Having come into the European Championships as one of the favorites to lift the trophy, England have underwhelmed hugely, showing very little signs of improvement across their three group fixtures and even fewer reasons to fancy their chances later in the tournament.

Throughout Each game – a 1-0 victory over Serbia followed by dull draws against Denmark and Slovenia – there has been a worrying lack of progress for a team that contains the wealth of talent that this England side do and clear signs that this is a team – and a manager – without a clear plan for success.

Best players unrecognizable

They have made it through to the last 16 with the fewest shots and lowest expected goals (XG) of any other nation. This is from a team containing the Premier League’s best player, Phil Foden, the Bundesliga’s top scorer, Harry Kane and La Liga’s Player of the Year, Jude Bellingham, who, before the tournament was a favorite to receive the Ballon d’Or.

To not get the best out of these players is an abject failure and one that has ominous echoes of England teams of old, equally unable to see the best of their former greats.

But that isn’t the only issue here. Over the three games, England has been flat, pedestrian in possession, undynamic and wholly unbalanced. Players have been shoehorned into positions they are either unfamiliar with or uncomfortable in. Kieran Trippier is a fine right back. Yet, he has spent months on the sidelines with injury. Additionally, he must play on the left. He repeatedly turns back inside and offers no forward progression on that side of the pitch. Trent Alexander-Arnold is another fine right back but has been used ineffectively as a midfielder who looks lost as to what his role should be.

While it’s understandable to want to get as many of your best players onto the pitch at the same time, it makes far less sense to do so if that results in an overall weakness of a team’s effectiveness. To accommodate Jude Bellingham’s emergence as a number 10 for Real Madrid, Foden has been tasked with keeping the width in a left-wing position, limiting his ability to impact a game.

Failed experiments

There are too many experiments being made in a live tournament environment. These are the sorts of issues that are worked out in the softer qualifying games and friendlies that come before. The lack of an alternative to a clearly injured Luke Shaw is an almighty oversight from the manager. Fans have known for weeks that his participation was, at best, unlikely.

Watching an England game is a dull, lifeless experience, especially when compared to the likes of Spain, Germany and Portugal. Those nations have expansive football stemming from each player. Those stars play in the position that best suits their talents. Additionally, they know what the manager requests out of them. Spain played an entirely different team in their third group game without ever hinting at struggles like England.

Southgate must embrace change with England at Euro 2024

Southgate is a manager who has built success on pragmatism. When unsure over the quality of his defense, he looked to shore things up by playing a back-three with wing-backs and a midfield duo capable of holding position and nullifying opponents’ attacks. When Kane started to drop deep, he instilled pacy wingers like Sterling and Rashford to make the runs in behind to receive passes from their captain. He knows that teams rarely win international tournaments with an all-out commitment to attack and has often imitated Didier Deschamps’ approach with France, favoring control over the cavalier.

And up to a point it has worked. Statistically, he is the best manager England has had, reaching a World Cup semi-final and a Euro’s final. But now, he must realize that the pragmatic thing to do would be to change tack.

This England does not quite fit in the same mold. Their best players do not have ample experience playing defensive soccer. They seem unsure how to do so effectively. England already proved that sitting back after scoring invites pressure. Better teams have had no issue punishing England for this.

The lack of clarity in Southgate’s vision is visible too in the type of substitutes he has made already. Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Conor Gallagher, Kobbie Mainoo, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon. Each featured in the group stage off the bench when things went awry. The range of players used suggests that not only does he not know his best starting XI. He is also unsure of which players he can rely on to change a game when needed.

Forming a plan and sticking with it

He needs to be brave, perhaps uncharacteristically so. He brought Mainoo and Adam Wharton to the tournament for a reason. Now, he needs to start one of them to partner Declan Rice in midfield. To address the left-side issue, he can introduce Anthony Gordon to the team. The Newcastle star offers a direct line of attack down that side. Southgate could even move Bukayo Saka to the left-back position that he started his career in to help England at Euro 2024. Consequently, he would free up space for Cole Palmer on the right wing. Look at dropping Bellingham into a deeper position where he was previously so effective for both England and Borussia Dortmund.

Whatever move he makes he needs to do so quickly. This squad felt so united and so happy at the previous three tournaments. Euro 2024 has been without that interplayer connection. The attitude and spirit that Southgate worked so hard to cultivate among players and fans is slipping away. It’s now his job to ensure it returns and the best way to do that is with strong performances.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Southgate’s side was riddled with injuries entering their Sunday match with the Serbians. Without a tested midfield partner for Declan Rice or a left-footed understudy for Luke Shaw, Southgate’s line-up would be something of an experiment. And so it was. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold started over Kobbie Mainoo, Conor Gallagher, and Adam Wharton in central midfield, while Kieran Trippier filled in for the injured Shaw at left-back.

On paper, Both of these options are fine alternatives. There’s no doubting Trent’s ability to pick out a clean pass or Trippier’s experience and know-how at the international level.

The problem is that neither of them played in their natural positions.

For all Alexander-Arnold’s technique and passing range, he has only started six previous games as a midfielder – and those included games against Andorra, Malta, and North Macedonia – and his rawness looked worrying at times. The problem with using Tripper as a left-sided player only brought out another issue with the selection: the Phil Foden dilemma.

Southgate misuses key players

Foden won the Premier League’s Player of the Year award last season off the back of his most productive season yet for Manchester City. But by playing on the left of a three-man attack behind Harry Kane, England isn’t getting the best out of him. His natural inclination to cut inside often leaves Kieran Tripper stranded on the left side of the pitch – a position he doesn’t want to occupy as it is.

In addition, Foden must battle Jude Bellingham for his preferred #10 position. It leads to Foden occupying similar spaces, leading to overcrowding in the middle. The conflict also sees him shuffled uncomfortably out wide to accommodate his headline-creating colleague and leaving Foden fairly anonymous.

To succeed at this tournament, Southgate needs to get the best out of his best players. It means opting to play both Bellingham and Foden where they can impact the game from the start. Until he signed for Real Madrid and played as an auxiliary striker, Bellingham started games deeper as a number 8. To get the best out of Foden, it may mean recalling Bellingham to his slightly deeper role. It would allow both of these huge talents to shine on the international stage.

If he doesn’t then it won’t be long before the fans turn on Foden and start to clamor for a viable left-sided attacking option more suited to the position – either Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze or Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon.

A winning and crowd-pleasing XI

Here’s a line-up that the entire fanbase would love Southgate to use. England could play bravely, dominant, and to their undeniable attacking strengths.

Jordan Pickford would start between the goals. He would be assisted by a backline of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Marc Guehi, and a hopefully-fit Shaw. Declan Rice would join Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden in the midfield. Bukayo Saka, Kane, and Anthony Gordon would form a potent three-man line.

It leaves plenty of room for the squad’s most talented members to stamp their own game on the opposition. The lineup could also offer a natural balance to provide attacking options absent against Serbia.

Tournament football doesn’t offer much time for rehearsals. If England is to get the best out of their talented squad, the time to do it is now.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Euro 2024 could be different. England has a strong squad, and it is among the favorites to lift the trophy on July 14. Regardless, the memory of tournament exits plagues the minds of the England faithful. Here’s a potted history of some of the crueler ways in which England has conspired to exit tournaments.

Famous England international tournament exits over the years

1986 World Cup – The Hand of God (and feet of a genius)

England faced Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. Lining up for their opponents was a player whose singular talents were starting to be widely recognized and who would use the tournament as undeniable proof that he was the greatest player in the world: Diego Maradona. His performance against England was a calling card that displayed both his incredible footballing gifts and his utter determination to win. He scored both of the goals in a 2-1 victory and each of them would go on to live long in the memory.

It was his first that remains a hard pill for England to swallow – Maradona, a man under 5-and-a-half-feet tall – ‘outjumped’ a 6ftplus goalkeeper to head the ball home. Although he didn’t. He punched the ball home and later cheekily claimed it was ‘the hand of God’ behind the goal. His second, a mazy solo run from inside his half, took out the entire England defense. It remains the greatest goal scored in a World Cup. England fell to injustice and inspiration.

1990 World Cup – Penalty defeat to Germany

For the first time since 1966 England reached the last four of an international tournament at Italia ’90. Inspired by new national hero Paul Gascoigne, the team faced West Germany for a place in the final. As Gary Lineker’s late goal forced an additional 30 minutes of injury time, penalties loomed. It was the first of many painful defeats in this brutal manner suffered by England as the game was ended by Chris Waddle sending his spot-kick yards over the bar.

1996 Euros – Another penalty defeat to Germany

Having failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in America, England played host for the European Championships two years later and quickly won over a nation with an eye-catching Paul Gascoigne goal against neighbors Scotland and an all-time great performance against the Netherlands. They even managed to win a penalty shoot-out in the quarter-finals against Spain before once again coming face to face with Germany in the semi-final stage. The players may have been different. Yet, the outcome was the same as before, Germany won, with current England manager Gareth Southgate failing to convert his spot kick. It remains one of the cruelest exists for the country.

1998 World Cup – Red cards and a familiar exit

The first signs of a golden generation were starting to emerge for England. An 18-year-old Michael Owen was fast becoming one of the hottest properties in the continent and an equally young David Beckham was already a fixture on the front and back pages of England’s tabloid press. In the last-16 game against Argentina, each player left their mark with wildly different contributions. Introducing himself to the wider world, Owen’s solo run and finish to bring the game to 1-1 went down as one of England’s finest at this level.

Beckham’s contribution, however, was less positive. Annoyed by a foul from Deigo Simeone, he lashed out at the Argentine. Beckham purposefully kicked him to receive an instant red card. The torrent of media and fan-led abuse for the months that followed sparked a change in the star. As the sides were still level after extra time, it was yet again a penalty shoot-out that ended England’s time in an international tournament.

2002 World Cup – The star player injury

By the time the next World Cup arrived, David Beckham had established himself as his country’s captain and talismanic leader. All was forgiven in the eyes of the press, and he was set to lead a starry team full of potential. But there was a problem. Just weeks before the tournament Beckham was struck by injury, breaking bones in his right foot and teaching the country the word metatarsal in the process. The nation held its breath while he recuperated and the same press that vilified him just four years before were now using their front pages to pray for Beckham’s recovery. While he was declared fit for the tournament, he never looked fully comfortable, least of all when he jumped out of a tackle against Brazil allowing his opponent to run down the other end of the pitch and score.

