Ordinarily, a group game against Belgium would provide England with a major tournament gauge. An opportunity to measure where they are as a team right now. However, these are not ordinary circumstances and so the Three Lions’ final group game against Belgium on Thursday should be used to fine-tune things ahead of the latter rounds.
It’s difficult to know how good this England team is. They have impressed in their opening two group games against Tunisia and Panama, netting eight times in the process. However, the quality of the opposition must be taken into account and in that sense, England have won two games they were expected to.
Now, both Gareth Southgate and Roberto Martinez have admitted that they will consider changes for the final round of group games, with Belgium and England already secure in their place in the last 16 of the World Cup. “I trust all the squad,” Southgate said after the win over Panama. “Some of them haven’t played in a couple of weeks and we are going to need players that haven’t played so far as this tournament progresses.”
Some argue that Southgate should steer clear of making too many changes. They say that England should wish to keep their momentum going. This argument holds some credence, but this match can be used in a better way. Southgate should make the most of this opportunity to test out a counter-attacking approach.
Marcus Rashford has already been pushing for a place in the lineup and this would be the perfect opportunity for the Manchester United to be handed a spot. Belgium will likely dominate possession against England, such is their strength in the centre of the pitch. Rashford would give Southgate an outlet to use on the break.
It’s for this reason that the selection of Jamie Vardy would also make sense. The Leicester City forward has only played a total of 27 minutes over the course of England’s two World Cup matches so far, coming off the bench with Panama already beaten. But against the Central Americans, England were in control. There was no space in behind the opposition for Vardy to exploit.
And this is where Vardy could come in handy against Belgium, as well as against higher calibre opponents later in the World Cup. England might have controlled matters against Tunisia and Panama, but they don’t have the midfield to do that against better sides. At times, they will be forced to play on the counter attack.
In Rashford, Vardy and others they have players capable of implementing such a system. It’s rare that you get the opportunity fine-tune a game plan midway through a major tournament, but that’s what England have against Belgium. They must make the most of it.
