England's Struggles

Tyler Stearns

England defeated Serbia on Sunday in their opening match of the 2024 Euros to 1-0. The game was rather unexciting for the neutral viewer, with only one goal and a few major scoring opportunities for each side. Jude Bellingham scored the only goal, hence the winner for the Three Lions with a header after a beautiful cross from Arsenal's Bukayo Saka.

Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Declan Rice, Via Manchester Evening News

Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Decland Rice, Via Manchester Evening News

Three points, right? Not for England fans. England looked out of sorts for most of the match. Their passing was poor at times, their midfield and fullbacks were not strong, and they missed some sitters that should have been finished. The fans have wanted Gareth Southgate out for a long while now and this game just adds to that anger. Let's look at five takeaways from the match.

1. Foden is not a left-winger Phil Foden can not play left wing. Left-footed players who aren't too fast and are forced to attack on the left side of the pitch are often incapable of performing well. He was rash with his passes, his dribbling was poor, and he was rather nonexistent in any of the successful attacks that they had. To be utilized properly, he needs to be played at the central attacking midfield position. He is great in an attacking pivot and loves to find space centrally. Saka was wonderful on the right and deserves to keep that role, and it wouldn't affect Foden anyway because his best role is as a CAM.
   

2. Bellingham is the key If England wants to do anything in this year's Euros, Jude Bellingham has to be at the center of it. He was magnificent yesterday in the match versus Serbia. Of course, he scored the winning goal, but his dribbling, passing, and defense were amazing as well. This team is full of star-studded talent, but he is the best of them all. If England goes far, he will be the reason for it.
   

3. England needs Luke Shaw back Kieran Trippier was forced to play left-back yesterday due to the injury of Luke Shaw. Though England has endless amounts of talent at the right-back position, they are lacking in depth at left-fullback. Luke Shaw got injured this year and has been slowly recovering. If England goes far in this year's Euros, he is likely to come back and hopefully play a role, but until then, the left side for the Three Lions will offer much less attacking threat.
   

4. Saka is special Bukayo Saka had a wonderful game. He assisted Bellingham's goal with a beautiful cross, but he also showcased his dribbling and passing throughout the game. He does still have some issues with getting around his man at times, but he rarely loses the ball and he is extremely smart. He is better on the right than Foden, but they are both great players. He will be key in England's run.
   

5. Trent is not a midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold was played in midfield by Southgate. Of course, his preferred position is right-back, but he isn't strong enough defensively to take the job away from Kyle Walker. His attacking is second-none, likely the best we have ever seen from a defender, but he is not a midfielder. On paper, he has the tools to succeed in that role, but he can't switch positions after six seasons of a different role.