England vs Czech Republic: Gareth Southgate’s side cannot control games with loss exposing series of problems
Czech Republic 2-1 England: The Three Lions suffered a setback with the midfield one of the most concerning issues
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Your support makes all the difference.A night that started with expectation of qualifying for Euro 2020 ended with almost everything going wrong, and very sudden concern for the future.
That is how galling this match in Prague was for England, just how much the mood changed. It was a performance that gradually started to expose more and more problems, every stage of the game just giving more and more for Gareth Southgate to think about.
Part of it is admittedly because - as the manager stated - England “haven’t felt like this for a while”, so there is the starkness of that. But a larger part of it is because of structural problems in the team that have been growing for a while.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to be a really top team,” Southgate said afterwards. “Tonight was evidence of that.”
And then some.
The goal - or, rather, the Harry Kane flick-on that created it - was the ultimate false dawn, and England’s only moment of quality. After that, everything started to gradually fall apart - especially passing sequences.
It began with the defence, who couldn’t seem to deal with the simplest of set-pieces, with that compounded by a mess of a midfield, and ended with England apparently unable to create any chances beyond slipping Raheem Sterling in.
Little wonder Southgate has said that Sterling and Harry Kane are pretty much the only certain starters, but it’s not because so many players are performing so well.
The manager instead faced questions about the form of so many of his starters, and many of his picks.
That is most pressing, well… everywhere beyond the attack. It seemed like it was a night that was going to call into question who plays in the backline, but the midfield gradually become just as much of an issue, with the two obviously connected.
England can’t control games, and that brings more pressure on a defence that is suddenly starting to buckle much more.
Some of that is related to individual form.
For one, perhaps England’s best two centre-halves - Joe Gomez and John Stones - aren’t currently starting for their club sides. That creates an immediate problem for Southgate beyond his control. His attempted solution, however, isn’t working.
Michael Keane has never looked more uncertain in an England shirt. He doesn’t look like he should be starting. The same applies to Danny Rose, a 29-year-old who looks well past his best. Kieran Trippier is more deserving of a place given his recent resurgence at Atletico Madrid, but not if it means England’s best defender - and one of the best players - in Trent Alexander-Arnold is left out.
Harry Maguire meanwhile just doesn’t look like what the most expensive defender in the world should, and it’s impossible not to think that the manifold problems at Manchester United have started to drag him down too. That missed header against Newcastle United seemed to symbolise it.
Here, some of the defenders could barely head the ball at all, especially at set-pieces. Keane at one point just headed it straight into the air at his own penalty spot, just bringing more danger.
In front, Declan Rice is supposed to offer protection, but could here barely offer sure footing and certainly didn’t offer much by way of possession. And Jordan Henderson? His most prominent moments were giving the ball away in spectacular fashion.
That remains the team’s biggest problem, but is now leading to even more and more issues elsewhere.
Southgate doesn’t seem any closer to figuring it out. He doesn’t seem to have an idea what his best midfield is.
One very invested Premier League manager has actually been on at him - and repeatedly telling the England manager - that he should go all technical; that he should put Phil Foden in behind James Maddison and Jack Grealish. There’s also the case to be made for Harry Winks.
They would at least give England a greater control of the ball, and thereby games.
England aren’t creating much, either.
And that is why this game genuinely feels so consequential.
It is not that it is the first defeat, and consequent overreaction.
It is that it has exposed a series of problems that better teams will just pick off.
That is after all the level England want to get to.
They suddenly look further off than they have done in some time. It in itself is stark.
“We have to respond in the right way,” Southgate said, as ever speaking in the right way.
“We’ll learn a lot more about ourselves in the next 72 hours.”
It’s been one bad night.
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