2004 Euros – A new hero, a new injury but an old-fashioned exit

The 2004 Euros was the tournament where Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene, taking the group stages by storm and becoming the youngest scorer in the history of the tournament. England had unearthed a new star, and the hype was building. It was almost predictable then that it would be Rooney’s time to suffer an injury. England had taken an early lead against Portugal in the quarter-final when Rooney went down in the first half-hour. His exit from the game seemed to take a level of belief out of the England team who would concede a late equalizer before once again falling to a penalty defeat.

2006 World Cup – Rooney sees red (and, of course, penalties)

Much like Beckham before him, referees sent off England’s star player, Wayne Rooney, for a petulant kick of an opponent. It happened in his team’s quarter-final against Portugal. His Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo did his best to encourage the referee to lift the red card. After that, the game takes on a certain inevitability and England lose on penalties. This is becoming quite a habit.

2010 World Cup – The ghost goal that brought global changes

England was awful at the 2010 World Cup. The one positive for the side was bringing about a change in the game. In a mismatched last-16 game against Germany, Frank Lampard thought he had leveled the game at 2-2 just before half-time. His shot from outside the box clipped the underside of the crossbar before bouncing down over the goal line. But the referee and linesman thought differently, despite replays showing Lampard clearly scored. Failing to be convinced that the ball had crossed the line, the referee allowed play to continue.

England would eventually be on the end of a chastening 4-1 defeat. Lampard’s goal-that-wasn’t would have a lasting impact though. It went on to inspire the goal line technology that has become a fixture across the globe.

2012 Euros – Penalties… again

This was an England side that never looked likely to trouble the latter stages of the tournament. Thanks to yet another penalty defeat, this time against Italy, they didn’t.

2016 Euros – Peak embarrassment

A rarity in some ways was that this was a tournament that didn’t end in a penalty defeat. England managed to find a way to exit the 2016 Euros that was even worse. A humiliating 2-1 defeat to Iceland came on the back of a performance that resulted in the instant resignation of manager Roy Hodgson. The anger of 50 million people did not quench the lingering effect of such an outcome.

2020 Euros – A home final and an inevitable outcome

Football almost ‘came home’ in a covid-delayed 2020 Euros. England made it to the final of a tournament for only the second time in its history. Additionally, the odds were in England’s favor. The Euro 2020 Final was at the side’s national venue, Wembley Stadium. It was the site of England’s only other major triumph, the 1966 World Cup. A lively crowd desperate for them to end their trophy-less years showed up en masse on that summer day. The opponent was Italy, which failed to qualify for the previous World Cup. The Azzurri had bettered expectations just by reaching the Euro 2020 Final.

Things started well when Luke Shaw opened the scoring within five minutes. Yet, a familiar pattern soon arose. England started to look more and more cautious, inviting pressure and bringing on an Italian equalizer. As the minutes ticked away the nation could sense what was coming. Penalties. To the surprise of nobody, England once again fell short at the final hurdle, missing three penalties.

Penalties spelled the end of a storied Euro 2020 run. Now, England will work to better its result from three years ago when it opens Euro 2024 in Germany.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

A significant number of the world’s greatest sides are featured in Germany. Four of the past five World Cup winners and eight of the top-10 clubs in FIFA’s World Rankings are playing. Therefore, the European Championship is arguably the most competitive of international tournaments in world soccer.

In amongst the powerhouses of European soccer, however, the tournament is no stranger to springing a surprise. The 1992 tournament saw Denmark take home the trophy despite not having officially qualified. Twelve years later, the tournament witnessed another unlikely victor when Greece made their way to the final. A blend of solid defense and a string of 1-0 victories were the difference. That included a one-goal win over the host, Portugal, in the Euro 2004 Final.

For better or worse, these surprise winners – while remaining possible in knockout competition – have been extremely rare. As this summer’s tournament nears, it looks unlikely to be repeated.

Of the teams among the favorites for the trophy, certain problems remain. They will be at the forefront of managers’ and fans’ minds going into kickoff in June.

What each of the Euro 2024 contenders must overcome

England – startling attack but shaky defense

As ever, over-confidence pairs with caution and anxiety around England’s chances this summer. Gareth Southgate has a wealth of attacking talent at his disposal. His biggest decision is which players to leave out of his squad in this department. It’s the positions behind them, however, that continue to cause the biggest headaches.

Central midfield has been a concern ever since Jordan Henderson went to Saudi Arabia and Kalvin Phillips fell strikingly out of form. A partner for Declan Rice behind Jude Bellingham is one of the biggest question marks. Yet, even that looks less of an issue than the back four.

John Stones, when fit, is guaranteed. So too is Harry Maguire, despite public opinion. When either is missing, the age-old questions about the quality of personnel arise. The same is true at left back. Luke Shaw has missed most of the season through injury. His understudy, Ben Chilwell, has had a stop-start season with a struggling Chelsea.

The hope is that they will have too much firepower higher up the field to cover the cracks of their defense. Still, if recent friendlies are anything to go by, they may fall short once again.

Germany – caught between old and new

There’s a saying – in England at least – that you can never write off the Germans. Even now, as they reckon with another early exit from a World Cup and an uncharacteristic series of eye-catching defeats, there’s a sense that Julian Nagelsmann might just be building a team to be taken seriously once again.

Transitioning between generations is never an easy task. To have to do so at a home tournament, when the pressure is greatest, is even trickier. To his credit, Nagelsmann is nearing a typical Germany outfit compared to recent years. Unexpected seasons by both Borussia Dortmund and Leverkusen have given him the option to look at some previously overlooked talents. The manager was bullish about sticking to his guns in terms of personnel. It is starting to look a bit like the Germany of old. You can never write them off.

Spain – all midfield no strikers

Spain tika-taka’d its way to a period of global domination in the late 2000s. Since then, it has struggled with how to convert possession into goals. It’s been their Achilles heel throughout subsequent tournaments. Spain repeatedly found itself unable to push home dominance, last witnessed in the World Cup defeat to Morocco.

Their style of play – patient build-up reliant on short passing and technical quality in the middle of the field – is a result of the players they are so adept at producing and, even in this transitional period, this year’s squad is no different. Barcelona’s exciting young talent Lamine Yamal could be one of the players to light up the tournament. At just 16 years old, though, the side cannot rely on him to be the only finisher. As before, that task may fall on Alvaro Morata’s shoulders. He is not the most clinical of options for a team in a notoriously defensive group. Croatia and Italy, the team to eliminate Spain in the semifinals of Euro 2020, will present a challenge.

France – how to balance the world’s best squad

With a squad as deep and as talented as the French one, the only thing that can stop them is France themselves. Finalist at the last two World Cups, and runner-up at the 2016 Euros, they have been the standout international team of late. It is easy to understand why Didier Deschamps’ side leads the Euro 2024 contenders when looking at the squad.

In Mbappe, France has the single biggest threat of the tournament. Antoine Griezmann remains the unsung hero. His ability to play in a number of positions is integral to his team and, in Didier Deschamps eyes, more important to them than his starrier colleague. A dynamic midfield of Real Madrid duo Camavinga and Tchoumeni would be the envy of any team and that’s without World Cup winner Paul Pogba. The questions will be geared around the spearhead of the front line and who will take the number 9 role. Can record scorer Oliver Giroud still be relied upon as he nears 38? Is Dembele too unreliable, Muani and Thurman too untested at the international level? There’s not much that can shake off the ‘favourites’ tag but finding the key to unlocking Mbappe’s best performances might be the factor that decides it for them.

Portugal – time to call time on Ronaldo

As ever when discussing Portugal there is an obvious starting point to all conversations. So overpowering is his presence that Cristiano Ronaldo almost demands to dictate the wider talk around the country’s national side. The country’s highest-ever scorer, most capped player and starriest of all-star players has used the qualifiers as proof of his enduring clinical qualities with 10 goals in their 100% campaign.

But, and there is always a but when it comes to CR7, he is now 39 years old, playing in a league whose standard is far below any of his teammates – and opponents – and will offer no defensive protection to the team at all. It’s been found in other teams and in other places that, for all his individual brilliance, Ronaldo remains a conundrum for managers. He is, simply put, not a team player. It takes an awfully strong manager to leave him out though. We were given a tantalizing glimpse of a post-Ronaldo Portugal when he was dropped in the World Cup and his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory over Switzerland. Roberto Martinez may not be there just yet but with the amount of attacking talent available, he won’t be short of options if he chooses to do so.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

One team currently in the stages of a success wave is England. The Three Lions are tentatively boasting something of a new golden generation, some fifteen years after their last one. For those who have watched both, however, it isn’t just positive attributes that the two sides share.

It’s not forgotten that the fabled golden generation failed to progress further than the quarter-finals of any international tournament. It was a major disappointment given the depth of talent in those squads. During that period – roughly between 2004 and 2010 – they were ultimately undone by specific issues. Those same woes are starting to take on an eerily familiar look among today’s squad.

The midfield of the 2000s contained four of the Premier League’s all-time greats. David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are great. Still, consecutive managers failed to find a balance that brought the coherent best out of them. Prominent among the complaints was that Lampard and Gerrard were often competing for the same patch of pitch. Each wanted to deliver their usual, high-energy impact. The pair comfortably found pockets of space behind the strikers for Chelsea and Liverpool. Obligations to contain some of their more attacking instinct curtailed each player’s potential. A decade-long inability to uncover a way to turn this huge potential into results was key to England’s failure to inflict maximum damage on opponents.

The left-side issue of prior years

That wasn’t the only issue either. Beckam was comfortably positioned on his favored right side. Happily, and successfully, he played in long-raking passes and crosses from out wide. His Manchester United colleague, Paul Scholes, drew the unfortunate role. He shifted to a less familiar left-sided position to accommodate Lampard and Gerrard. At least that was the plan.

