England manager Gareth Southgate looks likely to resist the clamour for a major change in approach for Tuesday’s (June 22) final Euro 2020 Group D match against the Czech Republic at Wembley. The disappointing performance in Friday’s goalless draw with Scotland has led to calls from pundits and fans for Southgate to adopt a more positive style.
But while some personnel changes could be on the cards, it is not expected that the England manager will switch to the kind of attacking lineup some of his critics have been demanding.
The Czechs are top of the table on four points, ahead of England on goal difference, and a draw would see both teams advance regardless of the outcome of the game between Croatia and Scotland, who are both on one point.
So while critics may be demanding Southgate switch to a more offensive lineup, he will know the priority is to make it safely into the last 16. On Sunday, Southgate took the unusual step of announcing that captain Harry Kane, whose sluggish displays have worried England fans, will definitely start against the Czechs.
Since the Scotland game, he has also pushed back gently against those who have been calling for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho, who has yet to feature, to be given a slot on the right wing. “We’ve got some explosive options and a lot of them are young players and experiencing a big tournament for the first time,” he said.
“So as a coaching staff we are realistic about our expectations of them as individuals. Jadon is in that mix. He’s trained well the last few days and of course we have got those options and those decisions to make,” he said.
Sancho, linked with a move to Manchester United after a strong season in the Bundesliga, would be an alternative to Raheem Sterling, who scored the goal in the opening 1-0 win over Croatia, but who he has been struggling for form over recent months.
The UEFA Euro 2020 match between Czech Republic and England will be played on Tuesday (June 22).
The UEFA Euro 2020 match between Czech Republic and England will start at 12:30am as per IST.
The UEFA Euro 2020 match between Czech Republic and England will be played at the Wembley Stadium in London.
The UEFA Euro 2020 match between Czech Republic and England will be telecast on Sony Ten 2 (HD), Sony Ten 3 (HD-Hindi). Sony Six (HD) and Sony Ten 4 (HD) will have regional coverage in India.
The livestreaming of the UEFA Euro 2020 match between Czech Republic and England is available on the Sony Liv app and the website.
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