GARETH SOUTHGATE TO SWITCH TO
THREE AT THE BACK IN RUSSIA 2018.
Gareth Southgate has committed England to playing
three at the back during next summer’s World Cup having identified the system
as “a better option” and will use the friendlies over the next eight months to
familiarise his players with the formation.
Although
there is a risk to cementing plans around one formation this far from the
finals, England did employ the tactic in Sunday’s unconvincing win in Lithuania and for the last few minutes at
Wembley last Thursday against Slovenia when qualification was secured for the
tournament in Russia. More significantly, the team mustered arguably their most
impressive performance under Southgate using the system in the narrow friendly
defeat by Germany in Dortmund last season.
That performance prompted the
manager and his coach, Steve Holland, to pencil in its use for when qualification
for Russia had been secured. The pair spoke about making the switch more
permanent while they attended the Under-21 European Championship in Poland last
summer, and will use next month’s friendlies against Germany and Brazil, the
top teams in Fifa’s rankings, to put those plans into action.
England were without Adam Lallana, Jamie Vardy, Fabian
Delph, Phil Jones, Tom Heaton, Danny Rose and Danny Welbeck in Slovenia and
Southgate admitted he cannot be sure who will be available next month. With
that in mind, he intends to impose a tactical framework into which those called
up can slot. “We have to have some consistency in formation and some
consistency in what we are asking the players to do,” said Southgate. “The
thing we don’t know is who we will get through the door in November and March
with all the club games they’ve got – look at the number missing this time.
“For me in
terms of the way we’d want to play from the back, I think three at the back is
a better option. At the moment we turn the ball over too much, and when we do
we split the two centre-backs wide open. We were still open in Lithuania with
three [at the back], so we will benefit if we don’t keep turning the ball over
… But I think the system gives us good stability and it gives us easier
solutions for our midfield players as well. Then there is a possibility to
switch with what we play in front of it: maybe get two strikers in for certain
games, or two midfielders off a forward. Three in midfield and two forwards
also becomes an option. But I think three at the back is what we ought to do.
A youthful England side used John Stones,
Michael Keane and the debutant Harry Maguire as the back three in Vilnius,
though a full-strength defence would more likely see Stones joined by Gary Cahill
and Phil Jones. Cahill has adapted successfully to the system at Chelsea for
Antonio Conte, and Stones can step up more freely into midfield in possession
with the security of two fellow centre-halfs around him. “We have some
young players who are able to use the ball,” said Southgate. “We have to invest
our time in those guys and allow them the opportunity to improve. I didn’t get
into the team in 1996 until I was 25. All three of those centre-backs are even
younger than that but I saw positive signs. It is important we invest our time
in people we think can get to the level needed.”
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