Eric Dier must start: the key winners and losers from England’s memorable international break

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England’s international break was at risk of becoming a forgettable one after last week’s goalless draw in front of no fans in Croatia.

But Monday’s stunning 3-2 win against Spain brought the break to life and rekindled the Three Lions’ hopes of achieving something in the UEFA Nations League.

Gareth Southgate demonstrated his flexibility as a manager with a new system, while a number of players came to the fore and gave the England boss something to ponder.

Others struggled to make an impact, while some ended up having a disappointing week without even playing.

Here are five winners and three losers from from a memorable international break for England.

Winner: ‘Raz and Rash’

The duel nickname above was unveiled by Harry Kane after the Spain game, and it’s somewhat prophetic in that we are likely to continue hearing the names of Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford together in future England matches.

That’s because Southgate appears to have settled on a front three – at least when playing a 4-3-3 formation – of Sterling, Rashford and Kane, an attacking trio that seemingly has it all.

Kane played more of a supporting role here (more on that further down), while ‘Raz and Rash’ were the real stars of the show.

Sterling scored two goals in 22 minutes after going 44 games without an international strike, while Rashford bounced back from two huge misses against Croatia with a well-taken finish past his club teammate David De Gea.

On top of that, the duo worked incredibly hard throughout. Sterling won crucial free-kicks on the break when England were seeing the game out, and Rashford often got back to help the inexperienced Ben Chilwell on the left.

It’s refreshing to see the new era of England players put club rivalries aside to combine successfully for the Three Lions, and Southgate will be hoping it can continue.

Winner: Eric Dier

Eric Dier enjoyed one of England’s most memorable moments at the World Cup, scoring the decisive penalty against Colombia in the Round of 16. But’s fair to say his start to the new season with club and country has been far from impressive.

However, things are starting turn around for Dier, who followed his first goal of the season for Tottenham against Cardiff City with an excellent display against Spain.

The midfielder set the tempo from the off, producing a thunderous challenge on Spain captain Sergio Ramos that saw him booked. And while that warning meant he had to be careful for the rest of the evening, Dier displayed all of the credentials that prove he must start in this formation going forward.

First of all, he was totally committed to the high press, often finding himself further forward than Harry Winks and Ross Barkley when Spain had possession. What’s more, his leadership qualities shone through: at 3-0 he was seen barking orders at Winks and Barkley, telling them to push up and stop Spain playing out.

His range of passing was admirable, too, and his propensity to take risks in deep areas – both in terms of receiving the ball under pressure and finding teammates with chancy but necessary passes – is something Southgate values highly.

“We are encouraging them to take risks,”, the England boss said of his players after the game (via Football365). “The young players put on a mature performance and withstood pressure really well.

“There were other moments, apart from the goals, like playing into midfield and the links. Real composure from the goalkeeper all the way through the team. It was not a case of sitting, defending and hitting them on the counter, we used the game really well.”

Without specifically referring to Dier, Southgate was clearly pleased with the player who linked the defence and midfield brilliantly.

Winner: Ross Barkley

Despite the rejuvenation of the England national team under Southgate, the Three Lions have still been desperately missing one key figure: a creative central midfielder. Step forward Ross Barkley, who put himself in contention for a regular starting spot.

Again, we must include the caveat that Barkley was effective in the 4-3-3 system; it’s possible Southgate will prefer other options if he revers to three at the back. But Barkley has certainly emerged as a useful option, able to drive forward from midfield and pick passes.

His ball over the top for Kane in the build-up to the third goal was inch-perfect and something few other England midfielders are able to provide. He has more competition in that regard at club level, Chelsea being blessed with a number of talented central midfielders.

But Barkley’s uniqueness in the England camp should prove incredibly convenient in the build-up to Euro 2020. Southgate handed the 24-year-old a start against both Croatia and Spain, meaning he may already be seen as a essential member of the team.

And of course, Barkley himself must be delighted to be back in the England picture after a difficult couple of years with injuries. Who knows whether he would have been the final piece in the jigsaw at the World Cup had be been fit.

Winner: Gareth Southgate

It’s a difficult task to name a manager in world football whose reputation has soared more quickly than Gareth Southgate over the last four months.

England’s World Cup exploits emphasised Southgate’s man management skills, while his switch to a 3-5-2 formation proved his tactical nous. That nous has been extended further this week, with Southgate switching systems yet again to get more flexibility out of his players.

