The way to fall behind in the 75th minute and tie in the 80th minute was to win by penalty shootout, England defeated Switzerland and successfully advanced to the semi-finals of this tournament. Although, success or defeat, to succeed in this utilitarian era is the first priority; However, as a favorite to win the championship, every time you are promoted in this way, is it not detrimental to the "dignity" of the giants to "survive"? Does it reflect Southgate's inaction in the managerial position? Does it highlight the huge gap between their real strength and being favored as the favorites to win the championship?
Of course, sometimes, victory really depends on luck.
Another "escape"
In the last England vs Slovakia match, there was a huge crisis. The opponent led almost full-time, and the team equalized thanks to Bellingham's late barb; Kane then took advantage of the win to score 2-1 to crush the enemy's confidence.
This scene VS Switzerland, England "repeats the old tricks" similar drama, performed this show that I watched once, which caused most fans to be very dissatisfied. After all, these two opponents are too different in level compared to the high value of the Three Lions. Judging by the strength on paper alone, they must have won a big victory.
In fact, there are such problems as early as the group stage, and England have always been able to escape one disaster and then escape again.
The tactics are really not giant
For England, the tactics they have played in this tournament are indeed very unambitious, which is the most criticized by Southgate. For example, this game VS Switzerland and the last game VS Slovakia, they have a multi-person luxury combination in the front court, the number of chances created is actually 0, and the 3 shots on target are basically played under individual ability, xOG (estimated number of goals) is only 0.66, how is this the favorite to win the trophy and come up with the play?
Don't forget, Bellingham and Foden are players worth more than 100 million; Kane is the number one sharpshooter in football!
It is clear that Southgate's deployment is responsible for this. He rarely encourages his players to attack on their own, and defensive stability is his number one priority. Several details can appreciate his "strategy". For example, on the issue of Saka, although Saka saved his life in this game, the Arsenal winger was basically withdrawn to the wingback position, and the defensive responsibility was not light. In extreme cases, he will return to full-back to help his teammates, which shows Southgate's "conservatism".
For another example, who will be responsible for the setting of the autonomous attack of Bellingham, Foden, Palmer and other commanders, Southgate is not in a hurry to give an answer, who wants to come, but the basic condition is that the defense cannot be relaxed.
For another example, on the issue of Kane, he is relatively optimistic about his retreat, and Southgate does not care whether Kane will score more goals and have a chance to compete for this year's top scorer award.
In this way, his tactics can basically be figured out. The more popular evaluation is basically "only defense, no counterattack".
How long Southgate can last
Of course, there are a lot of problems with this set of things, and the England team has gone a long way by relying on what everyone jokingly calls "metaphysics", and next, they will play against any enemy, if they still rely on this set to play, it is estimated that the probability will inevitably be untenable. If Southgate wants to continue to lead the team, he will have to work on issues such as who will be in charge, such as Kane Saka's return to his original position, such as the balance between attack and defence.
However, Suo Shuai is not leading the team on the first day, and it is estimated that the players and fans are very clear about his strength, and it is not realistic to point to him to learn too much quickly.
It's better to just continue to "Gou". Perhaps, Zidane's story gave Suo Shuai plenty of "confidence"? Of course, this year's Deschamps play led the French team to play, but it was not very good, which will inevitably give Suo Shuai a lot of relief.