Two Netherlands players pose huge risk to England while Foden’s best position is clear in what will be very tense semi
THE quarter final tie against Switzerland was arguably the first real test for England at this European Championships.
The Swiss had impressed to this point in the tournament and they had came through a tough Round of 16 match against Italy and looked good in doing so.
They even managed to take the lead in the quarter final match, perhaps against the run of play, and England were put on the back foot.
This England side, however, have already shown determination and a willingness to keep working to the final whistle.
In the Round of 16 against Slovakia it took an acrobatic last minute effort from Jude Bellingham to equalise before they went on to win in extra-time.
Against Switzerland the composure during the penalty shoot out also spoke of an English side who were well coached and well prepared for this scenario coming into the tournament.
Now, in the semi-final England play a Netherlands side who have faced similar criticism to England during the tournament.
The Dutch have been solid defensively but they have faced issues when it comes to ball progression and chance creation in the final third, despite the strong performances so far from Cody Gakpo of Liverpool.
Now, as the Netherlands and England meet this week in the semi-final there is a clear sense that whichever side is brave enough to take the initiative and to play on the front foot will have a clear advantage going when it comes to reaching the final.
Against Switzerland we saw some small changes from England and their coach Gareth Southgate that seemed effective in terms of offering greater control to the English in the match.
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The most notable was perhaps the switch of Phil Foden from a position where he started on the left-side to a more central position as the ‘10’ between the midfield and the attack.
We will look at three of the main tactical questions going into this semi-final match between the two teams.
Play Foden in the middle
Football is difficult and the truth is that the positions players occupy during a game can be very different from the tactical graphic that the TV channels show us before the match.
In England’s first four matches at the tournament, for example, we saw Foden listed as the left-winger in Southgate’s 4-2-3-1 system.
During the matches, however, Foden continued to position himself narrow in the channels or even in the central areas.
Against Switzerland we finally saw Foden used primarily as the ‘10’ as his starting position, as England changed to something closer to a 3-4-3 shape.
This meant that the Manchester City man was finally free to move around the central areas as he dropped in and out of pockets of space.
His movement and positioning in these central areas was very effective for England as it meant the midfield and central defenders had an effective target to play into as they progressed the ball and broke the lines of the Swiss defensive structure.
Against Switzerland we saw England create width on the left-side through the movement of Bellingham, who was still relatively narrow but willing to move outside to stretch the pitch.
And also Kieran Trippier who moved high as the left-sided wingback.
While there was a suggestion amongst some that England had shifted to a back three system in this game, the truth was that Kyle Walker, at right-back, had consistently played in a deeper and more narrow position throughout the tournament.
Against the Netherlands and their strong defensive structure the importance of having a player like Foden who can quickly dip in and out of pockets of space to receive the ball and play is clear.
If England want to be successful in this match then creating threat in spaces in front of the Dutch defensive line will be one of the keys.
Players like Foden will without a doubt be the key for England and Southgate as they look to unlock the Dutch defence.
It must be Rice and Mainoo
Throughout the entire tournament one of the biggest question marks surrounding England and their team selection has been who would be the player to partner Declan Rice in the centre of the midfield.
Against Switzerland there can be little doubt that Kobbie Mainoo of Man United has cemented that position for the rest of the tournament.
Mainoo showed a poise and level of composure that is incredibly unusual in a midfield player so young and he was consistently available and in space to receive the ball and help teammates.
Mainoo received cleanly and showed the ability to progress the ball and break lines over and over again.
This is something that will clearly be key for Southgate in his game plan to beat the Dutch.
The presence of Mainoo in the midfield also unlocks the potential of Rice to a greater degree than we saw with either Trent Alexander-Arnold or Conor Gallagher in the midfield for England.
Having Mainoo, who is comfortable in the position whether attacking or defending, playing in there allows Rice at times to step out in possession and be more aggressive in his own right.
The presence of Mainoo alongside Rice at the base of the midfield for England will allow the likes of Saka, Foden and Bellingham more space and freedom to play further forward.
Keep an eye on the Dutch
While England are likely to be entering this match as slight favourites over the Netherlands they will still have to be careful of some of the attacking threat from their Dutch opponents.
Defensively the Netherlands have been incredibly solid so far in this tournament and they are being effectively led by the Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
In attack, while Memphis Depay has perhaps not been at his best as the central striker, this has been made less important by the performances of the likes of Xavi Simons, from the midfield, and Gakpo from the wing.
Simons will play in this match as the most attacking of the Dutch midfielders and he will show a clear tendency to look to drop into little pockets of space between or around the midfield due of Rice and Mainoo for England.
Gakpo has been impressive from the left-side of the attack for the Dutch and he has registered three goals and one assist so far in the tournament.
He will look to position himself wide and to hold the width on the left for the Dutch and from this position he can receive the ball and either create for others or drive dangerously towards goal.
The likes of Gakpo and Simons are dangerous opponents for England and they have the capacity to cause threat whether the Netherlands are possession dominant in this game or attacking more in transition.
Conclusion
While neither England or the Netherlands have necessarily impressed so far in this tournament, this semi-final still promises to be an interesting and close match.