England slipped from their horse at the last but, once they have cleared the grit from their eyes and stopped seeing stars, they may yet find it has waited for them. While the wounds of defeat in Wembley’s biggest game for more than half a century will smart acutely, there is little time for them to fester. In 17 months there will probably be another knife-edge denouement to digest and the task for Gareth Southgate, as the international calendar rattles along at uncommon speed, will be to ensure it is somewhat happier.
If Gianluigi Donnarumma’s parry from Bukayo Saka felt like the end of a journey, there may come an opportunity to present it as the continuation of one: perhaps a trampolining point from one World Cup to another. The coronavirus-addled schedule has crammed two major tournaments closer together than ever and thoughts must turn immediately to how England can draw on their better work, while smoothing out their flaws, before Qatar 2022 begins next November.
England battle for survival instead of control as deep-lying issue resurfaces | Jonathan WilsonRead more
It may not have felt that way on Monday morning, but this is not a moment to be squandered. England are a few details from being a side that can sit atop the rest, at least on a continental level: that is now on record. Given that one of the biggest frustrations among international managers, and one of the primary reasons coaches considered to be at their peak tend to hold off on embracing this level, is its staccato schedule there will be plenty for Southgate to relish about the fact that a hectic autumn will faintly resemble the rhythm of club football.
When they walk out for a World Cup qualifier in Hungary on 2 September, six days before a similarly exacting assignment in Poland, England will need to show they can kick on. The pool of players available to Southgate will not differ much before, barring disaster, they pack for the Middle East. It is the advantage of having a squad of whom exactly half are 25 or younger and a tick, too, for the fact nobody in their ranks should be over the hill by next year. At 31, Kyle Walker beats Jordan Henderson by a month as England’s oldest player, not that his relentless performances at Euro 2020 would suggest anything of the sort. There is no requirement for anyone to fade away gracefully and the priority is to eke more from such a deep pool of burgeoning talent.
Southgate’s fixation with improving England’s levels of control largely paid off over the past month, ensuring the group stage was managed to a low hum before Germany were dismissed by a late surge. But scoring so early against Italy removed any temptation to go through the gears and an obvious evolution, given Croatia exposed a similar uncertainty three years ago, would be to hard-wire an extra shot of proactivity.
View image in fullscreenTrying Phil Foden (left) or Raheem Sterling as a false nine could be a good option for Gareth Southgate. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images
That means Jude Bellingham, whose 55 minutes of action this summer were no more than anyone might ordinarily expect from a 17-year-old, must be a fixture by the time the clocks go back next year. It is hard to reproach England’s current midfield given Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips were largely outstanding across seven games. But Italy’s engine room showed things they lack: an ability to work on the half-turn, to tease in and around tight spaces, to manipulate angles and commit opponents while working through the thirds. Bellingham has most of these attributes, with the physique to match; in order to become more dynamic, England have to offer him a platform now.
There will also be questions over how, exactly, Southgate can best align his forwards before Qatar. The spot across from Raheem Sterling should be contestable in a standard 4-2-3-1 setup and so, in a state of affairs that will put the Jack Grealish army on high alert, will the attacking midfield berth. It is no secret England are blessed in these positions but a nitpicker would suggest that, beyond the demolition of a weak Ukraine side, they rarely showed the devilment those options befit. They may be helped by having a Bellingham figure behind them and creativity levels need to improve against sides that cannot be held comfortably at arm’s length. Between Grealish, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Mason Mount (who faded after his enforced 10-day break), Southgate requires a combination capable of turning any tide.
The hope will be that England, who have already won three from three in qualifying Group I, can wrap things up before facing Albania and San Marino in November. Continuity and momentum may prove the making of this squad but some experimentation is needed, too. Pacing Harry Kane through a tournament paid dividends this time but, if Dominic Calvert-Lewin is not capable of filling his boots, Southgate must find a figure who can. Trying Sterling or Foden in a false nine role, optimising the thrum of speed and movement England can deploy, could be an option for the autumn.
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Southgate is unlikely to need lecturing on such matters: the team have evolved markedly on his watch and the next stage should be easier to implement as those forward players, five of whom are 21 or younger, grow further in stature. He will know this is a rare opportunity to exploit a new fascination with international football that has restored faith in the jaded and entranced the young.
All too often, punctuations to the domestic season are greeted with eye-rolling and complaints, subsequently being borne out by laborious fare against mediocre opponents. Euro 2020 has succeeded in lighting a fire under naysayers’ moans, both through England’s achievements and the procession of modern classics the tournament produced elsewhere.
There is a wave to ride: as England and Southgate fling themselves straight into another run that will have genuine consequences, they have a chance to make it mean even more.
