There’s no doubt that England manager Gareth Southgate has some credit in the bank after steering the Three Lions to a World Cup semi-final and European Championship final in consecutive tournaments, with this standing him in good stead ahead of the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
However, some have argued that England benefitted from relatively favourable draws in 2018 and 2021, while a recent run of six matches without a win (which saw the side relegated from Nations League A) has put Southgate’s team under scrutiny at the worst possible time.
In recent matches, Southgate has returned to his preferred five-man defensive line, with this arguably helping him to compensate for England’s deficiencies at the back.
But is this a negative tactic that’s stifling England’s attacking potential, or a necessary and pragmatic step that will optimise the Three Lions’ chances of success in Qatar? Let’s find out!
The 2018 World Cup and Southgate’s First Flirtation with a Back Five
Southgate’s breakout tournament as England manager came in the 2018 Russia World Cup, when he led his charges to the semi-finals before losing narrowly to Croatia in extra-time.
Throughout the tournament, Southgate adopted a three-man central defensive line, with Manchester City fullback Kyle Walker used as a right-sided centre half to provide some much-needed pace.
In the defeat against Croatia, Keiron Tripper and Ashley Young were deployed as wingbacks, while Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson anchored the midfield.
Interestingly, Southgate deployed Jesse Lingard and Dele Alli in advanced midfield roles ahead of Henderson, while Harry Kane lead the attacking line with support from Raheem Sterling.
The system evolved into a de facto 3-1-4-2 during the tournament, while seamlessly incorporating England’s best players and compensating for a lack of quality, orthodox central midfielders.
By the 2020 European Championships (which were actually played in 2021), England had reverted to a back four, with Declan Rice have emerged as a viable midfield anchor alongside players like Kalvin Phillips and the precocious Jude Bellingham.
At the same time, this system switch made it easier for Southgate to incorporate young flair players like Mason Mount, Jack Grealish and the generation talent of Phil Foden, which were as seen as crucial if England were to evolve and deliver on their full potential.
Reverting to a Back Five After the Euros
There’s little doubt that England never looked completely comfortable when deploying a back four, probably because Southgate prefers the added security of fielding five defenders and a slightly deeper defensive line.
This is also why Southgate has reverted to type and increasingly conservative tactics during the recent Nations League fixtures, while the 4-0 home defeat to Hungary in June (when England lined up in a 4-3-3 formation) will have also influenced the manager’s thinking.
However, the recent iterations of Southgate’s back five are removed from the manager’s previous tactics in 2018. While he has retained the idea of using Walker as a right-sided centre back and prefers the use of traditional wingbacks, he fielded two orthodox central midfielders in Rice and Bellingham in the recent, 3-3 draw with Germany at Wembley.
He also fielded Foden and Sterling an advanced roles either side of Kane, creating a 3-4-3 shape that reverted to a 5-4-1 when out of possession.
These differences perhaps reflect Southgate’s mindset, as his use of a single midfield anchor (Henderson) in 2018 created more attacking flexibility and made space for an additional attacking player.
However, he has recently reverted to a back five under duress, with a much greater focus on defensive shape and structure rather than looking to comfortably accommodate as many of his flair players as possible.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, there are many ways in which you can deploy a five-man defensive line, with the precise shape and team selection having a dramatic impact on whether you’re creating an attacking or defence-oriented side.
Currently, there’s little doubt that England are using this tactic to create a solid defensive shape and foundation for counterattacking football, which arguably doesn’t suit the balance of the squad or the attacking players at Southgate’s disposal.
Currently, England can be backed at an average price of 13/2 to win the Qatar World Cup, with the Three Lions price having drifted following their recent run of form.
While this creates additional value if you want to cash in your bettlinglines.io linebet offers and back this outcome, it’s also indicative of England’s recent struggles and failure to showcase a clear identity.
Overall, Southgate may feel this is necessary if his team is to succeed and go deep into the tournament in Qatar. However, the sense remains that the manager’s tactics are overly negative, especially when you consider the attacking credentials of players like Mount, Grealish and Foden.
