It’s no wonder Bukayo Saka is so brilliant. Gareth Southgate released the handbrake by doing his usual thing. And Jude Bellingham is built up.
to face Iran. And the usual suspects did not disappoint.
In 28 England games since March 2021, Southgate has played a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 19 times, including in all but two matches at Euro 2020. This was very much more of the same.of a sensible XI featuring a holding midfielder, a diligent and hard-working 8 and four industrious forward players.‘That Gareth Southgate? He is way too conservative, too scared to take the handbrake off.
‘Too conservative? Selecting Bukayo Saka and not selecting Phil Foden was something of a gamble and the Manchester City man’s absence did not seem to go down well on social media. But Saka, who struck a wonderful second and fourth for England, gave England width and directness that was invaluable in dismantling Iran.’
Nine of the players who started against Iran also did so in the drab 1-1 draw with Germany in June. Picking Bellingham and Luke Shaw over Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker does not automatically make that an adventurous, inventive and ambitious line-up. It certainly made it a more effective one but it was hardly all-out attack.
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