footer and this has negated any thrust down the left side.
But the word is that Luke Shaw, a natural left-footer, is ready to play on Sunday. It can’t come soon enough.
It was from just such a burst down the wing that the Manchester United man scored after two minutes to give England a flying start to the Euro 2021 final.
Southgate took a huge risk in not choosing another left-footer for the role and has paid a high price: opponents can see that England are lopsided from the kick-off.
Ben Chilwell is not Roberto Carlos but he could have stood in.
But if Shaw, who hasn’t played since February, is not too rusty, England should benefit from his return.
There has been virtually no link up with Phil Foden who has floated inside anyway, but Shaw’s introduction may see the City player show more of his club form.
With only four goals in 37 games for his country, he needs to step up. So far he’s looked nothing like the EPL’s Footballer of the Year.
Having a left-footer behind him might make him look more like his club self.
Cool Palmer another reason for hope
Just in case we forget, England were made favourites because, beside the big names, they had a clutch of exciting youngsters.
And Cole Palmer was head of the queue.
But curiously ignored in the first two matches, he was given only half the time that Mainoo had – and he didn’t waste it.
Oozing cool, he casually entered the fray and produced two sensational passes and an array of tricks and changes of pace.
Doing that while others toiled showed his class – and temperament.
He wears an expression that says ‘Nothing phases me’ which is why he’s yet to miss a penalty.
And now they’re in the knockout phase, that’s another reason to have him on the field.
He should start against Slovakia instead of Bukayo Saka, another who looks as if he’s not recovered from a long season.
The Arsenal man lacks the zip we saw in Qatar and in the 2021 Euros, but it just looks as if he needs a break.
With Palmer and Mainoo injecting some serious quality and Shaw providing balance, England could begin to resemble the team we expected.
But Southgate has to give them the freedom to express themselves first.
Telling them this is his last hurrah might just light the touchpaper.