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England take on Croatia at Wembley Stadium on Sunday with everything to play for in the Nations League. For both sides, victory would mean topping the group and passage to the knockout phase, whilst defeat would condemn them to relegation.
If England are to stand any chance of victory, they can’t afford to let Croatia’s top-class midfield pairing of Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic run the show. Gareth Southgate must mastermind a way for the Three Lions to prevail in the middle of the park.
On the chalkboard
First, Southgate must seek a way to minimise the significant threat posed by Modric and Rakitic. England need a mobile, hard-working man in the middle to chase down and harry the Croatian playmakers.
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Either Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson or Spurs’ Eric Dier are the most suitable candidates for this task. However, playing both of them together causes England’s midfield to lack creativity and incision.
Southgate must balance this need for defensive solidity with maintaining an attacking threat in the middle of the pitch. He has the requisite players at his disposal, but there are some big decisions for the manager to make.
Aggression is the answer
Given that it is imperative for England to secure victory, Southgate must be bold and aggressive in his tactics from the off. The temptation to pull back, remain solid and wait for opportunities must be disregarded as the visitors have the quality to dismantle an England side that makes the mistake of sitting too deep.
England have great strength in their attacking contingent, and a positive, offensive approach must also be evident in their midfield set-up.
Therefore, as for Henderson or Dier, it must be one or the other, with more dynamic options around them. The likes of Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Jesse Lingard or Ruben Loftus-Cheek could perform these more aggressive roles.
If Southgate can put together a cohesive midfield unit that isn’t stunted by a lack of penetration and is capable of transitioning play to the forward line, then England have what it takes to beat Croatia.
