Euro 2020: What do England need to work on?

Development of set-piece routines

The Three Lions were on fire from set-pieces at the 2018 World Cup, scoring nine times from them and setting a new tournament record in the process.

As well as it worked in Russia, sides have now had time to prepare for and predict what’s coming from the English set-pieces. The line of players which worked so effectively could potentially have less of an effect now if teams know it’s coming.

For Southgate and his side, with the centre backs they usually play it could be worth sticking with set-pieces being a viable option for a goal, but freshening up ideas.

James Tarkowski, Michael Keane and Harry Maguire are all incredibly effective in the air, especially Maguire who got a bit of a reputation in the World Cup and had to eventually deal with rough treatment in the box to stop his threat.

Kieran Trippier has proved his free-kick credentials on the big stage, but Barkley, Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold have also proved they know how to dispatch a free-kick.

Having options could be crucial to the success of the National side.

Having another striker option

England’s overreliance on Harry Kane during the summer was made clear in the latter stages of the tournament. When Kane stopped scoring as freely as he was early on, England stopped scoring.

Marcus Rashford was taken to the World Cup, alongside Jamie Vardy, as back-up to the Spurs man. Vardy got a few minutes in ‘dead-rubber’ games, while Rashford came on and was stuck on the wing.

Since the World Cup, Vardy has retired, and Rashford has started to flourish in the central role for Manchester United. For Southgate, giving Rashford a chance in Kane’s role would provide a perfect back-up plan, and would help to keep Kane in form if he could get some rest late on in matches.

Starting Rashford and Kane together could also provide a switch up in the system that could throw teams off and work incredibly well.

What Kane lacks in pace, he makes up for in finishing and cleverness, and his talents would be wonderfully complimented by Rashford’s electrifying pace.

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