In reality, it took away the player most suited to international football from his most effective position. England ceded possession to opponents and frustrated Scholes to the extent he stepped back from international soccer.

That spoke to a second issue among that fabled generation: a lack of natural left-sided players to offer balance to the team. Years down the line, England finds itself with another golden generation of sorts at their disposal, and the pressing issues are all too familiar.

This year’s squad arguably contains more technically gifted players who would happily fit into teams across the continent. Their flaws are similar and in danger of being exposed once again.

Resurfacing issues for England at Euro 2024

The left-sided issue has mutated. Regardless, it threatens to be just as disruptive as before. A shift from 4-4-2 to a more fluid 4-3-3 lessened the need for a left-footed player on the left side of the midfield. Having someone on that side of the pitch naturally inclined to play on the outside immediately adds much-needed width. In recent years, Luke Shaw has often been the man to offer an outside option. His overlapping runs allowed the likes of Phil Foden or Jack Grealish to cut inside to more dangerous areas. With his injury likely to rule him out of much of the tournament, England once again find themselves alarmingly short in that area.

In announcing the England squad for Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate’s omission of recognized left-back cover options in Ben Chilwell and Tyrick Mitchell left onlookers realizing that the role of Shaw’s understudy will most likely fall to Kieran Trippier. The Newcastle man is a talented full-back. However, he is a very right-footed one whose natural inclination to chop back inside onto his right instantly slows down attacks, allows opponents to regain defensive positions and ultimately nullifies the effectiveness of that side of the pitch.

Foden and Bellingham battle for the same space

Ahead of him, we are likely to find England’s familiar problem No. 2: Phil Foden. The Manchester City player, winner of the Premier League’s Player of the Year award, has excelled as a No. 10 this season. Foden adds a clinical goal-scoring edge to his game. He looks far more comfortable in the middle than stationed out wide. The problem for England is that they have another Player of the Year who operates best in that position: Jude Bellingham. For fans and followers of England, it is already starting to have shades of Lampard and Gerard.

Southgate is outwardly confident that players of their ability will be able to work out how to bring the best out of the team – and each other – and has reiterated the importance of where they end up rather than where they start. But these too are echoes from the Lampard/Gerard debate. For a nation whose hopes are higher than most others, it’s vital that England manages to find a way of navigating these issues to prevent history from repeating itself at Euro 2024.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Steve Clarke has managed to build an impressively competitive international team. A core of talented individuals has a full team spirit. Scotland has returned to the map of international soccer after years in the wilderness.

History has not yielded success

This, after all, is a nation with a wealth of talent in their storied former generations. Players like Dennis Law and Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish and Billy Bremner, Pat Nevin, John Collins and Ally McCoist. These teams beat the world’s best. Scotland triumphed over France in 1997 just before Les Bleus won the ensuing World Cup and European Championship. In 1978, Archie Gemmill’s brace sank the Netherlands in the group stage of the World Cup. That game lives long in the nation’s memory. Also, locals still delight in a victory over the English world champions of 1966.

And yet, for a side whose history has been touched greatness in moments, there remains one giant obstacle. They have never got out of the group stages at an international tournament.

Scotland has come close several times. It has beaten giants only to be outdone by a minnow. There have also been times when you would’ve thought it more probable than ever before. Reaching the second stage of a tournament has always proved elusive for Scotland.

This summer’s Euro 2024 represents Scotland’s greatest chance yet to break that cycle. The nature of the 24-team tournament means that there will only be 8 of those who’ve qualified for the tournament that will not be making it out of the group stage. Four of the six third-place teams receive a spot in the knockout rounds.

A historically strong Scotland side at Euro 2024

For a team with the quality of Scotland, that should be a target well within their reach. John McGinn helped steer Aston Villa to its highest league finish for almost 30 years. Consequently, he will be a captain in next season’s Champions League. Andy Roberston and Kiernan Tierney, at one time a cause for team selection headache, now dovetail perfectly in Clarke’s adjusted line-up. Clarke has discovered how to get the best out of Scott McTominay, too. The Manchester United man turned into a Lampard-esque goal-getter from deep, notching up seven in qualifying.

The bad news comes from the loss of Lewis Ferguson. The Bologna midfielder recently played a key role in Bologna’s best finish in Serie A since the 1970/71 campaign. He will miss the tournament after suffering a knee injury late in the club calendar.

There are other challenges to overcome. Outside of McTominay’s heroics, the side lacks conviction in the attacking third. Che Adams is likely to lead the line and will need to be at his most clinical if they are to be successful. Scotland’s lack of depth up front was underlined by Steve Clarke’s inclusion of the untested Ben Doak to the squad for the summer.

Uncharted territory for proud Scotland side

These are, no doubt, issues for Steve Clarke to face. The fact remains. This summer, a first step into the second round of an international tournament is well within their grasp.

They won’t have much time to ease their way in though. Their opening game is the one that kicks off the tournament itself with a tricky tie against hosts Germany. That represents the toughest challenge they face. Reaction to the result will play a key part in determining their success against fellow opponents Hungary and Switzerland.

No game is a foregone conclusion despite Scotland’s recent uptick in performances. Sitting at No. 39 in FIFA’s latest ranking system, Scotland is the lowest-ranked team in Group A. Germany is a questionable low 16th, with Switzerland and Hungary at 19th and 26th, respectively.

To beat its history, Scotland will need to beat the odds. It’s certainly a challenge, but it will go down in the nation’s folklore if achieved.

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Of all those who’ve taken on the role since England’s sole tournament victory in 1966, nobody has come closer to success than current manager Gareth Southgate. At his first tournament in charge, he took the team to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. He went one step better at the following Euros. England reached its first final in 55 years. One year later at the 2022 World Cup, England was a Harry Kane penalty miss away from a possible victory over France at the Qatar World Cup.

And yet there remains a large proportion of England fans who are wholly unconvinced by his ability to lead the team to glory come this summer’s Euros.

A large part of that comes from the knowledge that he has at his disposal one of the finest selections of players that the country has seen. It is a squad that should be able to finally lay to rest those years of heartbreaking defeats, missed opportunities, and out-and-out failure. The heralded ‘golden generation’ of Beckham, Rooney, Lampard, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Scholes and more could not get it done. The current crop of players are proven talents at the top of their game, they can lead England to glory.

In short, this is undeniably Southgate’s most important decision of his time as England manager. There will be little forgiveness if he gets it wrong.

Southgate faces critical Euro 2024 squad decisions

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the best players in the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga this season are all English – something that seemed near-impossible not long ago. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s successes overseas can only be to the benefit of their national team.

Those two players will be among the first on Southgate’s team sheet but the make-up of the rest of his Euros squad is likely to be more fiercely debated than ever and the outcome will be the defining factor in determining how successful his reign as manager has been.

Most of the attention will be on the players that he will leave out of the squad. With the strength of his options at the top of the pitch, there will be strong opinions about those unable to fit into the front-line positions. In addition to captain Kane, Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden are sure to make the cut. The rest, however, face a nervy wait by the phone. Among them are Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney, vying for the position of understudy to Kane and only likely to get on the pitch when he’s being rested – or worse, injured.

The wide options in what will probably be a three-man attack cause even bigger headaches. Cole Palmer has had an incredible season at Chelsea, but he favors more of a central role. Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford – both regulars in the squad – have had uneven seasons. Injury and drops in form make them less reliable for Southgate’s plans. Anthony Gordon and Jarrod Bowen remain largely unproven at international level. Both offer Southgate a different profile of player and a more direct route to the goal.

Completing a midfield trio

James Maddison is another player who has failed to win Southgate over. He is better suited to a No. 10 role that Jude Bellingham is sure to dominate in Germany. Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze is another exciting talent who might just have to wait for the next tournament. For Raheem Sterling, England’s second-highest scorer of the current crop, it seems he’s fallen out of favor. Consequently, he may not feature in the coming squad for Southgate at Euro 2024

Who partners Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham? That question highlights the lack of great central midfielders in this generation of England. Jordan Henderson would prove an unpopular choice among supporters. Regardless, Southgate puts his faith in the 33-year-old who no longer plays in the Premier League regularly. Will he be brave enough to start the former Liverpool captain over bright young thing Kobbie Mainoo? And what of Connor Gallagher?

Defensive puzzle

Another headscratcher comes in the back four of the Euro 2024 squad for Southgate. Harry Maguire – as unpopular as Henderson in many fans’ eyes – is a near-guaranteed starter. Barring injury, he’ll partner John Stones. Kyle Walker will occupy the right and Luke Shaw, if fit, will work the left. That is a big if. The Manchester United full-back has missed the majority of the season. Throwing him in a starting line-up with little action will represent a huge risk from Southgate. The England manager has not been one to take significant risks in his time leading the Three Lions.

England fans would be happy to see some defensive changes from the previous Southgate squads. For several reasons, these options will not win over Southgate. Despite winning Serie A with AC Milan two seasons ago, Fikayo Tomori has yet to convince Southgate. Hotly tipped Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite featured in the last squad. He failed to see any minutes, confusing a large number of supporters. They recognize the urgency in securing a decent ‘Plan B’ at the heart of defense. Eric Dier’s turnaround at Bayern Munich is another player who thinks he deserves a spot on the plane to Germany. He can fill this much-needed role as a backup for England.

Whatever the make-up of the squad ends up being, it will be met with anger and confusion. The only hope for Southgate will be that those who earn a call-up justify his decision. England can end the summer with their heads – and maybe even the trophy – held high.

PHOTOS: IMAGO

Going into last weekend’s fixtures, leaders Arsenal and Liverpool boasted the best goals scored record in the league. Fast forward a couple of days and not only had their slender points advantage been wiped out. Manchester City had overtaken that goals record and their profligacy in front of goal had been cruelly exposed. And while the nature – and timing – of their respective home defeats against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa will draw most of the focus, their wastefulness in front of goal has been a problem for both teams for large parts of the season.

It feels harsh to point the finger at individuals, but it is pertinent that, while holders City benefit from the all-conquering, record-breaking robot-striker that is Erling Haaland, Liverpool is still yet to see a dependable goalscoring return for the significant investment in their big money No. 9, Darwin Núñez.

