England lost 1-0 to Brazil in an international friendly at the Wembley Stadium last Saturday, with young Endrick scoring the match winner. The English have a star-studded line-up, but their inability to score a goal on home soil was quite disappointing.
Admittedly, they did not have a few star players like Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, but the loss must have hurt them nevertheless.
England’s 4-2-3-1 is probably not the best possible option for them
England started the match with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Conor Gallagher partnering Declan Rice in their double pivot. Jude Bellingham thus had more freedom to attack as the No. 10, with Phil Foden and Anthony Gordon starting on the flanks.
Then Kobbie Mainoo also made his England debut in the second half. On current form, Mainoo probably
deserves a call-up to the squad for the Euro 2024 even ahead of Gallagher.
England should be significantly stronger if Saka and Kane both start. However, their formation should probably be a 4-3-3 instead of a 4-2-3-1, with Rice as the lone defensive midfielder and Bellingham and Foden as the two central midfielders. Saka, Kane and Marcus Rashford can then start as the front-three.
It will definitely add to England’s attacking edge, with as many as five players capable of breaching the opposition defence. On the flip side, it will curtail Bellingham’s attacking freedom to some extent and force him to take up more defensive responsibility. However, the Real Madrid midfielder is well capable of taking up any such responsibility. The 4-3-3 will also be suitable for someone like Foden, who is well capable of playing the short-passing game in the middle third.
Foden can also combine with Saka and Bellingham with Rashford to increase the potency in England’s attack.
Gallagher is more comfortable playing a direct game
Gallagher is quite adept at playing box-to-box and enjoys making runs into the opposition penalty box at times. However, his playing style is more suitable to a direct approach and hence, he might not thrive while playing alongside the likes of Bellingham and Foden.
Mainoo is more composed on the ball and can help England build up attacks through short passes. Hence, the Manchester United teenager seems to be a better fit in England’s set-up at the moment. However, the final decision is for coach Gareth Southgate to make.
The defence remains a concern
Harry Maguire and John Stones are expected to start as the two centre-backs for The Three Lions. However, while Maguire is a bit slow and remains vulnerable against pacey opposition forwards, Stones has often played as a defensive midfielder for Manchester City.
The English do not have too many back-ups available, and Luke Shaw’s injury means that there is no quality option aside from Ben Chilwell in the left-back position either.
Southgate will have to address those defensive issues and cannot expect Kyle Walker to make up for the defensive follies of his teammates every time. It remains to be seen how well England is able to address those issues and play as per their potential.
