England have made it by way of to the Euro 2024 semi-finals, and but there’s nonetheless loads of query marks over their tactical set-up.
The most important query mark heading into Wednesday’s conflict with the Netherlands is undoubtedly the type of Harry Kane.
After a barn-burning debut season at Bayern Munich, the England captain has struggled to make a constantly optimistic affect with the Three Lions this summer season.
So…how do you get one of the best out of him?
Effectively, that is what we’re right here to attempt to work out…
Be it Son Heung-min at Tottenham Hotspur, Leroy Sane at Bayern Munich, or Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling with England, Harry Kane has basically all the time performed with wingers who race in behind defences…till this summer season.
At Euro 2024, Kane has as a substitute performed alongside a gaggle of attackers who all need to drift into deep central attacking areas – or, in different phrases, the areas which Kane need to function in.
As a consequence of this, Kane’s potential to drop in, to gather the ball and create probabilities for teammates breaking in behind opposition defences has been utterly nullified as a result of, properly, there hasn’t been any runners for him to seek out.
So how do you repair this?
Effectively, it is fairly easy: play runners.
The Jarrod Bowen’s and Anthony Gordon’s of this world aren’t as gifted because the likes of Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka, however they’d not less than permit England to play to their finest participant’s strengths – that definitely would not be a foul factor.
One other approach to get these all-important runners round Harry Kane could be to begin Ollie Watkins up prime alongside the England captain.
As proven in his 20 minute cameo towards Denmark – his solely sport time of Euro 2024 to this point – the Aston Villa ahead confirmed a willingness to run in behind that we have not seen from many different Three Lions gamers through the event.
These runs in behind are precisely what’s wanted to unlock house for Kane to function in his most popular pockets of house.
As you’ve got most likely realised by now, the theme of this text is basically ‘unlock house for Kane to drop deep and obtain possession’.
That is precisely what transferring Jude Bellingham right into a quantity eight function in midfield would do.
England’s two finest gamers have gotten in the best way of each other for the big bulk of Euro 2024 to this point, and dropping Bellingham deeper into midfield would be certain that not occurs.
Whereas liberating up house for Kane, it additionally would not hinder Bellingham both. The younger celebrity has performed loads of soccer in a quantity eight function up to now, and finished so fairly rattling properly too.