England showed few signs that they are gearing up for a deep run at Euro 2024 as they disappointed once again in a 0-0 draw with Slovenia in their final group game.
The Three Lions went into the match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Denmark that prompted plenty of criticism from pundits and from within the media. Gareth Southgate will know that further criticism will be coming his way as England head into the knockout stages of the tournament in uninspiring form. Here are four mistakes the England manager made against Slovenia…
Midfield Conundrum Not Solved
Gallagher experiment short-lived
England’s experiment with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield did not work in their opening two group games against Serbia and Denmark. Declan Rice had claimed in the build-up to the clash with Slovenia that half of the country had clamoured for the Liverpool right-back to be moved into midfield, only to tear him down at the earliest opportunity.
Tens of thousands of England fans are in Germany and were Rice to have headed into one of the brilliant cities in the west of Germany and chatted to a few of them, he would have quickly learnt that far fewer than half of the country wanted Alexander-Arnold to line up in midfield.
The Liverpool defender is an excellent passer, an excellent crosser and an excellent striker of the ball, but those three attributes do not a midfielder make, and he did not look at home in the two games he started.
Conor Gallagher was Southgate’s uninspired choice as Alexander-Arnold’s replacement and lasted just 45 minutes against Slovenia before he was replaced by Kobbie Mainoo, who looked instantly at home in England’s midfield.
Lack of Changes From the Start
Gallagher for Trent the only alteration
Southgate named the same XI against both Serbia and Denmark, and made just one change against Slovenia. England underperformed so badly against Denmark that it would have been wiser for Southgate to make several changes from the start.
Given the options available to England, the back five currently picks itself; Jordan Pickford is the clear number one, Kyle Walker and John Stones have been first picks for years, Marc Guehi has acquitted himself well in the tournament, and Kieran Trippier – while a clear downgrade on Luke Shaw – is a dependable full-back.
England are blessed with more strength in depth further up the pitch, and few fans would have had gripes had Mainoo or Adam Wharton started the game. Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer enjoyed brilliant seasons for Newcastle and Chelsea respectively and were not used in either of England’s first two games, but impressed after coming on against Slovenia. Ollie Watkins, too, was impactful off the bench against Denmark.
Passive in-game management
Southgate fails to make a difference again
Throughout his time as England manager, much has been made of Southgate’s perceived inability to turn a match around from the technical area when things are not going his team’s way.
England have struggled for form throughout the tournament and they toiled again versus Slovenia. When that happens, England tend not to be able to raise their game and that was the case once more as they laboured to a 0-0 draw.
No clear tactics
Lack of identity
Another criticism that has been levelled at Southgate throughout his time as the England manager is that the team lacks identity. Supporters are routinely left wondering how a group of players who are so brilliant at club level can come together on the international stage and struggle so much.
Harry Kane is coming off the back of a debut season with Bayern Munich that he scored 44 goals in, while Phil Foden was the Premier League’s player of the season and Jude Bellingham won a La Liga and Champions League double with Real Madrid. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are also part of a brilliant Arsenal side that pushed Manchester City all the way in the title race.