Gareth Southgate shouldn’t be afraid to switch things up in England’s second World Cup group game against Panama on Sunday, and a leaked teamsheet suggests he won’t be — but maybe that’s still not enough.
He has already been the man to cut the mould from previous Three Lions managers by finally choosing youth-in-form over names and reputation, ruthlessly cutting the likes of Joe Hart and Jack Wilshere; but now he needs to keep it up by rotating his squad and not relying on the same old faces.
Dele Alli started brightly but was quick to fade and probably should have been substituted earlier in England’s opening 2-1 win over Tunisia in Volgograd last Monday. (He’s injured now anyway and likely won’t start).
Likewise, Raheem Sterling didn’t really fit in the system, and was missing for most of the game.
It was promising to see Marcus Rashford come on for Sterling with 20 minutes to go, and Alli make way for Ruben Loftus-Cheek with 10 minutes left, but now we need to see more of these understudies.
Not only would this give the first game’s starters a rest, because they started to look tired in the second half against Tunisia, but it would also boost morale among the second rung and make them feel part of the action — and that’s vital for team spirit and confidence in squad depth going forward.
It would be nice to see the likes of Jamie Vardy and Danny Rose get a start, and maybe (dare I say) even dropping Harry Kane to the role of an impact sub could be considered for this game, just to protect him going forward, while giving Southgate the opportunity to see other options up front.
Don’t get me wrong, England are by no means through yet, and disaster could still unfold if they do the unthinkable and lose to Panama, making their last game against hotly-tipped Belgium all to play for.
It might also be foolhardy to change things too much as it would break any positive momentum gained from that first match, and let’s face it, this team have hardly had that much time together as it is.
However, out of all of England’s group games, Panama is the easiest on paper, so while they should approach with extreme caution, they should also be confident enough in the second line to deploy more — and I’m not saying all — of their bench.
If England are to go far in the tournament, they will need to use their depth and work out alternative options, so that they are not solely reliant upon Kane, because this tournament is a war of attrition.
Sterling is also better suited as a wide midfielder weaving into the box than he is an out-and-out striker, so it might be good to try him there, where Alli or Jesse Lingard played, while Rashford and Vardy start up front. (The leaked team sheet suggests Sterling won’t even start however).
It would be better to spare the big guns like Kane and Alli for the Belgium match where a nicked win would see them finish top of the group, earning them a more favourable second round opponent, than it would to use them up against Panama and rest them to settle for second against Belgium. This would require a bold move from Southgate however, something he’s not shied away from.
