Should Cole Palmer start on the right instead of Bukayo Saka? Is it time to give Phil Foden the keys to the No10 position instead of Jude Bellingham? Would England look better with a more mobile striker than Harry Kane? If England keep playing as they are, the answers are academic.
England’s problem at Euro 2024 has not been the identity of the players stationed in the attacking third. It has been progressing the ball there in the first place, and doing so at a rhythm that gives their wealth of offensive talent the best chance to succeed.
The problem was especially acute in the first half of their last-16 tie against Slovakia, when England’s players grew visibly exasperated as potential avenues forward closed up. Slovakia pressed high with three forwards and three midfielders in the early stages of the game, but England could not find a way through them.
Gareth Southgate has had to contend with a couple of holes in England’s team: the lack of a specialist left-back without Luke Shaw and no settled, playmaking partner for Declan Rice in midfield.
Nevertheless, England have looked like they are passing a medicine ball around. This is why their build-up play has been so laborious.
Going back to Pickford too often
Throughout the tournament, England have looked to build play in a 4-2 shape, with their back four spread across the pitch and two midfielders in front. This effectively made it a six-v-six against Slovakia’s pressing shape, but with Jordan Pickford as the spare player to make a seven-v-six. The value of ball-playing goalkeepers is precisely to exploit this numerical superiority.
England’s use of Pickford and his positioning in a build-up is fairly conservative. He generally stays in the middle of his goal and fairly deep, unlike counterparts such as Ederson and David Raya, whom we see taking up centre-back-like positions in the Premier League, allowing a full-back to disappear upfield. Under the risk-averse conditions of tournament football, this is understandable.
In a somewhat worrying statistic though, no goalkeeper has attempted nearly as many passes at Euro 2024 as Pickford’s 194. Unai Simón in a possession-based Spain team has attempted only 103 (though he was rested for one game). This is a symptom of England too often hitting a brick wall, before turning back to their goalkeeper.
Pickford’s average pass length is 32.4 yards, the sixth-longest in the tournament, behind the goalkeepers for Denmark, Serbia, Romania, Scotland and Georgia (see table below). His pass accuracy of 74.7 per cent is respectable considering the number he has attempted, just behind Simon’s 76.7 per cent. Nevertheless, Germany’s Manuel Neuer and the Netherlands’ Bart Verbruggen have completed 84 and 89.5 per cent of their passes. England’s No1 would be within his rights to ask why the ball keeps coming back to his feet.