Núñez’s misses have cost Liverpool dearly in Premier League title race

The Uruguayan brings a lot to the game; excitement, a free spirit and the ability to inject a sense of chaos into the Reds’ frontline. A calm head in front of goal is not one of them. The data isn’t kind either, ranking him 559th out of 562 players for striking efficiency.

To his credit, he’s not a player likely to be put off by such statistics but for all the goals he has scored this season, it will be the glaring misses he’ll be remembered for most. It’s not helped that they often come in crucial games too, such as the snapped volley in the defeat to Palace or the miscued cutback against Man United a week before. These are the chances that swing games and win titles. And he’s not the only one missing them.

In three games against Manchester United alone this season, Liverpool has amassed over 80 total shot attempts. Twenty-six of those have been on target. Their 1-1 draw against title rivals Manchester City in March will stand out as a missed opportunity. Luis Diaz’s one-on-one which he skewed wide of the post may serve as a stark reminder of ‘what could have been.’

Diaz can match Núñez in his South American colleague in both his excitement and rashness. Incredibly exciting for neutrals but too unreliable for the pair to make up two-thirds of a frontline trying to win a title. These are the results of a team still readjusting to a huge overturn of players in the last couple of years, a reconfiguring of playing styles and tweaks to minimize the departure of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino and the strongest forward trio of recent years.

Despite success, Arsenal has lacked a punishing ability

Arsenal’s fate may have been less sudden, but the impact has been just as stark. Last season they surprised by challenging for the title with a City-like approach, spreading their goals out across the attacking four and hoping to outscore opponents. This season, Arteta has attempted to shore things up a little, tightening the screws and adding an element of control to their game. Hence the massive outlay on Declan Rice. In that regard, Arsenal’s figures this season have been an unmitigated success. The Gunners have the best goal difference in the league with the fewest goals conceded. Arteta’s side has scored just one fewer than leaders City.

And yet there remains doubt over the North London club’s ability to sufficiently punish opponents when on top. It was in evidence at the weekend against Aston Villa. Arsenal had nothing to show for its first-half dominance and were left to rue the missed chances come the last five minutes.

It’s an element of their game that came under scrutiny in the earlier half of the season. Fans and pundits started to notice their switch to a more composed, controlled game. Yet, that came at the expense of the previous season’s goal-plundering attack. Most critics pointed fingers at Gabriel Jesus and expensive summer addition Kai Havertz. Neither one filled the role of an out-and-out number nine. In itself, that shouldn’t matter, especially when goals are shared between others. However, when Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard fail to make up the numbers, the lack of chances taken starts to look increasingly damaging for a team’s hopes of a credible title push.

Other clubs show the benefit of a potent striker

But what of the other end of the scale? Teams benefit hugely from a player with the ability to turn a half-chance into a goal. That slight difference can easily shift a one-point draw into claiming all three points. Arsenal witnessed one up close on Sunday in the shape of Olly Watkins. The Englishman is performing at his peak. In all likelihood, he is leading the Villans to their first appearance in Europe’s top club competition in 42 years.

Dominik Solanke has come good on early potential to lift Bournemouth to unprecedented Premier League heights. Likewise, Alexander Isak has an impressive return of 17 goals from just 24 starts. How different Newcastle’s season could have turned out is he maintained fitness.

Yes, it’s a cliché that goals win games. But if this season has taught us anything it’s that cliches exist for a reason. Goals win games, and chances taken win titles. Unfortunately for Liverpool and Arsenal, they just have not taken enough of theirs.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.

The trend for mid-season managerial change in the Premier League steadily rose since its inception in 1992. Therefore, in some regard, this new benchmark merely continues the pattern to its next step. What stands out this season, however, is that those 15 changes have come from just 11 clubs. Four clubs, including Leeds United, have made two changes during the one season.

It cries of mismanagement from the top, an admission of error and a desperate attempt at over-correction. Rather than managers, it is the duty of those in the posh seats to determine a club’s route. Those executives identify the personnel to accomplish preset goals. To get it wrong once is bad. But, to do so twice in the space of one year is, ironically, a sacking offense.

Big clubs get big decisions wrong

The highest-profile example of owners contributing to the record sackings of managers this season is Chelsea. Chelsea adopted the cavalier approach. It made scattergun signings and played with the eye-watering spend of new owner Todd Boehly. That all failed spectacularly, much to the amusement of fans of the league’s other 19 teams.

Accepted wisdom says Chelsea was perhaps wrong to part so hastily with Thomas Tuchel. Then, it was naïve to bring in Potter who, for all his obvious pros, was wholly untested. Worse off, this relatively unproven manager dealt with a squad of entirely new faces. Follow that up with the reappointment of Frank Lampard as the man to salvage the season. It is indisputably the result of bad planning from the top down.

At least Chelsea fans can take heart from the plight of a team across the capital. North London rival Tottenham has been suffering its own meltdown. It, too, is on its third manager of the season. This is the culmination of failing to consistently recover from letting go of Mauricio Pochettino in 2019. The fact that his departure was a self-inflicted wound by the club following a failure to financially back the Argentine only serves to highlight the club’s failings at the top level.

Botched attempts at replacing him provide little evidence that these decisions are made by the smartest men available. Spurs hired an out-of-sorts Mourinho, a fifth-choice Nuno and a hot-headed ‘winner’ in Antonio Conte. The Italian never gave the impression he wanted to be there in the first place.

Owners put managers to sword with record sackings

What the latest appointment at Leeds demonstrates is the lack of consideration for the playing style and long-term approach that owners can adopt. Going from Marcelo Bielsa to Sam Allardyce in a little over one year is a shift as stark as you can imagine. In between the two, Jesse Marsch made signings of his choice to suit his high-pressing playing style. Now, these players are bit-part players on large wages that cost big transfer fees. Swinging so violently from one approach to another suggests less of a plan and more of desperate late-night trolley dashes for whoever’s available.

The league’s bottom club, Southampton, is the fourth team on its third manager of the year. Formerly an example of how to run a smaller club in the top flight, their season has been a result of ill-planning, unbalanced experience levels within the squad a huge managerial gamble on the wildly untested Nathan Jones.

Interim managers

Among these unending appointments, a new job has emerged: the dedicated interim manager. This paid intern position is taken up by those considered able to get the job done. Yet, it does not disrupt things too much for a future, longer-term appointment to follow in the summer. Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace, Dean Smith at Leicester, Ryan Mason at Spurs and the previously mentioned Lampard and Allardyce. At least two of these have taken over from a previous caretaker manager themselves in Lamard and Allardyce. Once again, this underlines a lack of forethought at the very top.

Managers and clubs alike have little to gain from the role. Fail to perform and the club boots you out the door. Succeed and suddenly the owners have a headache over who to hire in the summer.

What it speaks to is the desperate fear of relegation and the anxious panic it can elicit among owners. It’s unsurprising too with the financial implications involved. Deals are tied up with guarantees of Premier League income or revenue from European competitions and to lose one of these can result in a speedy fall from grace. Owners know this all too well, they are first and foremost businessmen after all and, while the Premier League promises high rewards and reputation boosts, the risks are just as mighty.

Instances of success

Maybe it’s best to look at the successful models, the positive examples set by Brighton and Brentford. Both adapted to life in the league and excelled within it thanks to shrewd and knowledgeable ownership. Or at Manchester City where the club spent five years building a project tailor-made for Pep Guardiola before he even joined and are now seeing the benefits of their actions.

Sadly though, less fruitful ownership models regularly outnumber these examples of success. The lure of the Premier League, its wealth and global appeal likely prove too attractive to those with bigger wallets than football know-how.

The Premier League has the best players and managers in the world. It needs the best owners, too.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Colorsport

Turns out, very little.

No change at the top

As the start of the new mini-season took shape, it became clear that what was true before the World Cup remains to be true after it.

At the top of the table Arsenal continued to look impressively reliable, their consistency going against the usual doubts about a flakey Arsenal team who’ve plenty of recent experience of falling away from the top.

Their draw against Newcastle – an unexpected first versus third encounter – represents their first dropped points at home this season and underlined the fact that this is an Arsenal side to take seriously.

Their opponents that night have reaffirmed their case as top four contenders and retained the scoring ability of Miguel Almiron. The Paraguayan winger netted for the ninth time this season as Newcastle look to make themselves at home among the league’s elite.

The league’s top scorer, Erling Haaland, continues to break records, just as he did all those weeks ago. Manchester City’s Norwegian striker has already reached the 20 goal milestone for the reigning champions in just 14 games. The previous record was achieved in 21 games.

If it weren’t for the Norwegian, we may be hearing a lot more about Harry Kane’s impressive goal tally. The England captain looks like he’s put his World Cup woes behind him to continue to drag his Tottenham side into Champions League contention.

What will frustrate fans of the North London club is that their habit of conceding first has shown little sign of changing since the restart. Are Kane’s goals going to be enough to cover up the cracks for the remaining five months of competition?

Premier League return does not stop three upstart sides

The three teams who’ve arguably performed strongest this season – Fulham, Brighton and Brentford – continue to impress with a neat blend of sharp management and shrewd signings.

Brentford once again proved that on their day they can beat anyone. Their win over Liverpool can be added to their scalps of the two Manchester clubs to get an idea of just how well they’re adapting to life in the Premier League in their second season.

Brighton were subject to the league’s biggest managerial shift before the break when Graham Potter left to take up the reins at Chelsea. Any fears that this would herald the beginning of the end for the club have been erased with their continued development under Roberto De Zerbi. Is it harsh to suggest that he’s even made them a more efficient, higher scoring side? Certainly not if you take a look at the stats.

In Aleksandar Mitrovic newly promoted Fulham have one of the strongest strikers in the league, a must for any team looking to survive the step up. Both he and the rest of their team have made the transition seem far easier than they have done at previous attempts. Willian looks a player revived, Tim Ream is having a season few saw coming and in Joao Palhinha they have one of the true breakout stars of the season so far.

“Big Six” clubs not jumping back into action

Heavyweights Chelsea and Liverpool would have hoped for a change in form and fortune following the break but both are still succumbing to their early season failings.

