England are playing brilliant and beautiful football - these are the nights of our lives 🟢 danielstorey85
That does not mean that England played well in the first 30 minutes against Senegal; not at all. It is one thing to prefer safe possession over invention and creativity, but another entirely when you regularly give away cheap possession. Ismaila Sarr missed a chance that Kylian Mbappe might not and Jordan Pickford’s left hand was stronger than Thor’s hammer to prevent an emergency situation. France will punish England in a way that no opponent has yet.
But broadly, it works. Southgate’s plan bears fruit because of how brilliant and how beautiful this England team are when they quicken the pace from nought to 60 in the space of three seconds. Hang all of them in a gallery: Declan Rice’s get-and-gives, Harry Kane’s scans and passes, Jude Bellingham’s balance and knowing exactly when to release his passes, Phil Foden’s late runs and crosses.
England’s other great trick is to maximise the advantage of scoring. Cliche may dictate that you are never at your most vulnerable than when you have scored, but make way for the myth-busters: England are at their peak immediately after scoring. In their last five games alone: their first two goals against Germany in the space of four minutes; first three in the space of 10 minutes against Iran; first two in two minutes against Wales; first two in eight minutes against Senegal.
Southgate has moved past the point where he will convince his doubters . One of his most redeeming features is that he genuinely doesn’t seem to care. But he has got every single team selection call right in this tournament. At a time when half the nation were sharpening their tongues and polishing the pitchforks, both remain gloriously unused. It’s almost as if this man who has been in the job for six years might know these players and know how to use them.
France may well be a step too far . None of this should change the record and none of it should stop the good word being shouted from every rooftop: halcyon days are supposed to exist in the past; this England team is living them in real time.
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