We have to accept that is the way Gareth Southgate wants us to play – Alan Shearer delivers despressing reality

4 months ago 32

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Alan Shearer has delivered the brutal truth.

This follows Gareth Southgate totally fluking the win against Slovakia, a very limited team that is ranked around 40 places lower than England in the world rankings.

Like the rest of us, Alan Shearer watched on as the England manager’s ultra-negative tactics and bewildering team selection and how he set up his side, handed the initiative to Slovakia, who unlike England were ready to attack from the first whistle.

It was pure luck that England have survived in the competition.

Not a single effort on target in the entire 90 minutes and heading out of the Euros, only to be saved with 30 seconds of added time remaining when a desperate succession of long throws ended with Jude Bellingham producing a moment of individual brilliance to send the game to extra-time.

Even when England carried massive luck and the ball pinged its way around the penalty area before fortuitously falling for a simple Kane headed chance to give the Three Lions an amazing turnaround lead, the reaction of Gareth Southgate wasn’t to order his side to go on and kill off a clearly stunned opposition. Instead, he ordered them to retreat as usual, invite Slovakia to gather themselves and come forward, with England camped inside their own half, with the predictable outcome that they were able to easily deliver ball after ball into the box and England having to cling on.

Gareth Southgate England Training

IMAGO/PPAUK

Alan Shearer delivering the brutal post-match acceptance that it is simply a case that ‘we have to accept that is the way Gareth Southgate wants us to play’ and England are not going to play any differently under him.

Alan Shearer speaks out after England 2 Slovakia 1 and in particular, what Gareth Southgate is all about, talking to BBC Sport:

‘England are into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 and ultimately that is all that matters but, for 95 minutes, that was a desperate performance against Slovakia.

I was watching it thinking it was Iceland and Euro 2016 all over again, because we were just as bad as we were in that embarrassing defeat, but then Jude Bellingham has saved us with a world-class finish.

Up until then, we had been awful. You never give up hope in any game when you are only 1-0 down, but there were next to no signs that we were going to find an equaliser from anywhere until that piece of brilliance. The feeling was pure relief.

That was the first shot we had on target, which is a dismal statistic when you consider the quality of our players and the level of opposition that we were up against, but it was the one that mattered.

When Harry Kane got another goal to put us ahead – with our only other shot on target of the 120 minutes, by the way – you are thinking ‘go and finish the game off’ but instead we sat back straight away, and came under huge pressure.’

Having to accept that this is actually what Gareth Southgate wants

‘It was another hard watch from then on until the final whistle and no-one wants us to see us drop deep like that, but we have to accept that is the way Gareth Southgate wants us to play.

The evidence is there now that this is who were are, and this is our identity in major finals.

Everyone is crying out for him to give us some attacking football, but his England side have played like this in previous tournaments too – and it got us to the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup and the final of Euro 2020. He is not going to change now.

I was screaming for Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon to be brought on at half-time against Slovakia, but we had to wait until the 65th minute for Palmer to get on and Gordon did not get a chance at all.’

Switzerland next

‘Whoever plays against Switzerland on Saturday, though, we will have to up our game significantly because the Swiss will be without a doubt the best team we have faced so far.

Switzerland have been one of the best teams at these Euros so far, and after coming close to beating Germany they absolutely outclassed Italy.

If we play as badly as we did in the first 95 minutes against Slovakia, then the same could happen to us.

To avoid that, England need to learn their lesson about what has gone wrong so far and ensure it does not happen again.

If we go on to win this tournament then no-one will care about what happened in our first four games or how poor we were, but we are going to have to improve massively to even get close.’

The Mag report on England 2 Slovakia 1 (AET) – 1 July 2024:

It ended England 2 Slovakia 1 BUT if ever a scoreline didn’t tell the true story of a football match, it was this one.

Against admittedly tough opposition, this was arguably the very worst from Gareth Southgate, and yet due to incredible luck, they are somehow through to the quarter-finals.