After going as far as they could in all competitions last season, Liverpool continue to look like a side fighting fatigue and battling to re-energise and re-focus. Unconvincing wins against Aston Villa and Leicester failed to banish fans’ fears before the defeat against Brentford confirmed them. There’s also a common belief that the recent signing of Dutch forward Cody Gakpo fails to fully address the side’s real areas of concern.

Manchester United’s favorable run of fixtures has seen them capitalize on Marcus Rashford’s rich vein of form to banish their early season blues and land themselves a top four spot. Despite his constant presence in the World Cup, Harry Maguire seems to have fallen even further in the pecking order with Eric Ten Hag even preferring to use Luke Shaw as a makeshift center back than trust the £80m man. It’s a similar story for Jadon Sancho as two of United’s biggest ever signings continue to spend their time on the bench. How they respond looks set to shape their futures at the club.

New manager shake up

How best to judge those sides whose owners rolled the dice and opted for managerial changes just ahead of the break?

In Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui, Aston Villa and Wolves both opted for established continental managers who could easily find themselves at some of Europe’s more storied clubs. As it stands it looks to be a choice that’s working well for the two Midlands outfits.

The same can’t quite be said for Southampton and their decision to favour youth over experience by bringing in Nathan Jones. Time may well be on his side but he’ll need to address his side’s run of defeats if he’s going to have any hope of keeping the club in the league.

His first chance to prove doubters wrong will come against Frank Lampard’s Everton. Whoever loses that is sure to feel the ire of their supporters louder than ever.

The game against Senegal hadn’t even finished before the commentators had turned their thoughts. England gave away the ball against the Lions of Teranga, acted sloppy in possession and was casual on the back line. Rather than talk about Senegal, commentators said ‘they won’t get away with that against France.’ More specifically, the player came across their thoughts.

You would not be able to give Mbappé that kind of space.

I’m worried over what Kylian Mbappé can do against England in that scenario.

Newspaper headlines the next day echoed those thoughts. A range of articles and columns dedicated to what – and who – was agreed as the game’s deciding factor.

It’s an understandable approach for those looking in. Mbappé is the tournament’s stand out player, so far. In the now, he is the tournament’s top scorer with five goals. Assuredly, he is a future Ballon d’Or winner, and quite possibly a two-time World Cup winner, or even more.

His speed and ability to take the ball past players alongside the ease at which he appears to find scoring certainly marks him out as the biggest threat England will face.

The biggest but not the only threat, that is.

Kylian Mbappé not the only threat England faces

Amid all the talk of Kylian Mbappé, there is a danger in England overlooking the rest of France. It is an immensely talented and disciplined squad with players across the front line capable of hurting England.

Now his country’s top scorer of all time, Olivier Giroud carries a threat like few other No. 9s. He is adept with both his head and his feet, and he is comfortable with his back to goal. His uncanny ability to possess and find space amidst the defense brings others into the game outside of him.

Dembele’s one-on-one prowess should more than worry Luke Shaw on the right hand side. The Barcelona winger looks a player reborn after his injury battles earlier in his career. He looks to come inside and take the game to a potentially shaky Harry Maguire. This is cause for concern on the faces of all England supporters.

Behind the front three lies perhaps the key player to all of this, Antoine Griezmann. The Atletico Madrid star sacrificed his more selfish instincts to turn from goal scorer to deep-lying playmaker. Now, he finds space between the lines. Therefore, he ties together moves to hurt opponents. How England tackle him will be just as important as their tactics against Kylian Mbappé. Cutting out the supply line to the front three will prove crucial to England’s chance of success. Could Declan Rice be tasked with a man-marking role?

For all the talk of opponents, it shouldn’t be forgotten that England have some serious weapons of their own.

Attack may be the best form of defense

They will go into the quarterfinal as the tournament’s top scorers and can boast a genuine world class forward in Harry Kane. They have a bench as strong – if not stronger – as any other nation, with game-changers like Rashford, Grealish, Mount, Maddison and Sterling able to affect the outcome late in the game.

Saka, Foden and Bellingham have already proved they are more than ready to become international regulars. Bellingham in particular has captured the imagination with his commanding performances. His bursts from central midfield have drawn comparisons with some of the greats in his home country with pundits and journalists alike lining up to herald him as ‘the world’s next best midfielder’.

The fear for those supporting England is that Gareth Southgate will pay too much attention on how to stop France that he fails to focus on how best to hurt them. In order for England to succeed, they must remember to bring the sword as well as the shield.

Formational decisions

Central to that is formation. They’ve come this far deploying a 4-3-3 which gets the best out of their young stars and provides enough stability defensively to allow Bellingham the freedom to play his natural game. It plays to their attacking strengths and places the onus on the front six breaking quickly as a unit, as they did so impressively against Senegal.

Calls for Southgate to return to a back three in order to double-up on right-backs and mitigate the threat of Mbappé would result in a midfield short in numbers and hand the initiative to France before a ball is kicked.

Whatever approach England do take, it promises to be  gripping encounter, the match-up of the tournament so far and true test of both team’s chances of making it all the way to the final on 18 December.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Laci Perenyi

Instead, this time, one of the greatest players of all time silently shuffles out the back door mid-season. Everyone involved is eager to move on as quickly as possible.

How this came to be is a depressing story of ego, agents and a desperate TV presenter. However ugly the end, the uncomfortable truth is that his departure is actually good news for all parties.

Not the Ronaldo of the older days

The Ronaldo that arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2001 was not the same creature who left all those years ago. Yes, he has more goals, more records and more Instagram followers. Still, there is no denying this is very much post-peak Ronaldo. The desire was still there, the self-belief certainly still apparent. But, the blistering pace, incisive running and game-changing quality succumbed to the hands of time.

Of course, there were moments when he briefly shone to. Singlehandedly, Ronaldo rolled back the years and dragged Manchester United out of the depths. A hat trick against Tottenham Hotspur and numerous last-gasp Champions League winners are just examples. The club did not deserve results, but Ronaldo got them there.

That is what great players do, it remains in their DNA even during their decline. The issue was that the decline was irreversible and increasingly notable. Juventus spotted it too.

There was a sense of a pairing that never quite felt like the right fit. Like a middle-aged man trying to recapture his youth by squeezing into the leather jacket of his teenage years. The two were no longer compatible.

Ronaldo exit from Man United benefits player and club

United were a team in transition and eager to try to move to something a little more modern. Initially, Ronaldo played under Ole Gunnar Solskjær. The former United forward was an unthreatening manager. Surely, he was not strong enough to stand up to a player of Ronaldo’s power.

When he departed, and new manager Erik ten Hag eventually arrived, his high-pressing and physically demanding style of play was far more suited to a younger, more energetic model. The writing was on the wall.

Things may’ve been smoother had there been a solid structure in place at United. Or at least something resembling a plan. One of the comments that rang true in Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan was his statement that United are a club in stasis. There has been no change, no urgency to develop and nobody in charge with a good idea. The irony of course is that had their been, there’s no way anyone sensible would have agreed to bring back an ageing Ronaldo no longer suited to this style and well past his best.

As sad as it is, that’s the truth of the matter. Ronaldo no longer fits in with United and United no longer fit with Ronaldo. He wants – needs – to be the main man at any club. Playing a bit-part role and spending more time on the bench doesn’t do any good for his GOAT image. And having an angry superstar earning half-a-million week while not playing doesn’t do much good for United either.

However the decision was made. Ronaldo, Man United and the fans must accept that this exit, this divorce of titans, is best for everybody.

Where Ronaldo ends up next is a decision for another day but. Judging by the lack of super clubs’ willingness to sign him, his desire to play in the Champions League again may be over once and for all.

PHOTO: IMAGO / PanoramiC

In France’s defeat to Tunisia, the reigning champions changed nine of their eleven players from the previous match, lining up with the most altered team of the tournament so far. In itself, it’s an understandable move from manager Didier Deschamps; with his team already through as group winners, why not rest his key players before the tournament evolves into a knockout competition and he needs to rely on them for a potential four games within 14 days. 

What would have concerned him, however, is that this new-look team barely resembled anything like world champions. 

Current World Cup champions are not favorites

Before a ball was kicked in Qatar, many onlookers eyed up the French squad with envy. Their squad was bulging with talent across the pitch and their front line alone held enough to cause concern in even the most stringent of defences. On top of that they knew how to win, both the team and the manager collecting the biggest prize in the sport.

But then the injuries came rolling in, and not just to fringe players. Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, the creativity and enforcement at the heart of their midfield, were both ruled out early. Raphaël Varane was forced off the field while on duty for Manchester United and his position not guaranteed. His possible center-back partner Presnel Kimpembe was ruled out too. Breakthrough striker Christpher Nkunku was injured in training, Karim Benzema was forced to withdraw and the first game saw them lose their only established left-back, Lucas Hernandez.

All of a sudden the reserves had to become starters. A new and untested midfield pairing of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot were drafted in. Olivier Giroud, a likely third choice center forward became first choice, a second-string back four started in their opening game and the usually pragmatic Deschamps was forced to ditch his safety first approach and acknowledge where his teams strength lay and start with four out and out attacking players from the start.

For the first two games this tactic worked fine. After an initially testing opener against Australia where some players took time to settle, they soon found their flow and ended up 4-1 winners. The following game, against a Denmark team who had already beaten them twice this year, an inspired Kylian Mbappé led them to a 2-1 victory.

France not as strong as first thought

Sitting top of the group and comfortably into the last 16, Deschamps can be forgiven for switching things up a little. But perhaps what he inadvertently did in selecting such a changed eleven was to show to the rest of the world that France’s B team isn’t nearly as close to the A team they had feared. 

The drop off in quality was quite alarming to watch. Players, like hugely promising Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, were played out of position, there was a lack of pace throughout the side and a bluntness to their attack that saw them comfortably outplayed against the team ranked 30th in the world.

In every tournament a team will have an off-day. A match when things, for one reason or another, just won’t click. At least for France, in this instance, they can pinpoint the reason. It’s now up to them to ensure their first XI don’t drop their form because if the game against Tunisia is used for evidence, their second XI aren’t up to the job of defending their title.

There’s plenty in the French squad to feel confident about their chances. With a triumph, France can end the 60-year tenure of teams falling short in their bids to repeat.

