Thread by @pythaginboots

#ENGSCO - Euro 2020 Tactical Thread

Key points:

- Mount and Foden are excellent in space creation
- Kane struggles to use space created
- England waited too long to begin caring

CC: @TacticalPad

#EURO2020 #ENG #SCO

For the first 20 minutes it was clear both sides were playing with passion rather than tactics, but once the dust settled it became clear that England's chance creation was going to be minimal.

This thread will explain what England tried to do against Scotland & why it failed.

England's build up play took place on both flanks but below is an example from the left.

Scotland pressed high. Dykes would shield Rice, McGinn->Mount and O'Donnell->Shaw, leaving the ball carrier with no immediate passing options.

The get around this, the England ball carrier welcomes a press so that they can make a pass to the fullback who can play another pass centrally for Kane or the ball sided wide player to receive.

In theory this is a sound plan, but in practice, Kane struggled under pressure.

Kane was the focal point of passes made from the middle to final third following the build up phase. Scotland quickly realized this and it was clear that Kane was not going to be suitable to this role.

Mount & Foden would combine with the ball sided CB and Fb while one of them remained in the half space or wide are. This was done to shift the Scotland backline so that space would be created for Kane, the opposite wide player to the ball side, & sometimes Phillips, to move into.

England played around Kane's ability or seemingly lack thereof in this game. It did not work.

The only positive note going forward is the use of "third man runs" created by players like Foden, Sterling, Mount, and Phillips at times.

England could not take advantage of the space created. These types of maneuvers were screaming for a player like Sancho or Bellingham.

How the "third man runs" work.

1) Ball carrier carries ball forward; baits a press
2) Player pressing is often marking another player, so a defending teammate must cover the now free attacker
3) An attacker goes into the space created by the 2nd defender leaving their space

Ultimately a very disappointing performance from an England team that is probably the most talented one in history, against a Scotland team that will be celebrating tonight's draw as a victory seeing as their chances for R16 qualification are still alive.

I have received a lot of stick on our YouTube channel for being anti-Southgate but ultimately we will not win anything with him in charge. He has a okay grasp of the game from a tactical perspective but relative to the talent at his disposal will prove to be out of his depth.

When you have a team of lesser talents, the team picks itself and you focus on 'functionality'. A team of this talent pool, it becomes more complex to forge the right solutions and create chemistry.

Gareth tries to make it easy for himself by mostly picking functional players.

This is why he avoids Grealish and Sancho... 'mavericks' who confuse him.

The idea of dropping Kane - an English 'sacred cow' would simply be unfathomable.

Hard decisions will ultimately not be taken and it will prove costly in the knockouts.