And it worked. The 4-3-3 formation, especially against Spain, might be the way forward for the Three Lions, especially in big matches. Not only was is the system effective, but Southgate seems to have already figured out the players who will prosper in its specific roles.

As mentioned above, the England boss wants his players to take more risks, and that was on full display during the inventive move that led to the fist goal. All 11 England players were involved in the 17-pass move that ended with Raheem Sterling thumping finish.

The players certainly deserve credit for that, but Southgate is rightly receiving the plaudits. He has confidence in his approach and possesses the authority to make sure his players are sticking to it.

All of which makes the historic result – Spain’s first home defeat in 38 games – even more of a worthy new entry on Southgate’s CV.

Winner: The future

Such was the quality of England’s more established players – the likes of Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Dier and Barkley – it’s easy to forget we saw plenty of fresh faces across the two matches, most of whom gave plenty of hope for the future.

Jadon Sancho’s cameo against Croatia was as exciting as expected, while Harry Winks and Ben Chilwell both left their mark in Seville. Joe Gomez also gave Southgate something to think about; the Liverpool defender has arguably been the best English centre-back so far this season.

It can only be a positive thing that the established players have exciting young prospects breathing down their necks, forcing them to keep up their current level of performance, or even build on it.

Loser: Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson, along with Dier, is often criticised for not being the exact type of midfielder England need. That’s hardly his fault, and the Liverpool captain has perhaps been harshly treated by some supporters. Like Dier he is all effort, which simply isn’t enough for some.

That’s not to say Henderson doesn’t contribute anything. Again, like Dier, his range of passing is far better than he is given credit for. But Dier’s display in Spain can’t have helped Henderson’s ambition to hold a regular place in the midfield.

Neither can the performances of Barkly and Winks. Indeed, Southgate may now stick with the midfield trio that started against Spain, such was the effectiveness of their dynamic.

On the other hand, Henderson should be hopeful of getting another chance. Southgate has talked up the importance of flexibility, and Dier’s recent inconsistency could eventually hand the initiative back to Henderson.

The 28-year-old will be rueing his luck for now having missed Monday’s game through suspension. Watching his midfield rivals shine in his absence must have been bittersweet.

Loser: Luke Shaw

Luke Shaw’s situation is similar to that of Henderson; the Manchester United left-back was forced to watch a newcomer excel in his position.

Last month Shaw looked as if he was ready to reclaim the left-back spot for his country. But since then he has suffered a couple of injury setbacks, while Danny Rose has returned to form Tottenham and Chilwell has emerged as a genuine contender for the left-back spot.

That said, Shaw shouldn’t be too down. Chilwell showed his naivety at times in the second half against Spain, and Shaw will provide a more experienced option for Southgate upon his return.

Rose, while nearing his best again, remains injury-prone, so Shaw will have plenty of opportunities to win his place back if he can stay fit.

But as long as Chilwell keeps up his form, the next few months will be a real test of Shaw’s fitness and attitude. He has come back from knocks to his confidence before, so he can’t be written off, but the 23-year-old is set for a challenging spell.

Loser: Harry Kane’s goals-to-game ratio

There’s no denying Kane will continue to score goals for England. Since suffering an ankle injury March, and subsequently struggling to produce his best all-round form, he has won the Golden Boot at a World Cup and continued finding the net for Spurs at a remarkable rate.

However, while Kane put in one of the performances of the night in Seville, his international goals-to-game ratio took another knock, and could continue to do so.

That’s because Kane scoring goals and Kane being useful aren’t mutually exclusive. Monday proved the striker can play a slightly deeper role, particularly against better teams and particularly when he has pacy attackers making runs beyond him.

Kane’s hold-up play was absolutely essential to England’s style of play. The way he collected the ball, spun around and found Rashford for the second goal was the mark of a world-class forward, not just a goalscorer.

In this sort of game, Kane is now more likely to be used as a target man who might end up providing more assists than goals. And that’s fine, so long as Sterling and Rashford remain clinical.

Whether Kane will be content with his goals-to-game ratio taking a hit in the long term remains to be seen, but his new role is perfect for Southgate’s 4-3-3.

 

The post Eric Dier must start: the key winners and losers from England’s memorable international break appeared first on Squawka News.



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