We all have opinions when it comes to football.
In fact, it’s pretty hard not to, especially if you’re involved beyond simply sitting down and watching the occasional game.
We have opinions about our favourite teams, their strategies, star players, managers, and transfers.
We even have opinions about the status of the game itself, and how an entire culture might be shifting.
Forming those opinions is part of what makes the game so engaging.
And the strange thing is, sometimes those opinions align.
One thought that has struck a number of English football fans, for instance, is that the English game has well and truly gone ‘back to its roots’.
This has grown into an almost universal viewpoint, and, seeing as it’s so rare that football fans actually agree with each other, we thought it was a good idea to look into it and discover whether it has any merit.
Long Balls And Set Pieces
Most people vocalising this opinion point to two strategy changes in particular: long balls and set pieces.
This was certainly a staple of the English team in the 1960s and 70s, when the game was famously direct.
Back then, the English team would often bypass the midfield with powerful, focused kicks straight from defence to attack, relying on speed and physicality rather than intricate passing.
Wingers were expected to sprint down the flanks and deliver precise crosses into the box, while strikers used their strength and positioning to capitalise on those opportunities, turning them into scoring chances with an almost brutal efficiency.
When it came to set pieces, these were also heavily exploited, whether that was by perfectly-timed headers from corners or quick free-kick routines, where even dead-ball situations could be turned into major scoring chances.
The approach was straightforward, effective, and deeply ingrained in the English football identity of the era.
Back To The Roots
And, yes, it seems to be coming back. Set pieces, in particular, have faced resurgence for a number of years – as was evidenced by Southgate’s tenure at the helm of the national team, led by Brentford and other data-first teams.
It’s no shock now that, when looking at Premier League betting odds, set-piece odds and goals from set pieces have taken on a markedly different appearance.
With Thomas Tuchel’s coaching style in mind, one of the standout strategies of the English team so far has been to incorporate longer, more direct passes, whether that’s through long throw-ins or long balls into the box.
He also seems to be focusing on set pieces, with a few of England’s standout goals being from lofted corners and free-kick routines.
Tuchel has openly embraced these long line passes and more coordinated, considered moves, emphasising their importance for tournament play, where adaptability, tactical awareness, and cohesion are necessary to keep up with the pace of international opponents.
It might not be as interesting from a spectacle-perspective, but there’s no doubt that this strategy has merit, especially when it’s executed effectively – as England has been executing it over the last few months.
A Worthy Strategy?
Sometimes, going back to the past and finding that traditional team spirit is what’s needed to jostle a modern team back into life.
The traditional ‘English way’ was to play with directness and rely on teamwork, with a no-nonsense attitude, and look at what happened.
In 1966, England won the World Cup against Germany. It’s no coincidence that Tuchel will be trying to replicate that success, borrowing from the past to try to shape England’s future.
Will it work?
Maybe not to the same degree.
The game has developed, and teams in the 21st century are far more attuned to tactical nuance and long-form play.
But sometimes, the old ways are the best, and so long as England formulates some new tricks to add to this strategy, there’s every chance it might take them to even higher heights.