A lack of talent, however, has seldom been the barrier for French success.

More than any other nation, the French epitomize the chaos of tournament football. Winners in 1998, exited at the group stages four years later. A runners-up place in 2006 was followed by a public meltdown and group stage exit in South Africa in 2010. Last time out saw them crowned world champions but their much-fancied side were eliminated from the Euros two years later by Switzerland.

Therefore, questions persist regarding which France team shows up in Qatar. Issues outside the pitch could rue the side’s chances for glory.

Injury bug strikes French squad

The first thing to note is that injuries plague France more than perhaps any other nation. While squad depth played a key role in France’s 2018 triumph, the dynamic midfield duo of Paul Pogba and N’golo Kanté is not in action. This strikes out much of the creativity and drive for France in the heart of the field.

Elsewhere, there are injuries to in-demand RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku. He exited after an unfortunate training pitch clash with Eduardo Camavinga. Also, France is without Milan keeper Mike Maignan, Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana and PSG’s center-back Presnel Kimpembe.

On top of that, there is uncertainty around the fitness of key defenders Raphaël Varane, Jules Koundé and Lucas Hernandez. Karim Benzema has been cautious not to aggravate a recent injury. Then, Antoine Griezmann’s unorthodox deal at Atletico Madrid means he’ll be more undercooked than manager Deschamps hoped going in to the tournament.

Uncertainty for France at 2022 World Cup

That gap in the central area may result in the untested pairing of young Real Madrid duo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni . A partnership of huge potential but little experience. As a result, Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is the backup. His call up to the squad is not without controversy. He refused to be on the standby list in the 2018 World Cup squad, putting his status under the microscope. Unsurprisingly, that led to something of a fallout with manager Didier Deschamps.

He’s not the only member of the squad with ‘history’ either. Karim Benzema, arguably in the form of his life, only recently rejoined the team after an extended suspension absence. He played a part in the bribery case involving former international teammate Mathieu Valbuena. Benzema famously called his replacement, Olivier Giroud, a ‘go-kart,’ while Benzema was more of the ‘Formula One’ stature.

Giroud then hit back and criticized the decision to bring the Madrid striker back into the fold. For now, at least, the pair have put on a public show of peace. Expect that to be tested if things go south early on.

Talent across the pitch

But for all the injuries and niggles, potential rifts and previous feuds, there is no hiding the fact that France arrive in Qatar with an enormously stacked squad. Even the players that didn’t get the call-up would form a strong team.

There is talent and competition for each position. That central midfield pairing may be raw. Yet, it has potential to be hugely exciting. In fact, it is the envy of most nations across the bulk of Europe and the world.

They have players who can change games single-handedly. Nowhere is that more true than in their front line. Benzema and Mbappé are perhaps the best two strikers in the tournament. Griezmann, who will likely play just behind them, is an equally big player for France.

That’s not to mention Olivier Giroud, who is just two goals away from breaking Thierry Henry’s record and becoming his country’s all time top scorer. Also, Ousmane Dembele or Kingsley Coman can play a pivotal role in counter attacking with pace.

Deschamps, a naturally pragmatic manager, is unlikely to go for broke with an all-out attack. Equally, he understands where his team’s strength lies. With this being his final act as France manager, he is eager to go out with a bang.

Deschamps is just the third person to win the World Cup as both a captain and a coach. He seeks more history by being one of the few to retain the trophy.

The month of November, in managerial terms, is sacking season. As the clocks go back, nights draw in and players from Premier League clubs fly around Europe to play for their national teams, managers start to nervously look over their shoulders in fear of bad news.

The fall international break has traditionally been an optimum time for club owners to re-assess, cash in their chips and throw caution to the wind, ditching struggling managers in favor of shiny, newer models. The reasoning is fairly solid. A change of guard while the focus is elsewhere often means an easier transition away from the spotlight while giving the new boss an extended settling-in period that they’re unlikely to find at other points in the season.

It was this time last year that Tottenham made the most eye-catching changes of recent years, waving farewell to the Mauricio Pochettino years to usher in the age of Mourinho. Now, as early season form comes up against panicking chairmen and frustrated fans, it’s Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who finds himself bookies favorite to be the first Premier League manager to find himself out of a job.

Despite overseeing lauded performances in the UEFA Champions League and a convincing win away at early season frontrunners Everton, the Norwegian has still not done enough to convince some followers that he’s the right man for the job. But if Ed Woodward was to reconsider his options, just who would be the best candidate to replace him? We assess the names of those linked to the job to see how well suited, and how likely, they are for United.

6 viable options to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

1. MAURICIO POCHETTINO

The charismatic Argentinian is very much the leading candidate for the job. He has been ever since his departure from Spurs twelve months ago, with some even wishing he had beaten Mourinho to the appointment four years ago. It’s not difficult to see why. Having arrived in England in 2013, he wasted no time bringing results to Southampton, beating Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, and claiming the club’s highest ever Premier League points tally. He then turned Tottenham from soft-centered under-achievers to Champions League finalists, genuine Premier League contenders and, during a year period in 2017, arguably the best team in the country. All with a remarkably modest net spend.

His teams are aggressive in the press, play on the front foot and are often marked by young, local talent. The ‘but’ comes in the lack of trophies he has to his name. To his credit, he’s never been in charge of a team expected to win trophies. But if he were to land the job at Old Trafford, he would have to adapt to new levels of expectations quickly to win over the doubters.

PROS:

Knows the league, popular throughout the fanbase, encourages and develops youth talent, doesn’t rely on big transfers. Free agent with no buy-out fees.

CONS:

While there’s no disputing his talent, his lack of silverware leaves many a United fan questioning the rationale for ditching Solksjaer only to go for another trophy-less manager.

LIKELIHOOD OF MOVE:

As it stands, he looks primed and ready to take the job if it becomes available.

2. MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI

The Italian has been out of a job since leaving Juventus in May 2019, on the back of his fifth successive league title with the Old Lady. During his five-year spell, he amassed a total of 11 trophies, becoming the first manager of Europe’s top five leagues to win four consecutive doubles and took Juventus to two Champions League finals. He brings with him a winning mentality that places results above anything else, an attitude that served him well in Turin but might not prove so popular at a club whose fanbase are notoriously eager to see exciting attacking football. While his Milan and Juventus teams were credited for their ability to change shape and adapt to new systems, neither played the quick football often demanded by the Old Trafford terraces. Given the chance to add some trophies to that style, however, and Allegri-ball could easily win over the masses.

PROS:

Football at the top is largely a results business and there are few around who can match his record in that department. His win rate of over 70% at Juventus is second only to Guardiola in recent years. Free agent with no buy-out fees.

CONS:

Pragmatic style could prove hard to win over some United fans. No experience of managing outside his own country – although Conte and Ancelotti managed to make the transition relatively seamless.

LIKELIHOOD OF MOVE:

There’s been little linking manager and club together, and Allegri’s previous claim that he’d want to retire at 55 doesn’t offer too much hope but odds have shortened and fans are starting to look upon him as a favorable alternative to Pochettino.

3. JULIAN NAGELSMANN

The snappily dressed German is something of a wonder kid in European football. Still just 33 years old, the RB Leipzig manager has been breaking records ever since taking his first role at 28. A quick glance at his achievements offers an explanation as to why he’s so highly regarded: youngest ever manager in the Bundesliga, secured Champions League football in his first full season at Hoffenheim – the club’s first time in the UEFA Champions League, youngest ever manager to reach the semi-final stage of the tournament, placed third behind only Hansi Flick and Jurgen Klopp at last year’s UEFA Manager of the Year awards.

He’s known to carry an obsessively detailed streak that has seen him compared to everyone from Mourinho to Guardiola, and looks poised to take the next step to join one of European football’s elite clubs.

PROS:

Innovative, tactically astute, taken a far less fancied team to the UEFA Champions League semi-final. Impressive game management and is young enough to shape a team’s longer-term future.

CONS:

Still relatively untested, is he able to make the step up to one of the biggest clubs in the world?

LIKELIHOOD OF MOVE:

Those within United are known to be hugely impressed by Nagelsmann, despite Leipzig’s recent collapse against them in the Champions League. If they are looking for someone to oversee a new project, he could well be the man to lead it.

4. RALPH HASENHÜTTL

Before Nagelsmann arrived at Leipzig, it was Austrian Ralph Hasenhüttl who had established the club as a serious force in German football. In his short time at the club, he managed to break up the Munich-Dortmund duopoly to secure a second-place finish in his first season with the club. Arriving in England a year later with Southampton, he quickly imposed his philosophy on the unfancied side, living up to his ‘Alpine Klopp’ moniker. One glaring blip aside (the 9-0 disaster-class against Leicester), his side have played fast, front-foot football with unrelenting energy and on a budget nowhere near the league’s top teams. In a curious way, even that galling defeat has worked in his favor in the long run, proving himself able to turn around results and galvanize a team when they most need it. Their current position in the Premier League’s top four is testament to his coaching talent and ability to shape a winning dressing room.

PROS:

Has a clear footballing style and is able to translate it to his players. A uniting but commanding force in the dressing room.

CONS:

Will a club of United’s stature look to hire a manger from a mid-table team with no experience of handling the demands of a top top club?

LIKELIHOOD OF MOVE:

There are others undoubtedly ahead of him on the list but if those become unavailable, then don’t rule it out.

5. BRENDAN RODGERS

Young yet experienced, an ardent follower of tactical evolutions and able to adapt to different challenges; there’s a lot to mark Brendan Rodgers out as one of the leading candidates for the Manchester United job. Add to that the fact he has already had a taste of life in the spotlight of big club management at Celtic and Liverpool, and the Northern Irishman suddenly appears one of the more astute options. Other than one glaring fact, of course: Liverpool. The link to the Merseyside club likely means he’ll never be seriously considered for a role at United. The divide between the two clubs remains insurmountable and while Rodgers was only in charge for three trophy-less seasons at Anfield, that’ll be three too many for most United fans to swallow.

PROS:

A coaching style that brings out the best in individual players and teams as a collective. Fiercely ambitious and eager to put the ‘nearly man’ title to bed.