Yet another shocking team selection, as after the terrible performance against Slovenia, only one change as Mainoo replaced Gallagher in midfield.

Ultra-negative tactics from Gareth Southgate, as usual, saw Slovakia attack from the start and should have been ahead in the opening five minutes as they created chances. The only surprise was that it took until 24 minutes for Schranz to give Slovakia the lead, Guehi was very lucky the striker didn’t go down as he fouled him from behind, it could have been a penalty and probable goal plus a red card.

A terrible 45 minutes as England failed to have a shot on target, the only vague danger they caused was from set-pieces.

England fans wondering whether it would be two or three changes at half-time, Gareth Southgate making… none. Unbelievable this bloke.

The pattern was once again established with Slovakia looking far more likely to score the next goal as England created next to nothing in open play.

An injury to Kieran Trippier ventually saw Southgate forced to make a change, Cole Palmer coming on and Saka moved to left-back…

Kieran Trippier England Lying Pitch Injured

Slovakia tiring and happy to defend ever closer to their box, yet England with minimal inspiration and crying out for more positive subs.

However, no further subs made until six minutes of normal time left, Mainoo off and on comes… Eze??? What does Anthony Gordon have to do to get a proper chance?

The time clicked past 90 minutes with still Martin Dubravka not having made a save.

England ever more desperate and their late tactic is long throws into the box.

With boos ringing around the stadium for Gareth Southgate, out of nowhere, a long throw was launched in and Guehi got a flick, then Bellingham with a superb overhead kick giving Dubravka no chance. That goal came in the fifth minute of added time with only seconds to go. Outrageous Southgate luck.

Martin Dubravka Slovakia Bellingham Goal England

Slovakia was stunned and wondering how they hadn’t seen this win out, having been far better than a team ranked some 40 places higher in the world rankings.

Maybe that (and luck!!) contributed to what happened next.

The team came out for extra-time and within a minute England was somehow ahead, once again coming from just launching the ball into the box from a set-piece, or corner, or throw, Eze completely fluffs his shot, into the ground and going well wide, however, goes straight to Toney who just heads it into a space, where very luckily Kane happens to be and he heads home from close range.

A chance now for Gareth Southgate to really kill the game, get his players to go for the killer third, don’t give Slovakia an inch of hope.

Reality of course is that Southgate instantly orders his players to retreat and try to defend for the next half hour.

Absolutely criminal, to invite a poor and limited Slovakia to come forward and allow them to get crosses/balls into the box from decent positions, England just clinging on.

Looking for inspiration from the box, get the pace and threat of Watkins and Gordon on surely?

Instead, for the second period of added time, Gareth Southgate takes off Kane and Bellingham, replacing them with a defender in Konsa and limited midfielder Gallagher.

Predictably just more of the same, England clinging on against such poor opposition.

Martin Dubravka Slovakia Hugging Jude Bellingham England After over two hours of football the final whistle went, Martin Dubravka still hadn’t made a save all game, England managing only two efforts on target all match and scoring both.

Switzerland must have watched in disbelief at both the luck Gareth Southgate carried and just how limited he made England today.

On Saturday you have to fear the worst, if/when Gareth Southgate goes the same again, no doubt believing that his genius had won this match.

Final scoreline: England 2 Slovakia 1 (AET)

England team v Slovakia:

Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier (Palmer 66), Rice, Bellingham (Knosa 105), Mainoo (Eze 84), Foden (Toney 90+4), Saka, Kane (Gallagher 105)

Unlucky for Martin Dubravka and his international teammates as no way they deserved to lose this.

Martin Dubravka Slovakia

The excellent and comfortable Switzerland win over Italy on Saturday, ensured there will be at least one Newcastle United player who gets to the semi-final stage, as the Swiss now play England on Saturday at 5 pm.

Having watched all the matches the two teams have played, unless something drastically changes with England, I wouldn’t be putting a penny on them beating Switzerland.

This is the last 16 schedule to the 2024 European Championships final: