Time is the most precious commodity at a major football tournament and Gareth Southgate bought himself a slice of gold when England beat Serbia in their opening group game in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday night.
That 1-0 victory, courtesy of a brave and committed header from Jude Bellingham, gave the England manager more time to refine his selection, more time to experiment, more time to decide.
Sunday’s victory, much as much warm water has been poured on it since then, removed much of the danger that might otherwise have been attached to tonight’s match against Denmark in Frankfurt.
It gave Southgate the freedom to smile wryly at some of the lamentations that have occurred since and remind England’s players that even triumphs will be treated as disasters by the sort of observers who say it’s a failure because England haven’t won last time. three big tournaments in a row.
And it gave him the freedom to smile at the instincts that urged him to leave out Phil Foden, who had such a stellar season with Manchester City and was named the best player in the best league in the world, because he had a quiet game against the serbs.
Gareth Southgate bought himself time to continue experimenting with the 1-0 victory over Serbia
The win gives Trent Alexander-Arnold another chance to show he can excel in midfield.
It means Southgate has another chance to lend confidence to Phil Foden’s attacking play.
Southgate would no doubt object to the idea of the game against Denmark being a free hit because he knows how much criticism will arise if England don’t win, but the reality is that a draw would probably ensure his players qualify for the knockout stage with a plenty of game. And then there will be no more free access.
The result matters, but what matters more is that it is a chance to restore confidence to Foden’s attacking game and, as far as the experiment of playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield is concerned, this is the final audition.
Alexander-Arnold, one of the best passers in English football, played well in the first half against Serbia without doing well enough to convince those who say it is crazy for him to learn the position during a tournament.
He is so talented and so skilled at producing crosses and passes that can unlock even the lowest blocks that Southgate wants to persist in playing him alongside Declan Rice, the kind of bold move that many of his critics said he was incapable of making. Now, apparently, he’s being too forward.
Alexander-Arnold will face one of football’s classiest midfielders in Frankfurt, Christian Eriksen, and while Southgate expects the Manchester United player to play a more advanced role, watching him pull the strings of any team is always an education.
Former England left-back Stuart Pearce said on Wednesday that he believed Alexander-Arnold could exert the same kind of influence that Glenn Hoddle once did for England and Southgate was asked if he saw the Liverpool player as a quarterback. field or a metronome like Frenkie de Jong. from Holland, setting the pace of the work.
“I think he’s less likely to be a pace-setter,” the England boss said. “That’s a different guy and they’re probably midfielders who have been there forever and really understand the flow of a game.”
“What I do see is that variety of passing and that ability to open up a defense that could be blocking spaces, defending low. He is someone who will make opposing players realize that we can play balls behind them at any time with a fantastic precision.
Calls for Southgate to replace Alexander-Arnold and Foden must be resisted, at least for now.
However, he will have to consider plan B if Alexander-Arnold and Foden do not prosper.
There have been calls for Cole Palmer (L) or Anthony Gordon (R) to replace Foden.
‘His understanding of the game is good. All of the defensive responsibilities we’ve asked of him haven’t necessarily been where he’s played for many years, but he’s been very diligent and open about wanting to take that on. Look, we know it’s a work in progress.
“We know it’s something that’s going to get a lot of attention because it hasn’t been the norm, but we think it’s something that can contribute to what we have.”
It’s hard to argue with Southgate on that. To win this European Championship and overcome quality teams from France, Germany, Portugal and Spain, Southgate knows that playing it safe will not be enough.
England have suffered defeats by very, very fine margins in the last three major tournaments and a player like Alexander-Arnold, if he adapts to the role assigned to him, can tip the balance in the opposite direction: in England’s direction.
The same applies to Foden. Sunday was Bellingham night. The Real Madrid player played, not for the first time, like a superhuman, and sometimes there is only one performance like that in a team. The rest assume a supporting role. Perhaps against Denmark the roles will be reversed and Foden will take center stage.
As good, beguiling and brilliant players as they both are, and as much as tournament football speeds up a team’s evolution, calls for Southgate to replace Foden with Cole Palmer or Anthony Gordon at this stage must be resisted.
“There will be a narrative around a player, a couple of players, after every England game,” Southgate said, referring to the conversation about Foden.
‘This is a different world than the one lived in the clubs. The players, as a collective, recognize it after the last few days. We talked to them about it. It is very rare for your club to win a game and experience what you have experienced in recent days.
Southgate called on his England stars to ignore criticism after their lukewarm win over Serbia.
Sunday was Jude Bellingham’s night, but perhaps the tables will be turned against Denmark
‘I have to make sure I can guide them through it, let them understand it and recognize that it’s the reality of our world, but it shouldn’t lead us astray. “We are in a good position, we know we want to play better, there are many things we did very well and we are moving towards tomorrow’s game.”
Alexander-Arnold and Foden will get another chance against the Danes, as they should. If they excel, England will go into Tuesday’s game against Slovenia with greater confidence.
If they don’t, Southgate will have to contemplate Plan B. And if that happens, time will no longer be his friend.