CONS:

Other than having managed arch-rivals Liverpool, some find it difficult to warm to Rodgers’ tendency to self-grandiose and pat himself on the back. That and the never-ending David Brent (from The Office) comparisons.

LIKELIHOOD OF MOVE:

He’ll definitely be considered but the Liverpool connection is likely to rule him out.

6. DIEGO SIMEONE

In one of the most glaring misreads of modern football, former Premier League and England player Trevor Sinclair recently appeared on TalkSport Radio to suggest that United shouldn’t aim for Pochettino as he’s not attacking enough and should, instead, focus on Diego Simeone. It was quite a baffling take on a manager who has made his name at Atletico Madrid by grinding out victories through counter-attacking football built on utter defensive solidity. But what an impact he’s had on Madrid’s ‘other’ team, turning them into a fearsome unit capable of winning LaLiga ahead of their noisy neighbors and Barcelona and being minutes away from UEFA Champions League victory. His passionate management style relies heavily on tactical nous and establishing the complete trust of those in his team. It was notable how highly Kieran Trippier spoke of his management style following his move from Pochettino’s Spurs in 2019.

PROS:

Simeone can galvanize a dressing room like few others and would not stand for any star player not pulling their weight. He can upset the odds and overhaul more fancied teams both in one-off games and complete seasons.

CONS:

It’s hard to look past the ultra-defensive/pragmatic tactics. Would that be something United fans could get behind? He hasn’t yet been able to bring about the more attacking style he promised two seasons ago.

LIKELIHOOD OF MOVE:

He would definitely represent a different path for United’s owners to consider. If they choose to take it, there are fewer better placed than the Argentinian.

OUTSIDER OPTIONS:

Since wowing the world with his Ajax team of two seasons ago, the spotlight on Erik ten Hag has slightly dimmed but there’s no doubting his talent. Each year, he’s resigned to losing his best players to bigger clubs yet comes back each time with impressive results achieved in attractive style.

Before taking over at PSG, Thomas Tuchel was high on the United radar. Since then, the clamor seems to have lessened but with things never quite secure at the Paris club, don’t be surprised to see him re-appear on the shortlist when the time comes.

United fans would love to tap into their rich history and pluck out a gem of a manager in the shape of a former player. The Solksjaer experiment may not have been the most successful example but there may be a more suitable candidate lurking not too far away. Sir Alex Ferguson often viewed Laurent Blanc as a prospective manager, while Ryan Giggs’ time in the dugout at the end of David Moyes’ reign was seen as a short trial run. Neither now look like the best available options but there’s a lot of favor within the club held for former midfielder and current first-team coach Michael Carrick.

England will go into their final group game with their qualification for the next round already assured. Thursday’s game against Group G’s top seed Belgium will now be one to determine who will take the top spot. The game will offer the unusual opportunity for the Three Lions to rotate their first 11, giving some weary limbs a day off and a chance to bring in some fresh legs.

There’s even a suggestion floating around that it may actually be better to finish second in the group.

With the unexpected early results from Brazil and Germany, a number of optimists are penning England’s possible route through the knockout stages. Realizing that finishing second could result in avoiding both of those World Cup giants, and instead it could land a likely quarter final showdown with Switzerland or Mexico.

However, there are a few glaring factors that would suggest that trying to lose against Belgium may spell danger for this freewheeling English team.

Presumptuous

Perhaps first among them is the fact that there is no such thing as a guaranteed victory in World Cup football. To assume England will have enough to stroll past whatever last 16 opponent they face is to forget the troubled history England have had in the knockout stages of major tournaments. So bad is their record that their last Round of 16 victory came 16 years and 4 tournaments ago in 2002.

Simply put, those who believe England should favor a half of the draw that avoids the big guns are overlooking the fact that to reach that stage means beating some of the smaller guns. Not something England have been adept at in recent years (remember Iceland, anyone?).

Coming second in the group could land them a Round of 16 game against Colombia who, despite their opening defeat to Japan, showed against Poland their fine potential form. Colombia are not a team to be taken lightly and on previous World Cup form could arguably be favorites against England.

Confidence

Soccer, like the majority of sports, can be a confidence game. The best way to retain confidence is simply by winning football matches. An even greater boost can be achieved when those football matches are won against a team that is seen as better than yours — a label Belgium hold over England at the moment.

To effectively ‘throw’ a game is a risky move that could have the adverse effect of diminishing the enviable team spirit already built up within this young squad.

Familiarity

It’s been stated before but it’s worth mentioning again to put into this context. England have a heavily inexperienced squad. The most inexperienced squad in the whole competition, in fact. Behind Kyle Walker, the back line is comprised of John Stones with 28 caps, Harry Maguire with 7 caps and Jordan Pickford with 5. Arguably their best player so far, Kieran Trippier, only has 9 to his name.

The team’s time on the pitch together is still in its infancy. These are players still figuring out how each other plays. Building up relationships and an understanding that can only come from minutes on the pitch. So to disrupt that just when they seem to be figuring it out risks more than three points in the long run.

There is also a favorite English pastime to consider of course. To deprive the nation of imagining ‘what could’ve been’ had something not been different is surely the cruelest thing Gareth Southgate and the team could truly inflict on the country.

Gareth-ball

It’s all very well claiming to have a philosophy or a style in soccer, but little of it matters unless there are tangible signs on the pitch. Gareth Southgate, a long time employee with the national set-up, is well aware of what is wanted from the famed England DNA. He is arguably the best man to introduce it to the world on the global stage. And, for the first 30 minutes or so it was in clear evidence in Volgograd.

From the kick off England were positive. Playing on the front foot and attacking in numbers with intent. If the plan was to overwhelm their opposition with speed then it seemed to be paying off. This England team are set up to play to their strengths. Overlooking the lack of craft in the central positions in favor of a midfield that can break suddenly and decisively. Between Lingard, Alli and Sterling, the blueprints appeared to be in place for them to bombard their opponents with speed and incision. Their ability to harness these attributes for future games may well determine the success of their time in Russia.

Strength in depth

It’s rare in tournament soccer that a team’s first starting XI makes it through to their last appearance. For a country to succeed it needs to be able to rely on its strength in depth. Remaining flexible in adjustments to suit different opponents and introduce new tactical ideas.

On Monday evening, Gareth Southgate rolled the dice twice and both can be seen as unequivocal successes. Substituting a slightly injured Dele Alli and underperforming Raheem Sterling for Marcus Rashford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The youthful pair instantly appeared to be astute selections, providing a directness and high energy to a slowly fading team.

Southgate showed his ability to judge a game. He sensed what is needed and introduced it at the right moment and without panic. This bodes well for both the manager and his team.

Set pieces

It’s easy to think that England have long been masters of the set play but, in recent years, that has seldom been the case. Cast your mind back just two summers and you’ll find Harry Kane on corner duty and out of the poachers area from where he twice found the net against Tunisia.

In part he was there because there wasn’t an outstanding alternative.

Gone are the days of dependency on Beckham’s deadly accuracy or even Gerard’s quick passes. Against Tunisia England found an answer in its wing-backs, Ashley Young and Kieran Trippier. Both proved themselves wonderfully adept at delivering dangerous balls into the box with pace and accuracy. Their wide play lead not only to the two goals but was a constant source of hope for an England side well drilled in how to attack them.

Kane scoring

If there was any player in the England team that fans would want a ball to fall to in the six-yard box it would be their captain Harry Kane. Similarly, if there was anyone fans would have wanted them to score their opening goal at this World Cup it would have been Harry Kane.

England’s captain went into this tournament without netting at the European Championships two years ago. With the knowledge that a failure to do so would not only result in the press sharpening their knives, it would also see his team face another early exit. Such is the importance of an in-form Kane to this young England team’s hopes of progressing.

So not only did he elicit large sighs of relief with his closing minutes winner but also with his 6th minute opener. As a nation, its manager and their talisman had a possible weight off their back already. For this to be a truly memorable tournament for England he will have to repeat the trick a few more times.

Victory

Opening games at tournaments are unquestionably difficult hurdles to clear. Take a look around the results of the first round of World Cup fixtures and this is further in evidence with Spain, Argentina, Germany and Brazil. All failing to win while France and Uruguay were fortunate to do so against heavily unfavored opponents.

By securing a victory in their opening game, and especially by doing so with a last-minute winner, England left Volgograd on a high and injects this young team with a welcome dose of confidence.

Chile have beaten Australia 3-1 despite a valiant effort from the Socceroos. Australia dominated possession and created more chances in the second half. Two very early goals through Sanchez and Valdivia were responsible for putting Chile in front to stay.

The game for the Socceroos started slowly as they were unable to produce any meaningful play, and that hurt Australia, when Chile exploded into life, opening the scoring in the 12^th minute through none other than their star player Alexis Sanchez. He poked in from inside the box, and provided the first goal, as the ball was crossed in and fell kindly for Sanchez, and was left with nothing to do but to smack it into the back of the net.

The Socceroos were out on their feet defending very deep, and when the 15^th minute arrived, the pressure told. A quick burst up the field through Isla onto Sanchez, another fantastic touch from Sanchez took his marker out of the equation, allowing the Barcelona man to find Jorge Valdivia at the edge of the box — and Valdivia doesn’t disappoint, sending the ball crashing into the net. It was 2-0 to Chile, with a goal and an assist for Sanchez.

Chile continued to attack, and even though the score line looked ominous, the Socceroos hit back in the 36^th minute. Some slick passing between Mark Bresciano, Mathew Leckie and finally to Ivan Franjic, allowing him to get wide and put in a beautiful curling cross to none other than Timmy Cahill. His trademark powerful header featuring again, leaping high and smashing it into the top corner of the net.

Unfortunately for Australia, Franjic suffered a hamstring injury in the dying seconds of the first half, and had to be subbed off for Ryan McGowan.

Just when you thought it would be Chile’s day, Australia were fighting to get back into the game, and that’s exactly what they did come the second half. They scrapped and searched for an equalizer and it appeared as though Cahill had scored off another perfect cross from Leckie. However, the goal was disallowed because of a marginal offside.

