Group C game outcome: Denmark and England end in a 1-1 draw.
In a post-match discussion, Kyle Walker expressed the challenge of playing in foreign grounds full of England supporters, referencing the Frankfurt stadium where the match took place. England fans expressed their disappointment as the team drew a 1-1 tie with Denmark, the first of the Euro series to be verbally jeered by their followers.
England’s supporters were angered by a performance lacking competence and skill, with little hope for future games. The unfolding of the match echoed previous events: England securing an initial lead only to lose their football finesse. This repeated narrative from both their World Cup semi-final encounter with Croatia and their Euro final against Italy, raises questions about the strategies Gareth Southgate should have formulated over the past eight years to better deal with such scenarios.
Walker capitalised on a lapse by Victor Kristiansen 18 minutes into the game, allowing him to assist Harry Kane’s potential match steering goal. However, Denmark seized control, leveling the score via the remarkable 32-minute goal by Morten Hjulmand, and from thereon, overpowering England for the major part of the remaining game.
England’s subpar performance during this encounter, similar to their previous match against Serbia, did not come as a surprise. Whilst their victory in Serbia masked their overall underperformance, the team displayed signs of struggle. Key players like Kane and Phil Foden were barely seen in action, and the unresolved issues down the left side were evident as Kieran Trippier offered little as left-back.
Southgate’s selection repeated the line-up of the Serbian match despite suggestions of Alexander-Arnold’s exclusion. This choice seemed to convey an inherent value that Alexander-Arnold brings to the team structure, a belief worth upholding despite criticism.
However, the early substitution revealed an inconsistent stance from Southgate. He displayed confusion about his preference for Alexander-Arnold and failed to identify why the strategy was ineffective in the first place. Keeping Alexander-Arnold in the team was not a testament to Southgate’s foresight and wisdom but rather an attempt to appear so, amounting to nothing more than a smokescreen.
Alexander-Arnold’s final act in the match was an overhead pass that Bukayo Saka just managed to corral, before directing a header wide of Kasper Schmeichel. It was his third important pass in the match, a feat unmatched by any of his England teammates over the course of the full game.
You might wonder if being replaced eight minutes into the second half is worse than being taken off at the interval. The former condition seems worse, as it insinuates that you’ve failed to heed half-time guidance.
Many online critics vehemently owled in a chorus that Trent is not designed for the midfield role. This understandably begs the question – and Conor Gallagher is?
Alexander-Arnold’s unconventional playing style and his history as a right-back places him in the spotlight of the unease felt by English spectators watching the team’s performance. In contrast, Gallagher is perceived by many as a safer choice due to his lack of history as a right-back. The pertinent question: would replacing Alexander-Arnold with a footballer of lesser talent upend England’s subpar performance?
Unfortunately, the answer was a resounding no. Gallagher can’t be held responsible for this outcome. Few players can perform admirably in a directionless, underperforming squad furnished with nothing more than vague mandates to exhibit energy and aggression. To Gallagher’s credit, he did just that, earning himself a booking eight minutes into his time on the pitch and narrowly dodging a sending off five minutes later.
Sharing the midfield with Rice, he witnessed Rice’s poorest performance of the season, as though James McClean’s overrated taunts on RTÉ had seeped into his psyche. One cannot help but envision McClean’s glee during the second half as Rice repeatedly stumbled, collided with rivals, lost possession through heavy touches, or misplaced passes into touch.
Eager to shake up the flow of the match, Southgate stepped in with a significant substitution measure. He benched his entire forward trio- Kane, Foden, and Saka were taken out, making way for Watkins, Eze, and Bowen on the pitch. This coaching move is akin to the tech support advice of turning off and turning back on a malfunctioning device. Unfortunately, this decision did not bolster trust in Southgate’s strategic acumen from either the team or the fans. As one might expect, the altered strategy didn’t yield successful results.
Meanwhile, Trippier, possibly the tournament’s least noticeable player so far, clocked in another full match as left-back. The continual issues with England’s left flank are placing Southgate’s pre-tournament player selections under stringent scrutiny. Irrespective of the recent performances of Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford, they’re both veterans who usually take up left-side positions. However, Southgate overlooked both in preference of players like Cole Palmer (a traditional 10), Eberechi Eze (yet another number 10), Jarrod Bowen (a right-winger) and Ivan Toney (a subbed striker).
In contrast, the silver lining for England is earning four points and locking a spot in the second round. If fortune favours them as it did today, they have high chances of clinching the tournament.