Posts
England may opt for a three-man defense against Switzerland in their Euro 2024 quarter-final.
Manager Gareth Southgate is poised to shift tactics to a three-man defense for England's Euro 2024 quarter-final in Germany, despite past criticism. Factors like underwhelming performances, suspensions, and the need to match Switzerland's strong lineup are influencing this decision. While a mid-tournament formation change is bold, Southgate has experience with a back three.
This match marks Southgate's 100th game as England manager. He has employed a back three or five in a third of these matches—33 games. Notably, England used a three-at-the-back setup during his first major tournament, the 2018 World Cup, where they finished fourth. This formation featured prominently in key matches against Tunisia, Colombia, Sweden, and Croatia.
Between October 2017 and September 2018, Southgate employed a back three or back five consistently for 16 games, culminating in a 1-0 friendly victory against Switzerland. Since then, he has mostly favored variations of the 4-3-3 formation, except for brief returns to the back three, notably during England's 2020 Nations League campaign and the final two matches of the 2022 Nations League group stage following a significant loss to Hungary. However, since the 3-3 draw with Germany in September 2022, Southgate has exclusively utilized a back four in England's last 23 matches, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Despite a win rate of 48.5% with a back three or back five—lower than the overall 60.5% win rate—Southgate has faced criticism for these tactics, as highlighted by his recent response to suggestions of using a three-man defense against Switzerland.
Guehi's absence poses a dilemma for Southgate
Southgate faces a dilemma despite his recent avoidance of it; the three-man backline has been synonymous with England's successes under him. Notably used in their 2018 semi-final run and twice at Euro 2020, including a 2-0 win over Germany and the final against Italy. Revisiting this setup against Switzerland could revive England's Euro 2024 campaign, following lackluster performances against Slovakia and draws with Denmark and Slovenia. With Marc Guehi suspended, Southgate's defensive choices are constrained, likely leading Kyle Walker to assume a right-sided centre-back role alongside John Stones, while options for the left side include Joe Gomez, Ezri Konsa, or Lewis Dunk.
The persistent concern remains the left-back position for England. Luke Shaw, the sole specialist in that role, has resumed training post-injury but has yet to feature in Germany due to Southgate's cautious approach to his fitness.
TODAYS SQUAD.
ENGLAND
SWITZERLAND.
No comments:
Post a Comment