Gareth Southgate believes the Class of 22 is better than last year’s vintage.
And the England boss even revealed he thought some of his forwards were well below par at the Euros. England started their World Cup campaign in wonderful style as Southgate released the handbrake and they hit Iran for six.
Now, England face the United States on Friday night with Southgate claiming he has more attacking options and his strikers are in better form this time. Southgate said: “I see more of our attacking players in a better moment than they were in the Euros perhaps.
“I know people talked a lot about the depth we had then, but I didn’t see for some of the squad then that they were in a really good moment when you were looking to make changes, there were some but not all.
“Now, I’m looking at training and it’s at a really good level amongst the group and they’re making decisions harder. Now, I’m always thinking if there’s an injury to a player: ‘Well, OK who’s the next one in?’ It’s an opportunity for someone else.”
Incredibly, Harry Kane was not among those six goals when England thrashed Iran which was bizarre in itself but the England captain had a superb all-round game, arguably one of his best in a Three Lions short.
Bukayo Saka got two, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish were also on target which meant that, when there was an injury scare for Kane this week, it did not feel like all hope was lost. Back in the days of Sven Goran Eriksson, if Wayne Rooney was not fit then England might not have bothered.
Southgate insisted that Kane is also a “special” player but says now they can share the responsibilities around the squad. And not just when it comes to goals. Southgate said: “I guess at the highest level that’s got to be proved yet because he (Kane) is a special player.
“His build-up play, everybody will focus on this goals but the quality of his build-up play the other day for Raheem and Marcus’s goals the other day was exceptional.
“We’re blessed to have him. Equally, what we’ve tried to do from the very start was not put all the onus on the captain, whether that’s media duties, whatever else it might be, spread the load, give people more responsibility, we have now got more depth.”
Southgate has been rigid in the build-up to the tournament in using a back three formation and it was something of a surprise when he went with a more attacking approach in a 4-3-3 line-up against Iran.
That got the best out of England’s forwards and midfield but Southgate does expect a potentially tougher game against the United States and yet he suggested possession is nine tenths of the law and it would be unfair to take the short away from those who played so well.
Southgate added: “With the team, yeah, that’s always the dilemma. On the one hand, the team has earned the right to go again and there’s something important about a meritocracy for a team where they will say: 'if I’ve played well, I’ve earned the right to again.'
“And then there’s ‘but are they all ready to go again and is that the right decision?’ There are other guys who are raring to go. So that’s the decision we face really, do we change that or can we go again? The challenge then is to go and produce what you've produced again.
“And the US will be more of a threat in counterattacks as well. I think a higher level of players, lots of players with Premier League experience, so it’s a different type of test.
“I know people might find it hard to believe but that is what we normally aim for! I think the States will make it more difficult for us, there will be more pressure on our defenders with the ball.”
