Talk among the English, in recent days, has been of change. After a period of chaos and instability, where nothing appeared to be working, there was now the chance to turn the page. Would the opportunity be taken? Would Gareth Southgate switch to a three at the back?
As many as 30,000 England supporters are expected to descend on Düsseldorf this weekend as the Three Lions take on Switzerland for a place in the semi-finals of the men’s European Championship. If the team wins, it would cement Southgate’s position, in his 100th game in charge, as the most successful England manager since Sir Alf Ramsey. Yet the mood among fans and pundits has been hostile, with only a remarkable last minute overhead kick from Jude Bellingham preventing the ignominy of being sent home by Slovakia in the round of 16.
The Swiss will be a step up in opposition, having already dismantled the reigning champions Italy in their last match. They are a confident, well-drilled side, many of whom have played together for more than a decade. England, meanwhile, look like a disparate collection of individuals, far less than the sum of their parts. The challenge for Southgate is to rediscover the cohesion that has taken his teams to a semi-final, a final and a quarter-final in his three previous tournaments as manager.
There is a growing expectation that Southgate, with a fully fit squad to choose from, will go back to basics against the Swiss and change the shape of his team to that which proved successful in Russia in 2018. A three man defence, with wing backs and four in midfield behind captain Harry Kane; it is a change that might get the best out of England’s undoubted attacking talent.
The new formation is not confirmed but it has been reportedly practised in training this week and it is a move that has the endorsement of the defender John Stones. “I think it’s a great thing to have in the locker” he said. “It’s something that shouldn’t be underestimated for us as a team – that we can do it so easily and seamlessly, and kind of click together.”
Stones is one of several England players to have spoken up for their manager this week as Southgate continues to be barracked in the media and sections of the support alike. Stones claimed the invective directed at Southgate “will only have motivated him that bit more” and that “we want to win for him”. Stones also argued that the manner of England’s last gasp victory over Slovakia can be an “emotional turning point”.
Bellingham is the man who triggered catharsis in Gelsenkirchen and the 21-year-old Real Madrid star has himself been drawing ever more attention as the tournament has gone on. Having described his goal as giving “a little bit back” to those who “talk a lot of rubbish”, Bellingham’s pumped up attitude made him the subject of a Uefa investigation after making a lewd gesture in the Slovakia match suggesting he was in the possession of enormous testicles. Bellingham insisted it was a private joke to friends. On Friday he was fined €30,000 and given a suspended one-match ban, but is eligible to play against Switzerland. The young icon will now be under even greater scrutiny in case his passion runs away with him again.
As for the fans, they have so far been a credit to the team. Despite a lot of boos and the embarrassment of a few plastic cups being thrown at the manager after a draw with Slovenia in the group stage, the crowds have been law-abiding and lively and have dragged England over the line at times. Now they get their reward of a weekend in Düsseldorf, perhaps the drinking capital of an already booze-friendly country. With the city’s Altstadt district boasting 300 pubs and known as “the longest bar in the world”, supporters have already made it their preferred base of operations and many will be returning for this weekend’s match after a week of recuperation at home.
England’s official ticket allocation for the 47,000 capacity Düsseldorf is a paltry 6,731. But many multiples of that number will be expected at the game, with prices on ticket resale sites starting at about €380. It is not cheap being an England fan, but there will be few complaining if the team achieve victory again.