Bresciano then fired a left-foot shot on target, forcing Bravo to make a scramble save as Australia’s attack intensified.

You could see on the face of Chilean coach Jorge Sampaoli that he was beginning to panic. It was then in the 60^th minute that Vidal was subbed off. He was not at 100% during this match, and suddenly Chile began to retreat into a more defensive formation in an attempt to stop the Socceroos attack.

Australia Manager Ange Posteucoglou made two changes late in the second half with Ben Halloran replacing Tommy Oar and James Troisi coming on for Mark Bresciano. This provided more speed in the Socceroos attack.

However in the 90^th minute and Pinilla (substitute for Vargas) rushed down the left hand side and his shot was well saved by Mat Ryan, but Jean Beausejour (substitute for Valdivia) struck the rebound with his left foot burying it into the far right of the net.

At that stage, it was game over. However, the Socceroos pushed Chile all the way and credit must go to the players and coaching staff for the attack minded approach in looking for the equalizer, they were by far the better team in the second half.

This match will give both teams confidence moving forward with the Socceroos next match against Netherlands, and Chile playing Spain.

Lineups

Chile 4-3-3:

C. Bravo, E. Mena , G. Jara, M. Isla, A. Vidal, J. Valdivia, G. Medel, C. Aránguiz, M. Diaz, A. Sánchez, E. Vargas

Australia 4-2-3-1:

M. Ryan, I. Franjić, J. Davidson, M. Špiranović, A. Wilkinson, T. Cahill, M. Milligan,

M. Leckie, M. Jedinak, M. Bresciano, T. Oar

Here’s a fun game. Next time you go watch a soccer match in a bar, pub or somewhere else in public, just spend a moment and try and catch some of the conversation flying around. Not the endless droves of ‘banter’ thrown between groups of hardened males but specifically the talk concerning all things soccer. For in amongst the noise and cackled laughter you will hear the nuanced take on recent events across the soccer nation, perhaps even the globe.

Within this very environment live experts, mighty footballing tactician experts, only too willing to offer their (not so) humble opinion on the latest stories and score lines weaving through the top tier. And the pub is their domain. Perhaps you don’t even need to take part in this game Maybe your mind can stretch back to a time not so long ago that you were in said establishment and your ears couldn’t help but pick up the feint but distinct sound of a well versed English football expert opining to the crowd before them. At least you thought they must be an expert. They were using all the correct terminology; ‘two banks of four’, ‘pressing high up the pitch’, ‘midfield triangles’, perhaps there was a football pundit in the crowd, out of sight but well within earshot gifting locals with his rare but reasoned take on yesterday’s games.

But all of a sudden you realize these murmurs. These sentences have already been heard and not so long ago. It wasn’t Steve down The Dog and Duck who first concluded that what Manchester United were missing was a creative central midfielder ‘you know, someone to replace Scholes’ but a more familiar source. More often than not they came from those esteemed fountains of football knowledge leaving their considerable imprint on the Match of The Day sofa provided by the BBC.

It is little wonder that the 90 minute programme on Saturday night (an institution in Great Britain) wields so much influence over the casual supporter. This year marks the show’s 50th anniversary. For much of that time, it has been solely entrusted to bring football to the masses, entertaining and informing us along the way. In the process, it’s turned us all into second-hand experts of sorts. Their sentences, turns of phrase and observations have seeped into our lexicon to the point of cliché, ready to be spouted by anyone with a passing interest in the English top flight. You’ve probably uttered a few yourself. For many Brits, we’ve grown up with a version of Match of the Day as a mainstay of Saturday television, often the only way to access any sort of English football coverage and now providing the nation with a selection of talking points, appointed themselves, to take out into the world and share at will. It is the forum that dictates our view of the Premier League, determining which stories matter, which managers are under pressure and what clubs need ‘a Makelele’ (turns out that’s pretty much everyone apparently).

Last season the programme lead an outcry at the ‘horror’ tackle committed by Callum McManaman at Newcastle, leading to a routine and national lambasting of the young Wigan winger. Similarly late or high challenges went unnoticed, overlooked by the MOTD select committee and subsequently ignored by the public. The brutal centre-half pairing of Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross at Stoke have an alarming habit of crunching tackles, career-threatening lunges and an array of bruising ‘tricks’ while defending set-pieces, all of which escape the scrutiny of the Saturday pundits and therefore the condemnation of the viewing public. Even Huth’s cynical and outright thuggish punch landed on Phillipe Senderos’ face managed to avoid the kind of finger-pointing and tutting reserved for the likes of McManaman.

The popular narrative surrounding the Tony Pulis-era Stoke was that they somehow embodied an honest, old-fashioned type of football to be praised in today’s ultra-sensitive minimal contact game. The lack of focus by the MOTD pundits on their questionable tactics was reason for the lack of public outrage. Instead it was Arsene Wenger being mocked for accusing them as a team more at home on a rugby field.

Knee-high challenges and elbows to the jaw may be one thing that Pulis condoned but he certainly draws the line at going to ground a little easily. He was far from alone in this respect. The diving debate rears its head at least twice a season but the blaming and culprit-seeking is a game led by those on the armchairs of the TV studios. Last season’s agreed targets were Luis Suarez and, momentarily, Ashley Young. One particular Match of the Day episode saw Mark Lawrenson chastise the Uruguayan in no uncertain terms for his disgraceful attempts to win a penalty. Fair enough you may imagine, although when looking back at the Tottenham game a matter of minutes later it was the same Lawrenson who thought it amusing, comical and not at all cynical when Gareth Bale swan dived over an opponent’s leg and received a yellow card for his efforts. Out into the public went the perception that Suarez was a nasty, cheating diver but Bale (incidentally the recipient of most yellow cards for diving) was merely trying his luck with no harm done and little scorn attributed.

With the advent of the Premier League, emergence of Sky with all its fancy graphics and strong punditry line-ups, and finger-tip ready tactical master classes on the Internet, Match of the Day finds itself looking increasingly outmoded, out of fashion and a source of derision among those requiring a more insightful analysis than a repetition of choice phrases.

For all its faults, it remains the singular terrestrial output of Premier League action and will continue to guide our take on the weekends matches for years to come. So if you find yourself unable to catch a few episodes, fret not for there will inevitably still be the famed pub pundit reciting everything you missed next time you’re in the bar.

Today’s world of rolling sports news, hourly club updates and saturated soccer coverage has given birth to a relatively modern but ever-present phenomenon – the club in crisis. Usually rearing its head sometime before Christmas, it’s a brooding cloud of uncertainty ready to strike any club with a lightning bolt of panic at any time, although this year the crisis talk has emerged at record speed.

We are but four games into the Premier League campaign and yet a host of clubs have already been targeted with talk of crisis. Perennial sufferers Arsenal were, unsurprisingly, the first club to kick off the seasons crisis campaign no later than the first day of the season. An opening day home defeat to Aston Villa was all the encouragement commentators needed to write off the club for another season. The fans were angry at the lack of transfer window activity. People were questioning Arsene Wenger’s moralistic approach, and few were able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Alan Hansen had seen enough in that first 90 minutes to predict a potentially frightfully early end to their season, doubting their ability to qualify for the Champions League proper or defeat rivals Tottenham in the upcoming feature. Ten days later, Champions League football secured and victory against Tottenham, Arsenal broke the bank to sign Mesut Ozil and talk of crisis has subsided. Now Hansen and co are wondering if they are, in fact, genuine title contenders.

With this, the shadowy cloud of crisis had to loom elsewhere, this time settling over Manchester and the reigning champions at Old Trafford. The conditions were ideal – an ‘upset and confused’ Wayne Rooney, numerous public failings in the transfer window, and a new manager with extremely large shoes to fill. They all provided the perfect cocktail for crisis talk. Add to this murmurs of discontent within the dressing room – players unconvinced by Moyes, a frustrated and sidelined Kagawa – and a defeat to Liverpool, and there was a certain inevitability about the comments that followed. An incredulous Robbie Savage decided he only needed two games to determine United had already lost the title, conceding it before September by failing to land a superstar in the summer. Fast forward a couple of weeks to a reinvigorated Rooney, mistranslation taking the blame for Kagawa’s quotes, the arrival of Marouane Fellaini and a convincing start to their Champions League campaign, and crisis talk has been silenced.

But what of Rooney’s preferred suitors Chelsea? The west London club often find themselves under the media spotlight due to their scattergun approach to managerial appointments but surely with the return of the prodigal one, Jose Mourinho, back at the helm, they were crisis proof. Or so you would think. Crisis talk is a fickle thing and this week’s Champions League defeat to FC Basel was just the catalyst it needed to rain on their parade. It marked the club’s first home European defeat in a decade, and was the Blues third defeat in a row following losses against Bayern Munich and Everton. It leaves the Stamford Bridge outfit nursing their worst start to a campaign in the Abramovich era. Anyone but Jose holding the fort, and you’d suspect a firing wasn’t far off.

Football phone-ins are no place to gauge true public opinion, but if they were Wednesday night would’ve made for uneasy listening for Mourinho, variously derided as a ‘clown’ and a ‘joke’ by Chelsea fans who insisted they were never the ones to boo Rafa Benitez during the Spaniard’s tenure. Speaking of boos, there were a few ringing out after that Basel defeat – a foreign sound to Mourinho’s ears at Stamford Bridge.

Their transfer policy too is coming in for stick by those insisting Chelsea have no idea what their strongest XI might be. In the Premier League, with regards to transfers, it’s very much damned if you do and damned if you don’t. United and Arsenal chastized for not bringing in enough. Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester City now accused of over-buying, ensuring their ever-changing line-ups will never get to settle and familiarize themselves with each other. Pre-window shutting Everton were seemingly doomed to struggle yet a day and a couple of loan signings later are now deemed a true success story of the transfer merry-go-round.

All this of course is written to keep us, the viewer/reader/listener tuned in and up to date with the latest episode of the world’s favorite soap opera – the Premier League. Transfers, much like clubs, can’t be deemed successes or failures until much later in the season when we have a fair idea of what is achievable for each club. In the meantime, though, let’s hope your club has a mighty umbrella as it’s only a matter of time before that ominous looking cloud gathers overhead.