Gareth Southgate can lay claim to being the most attacking England manager ever – and he has the goals to prove it.
But the key to Euro glory in the coming weeks will be to fully unleash what is arguably the most potent armoury of striking talent that this country has ever sent into a tournament. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins are all master takers – as well as makers – of goals.
Throw Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon and Ivan Toney into the mix and the weapons at Southgate’s disposal really are explosive. And that’s without thinking about the passing brilliance of Trent Alexander-Arnold that so often elicits comparisons to Kevin De Bruyne.
Southgate will know better than anyone what he’s been blessed with.
But his England side haven’t been slow in going forward during his eight-year reign – according to the stats, at least. His 95 matches have produced 217 goals at an average of 2.28 goals per game.
Only Sir Alf Ramsey’s England scored more. But at 224 goals in 113 matches, their strike-rate was not as prolific. Fabio Capello, whose team scored 89 goals in 42 internationals, is the only England manager since Ramsey who gets close to Southgate in that respect.
Maybe it’s the near misses that make the 53-year-old’s critics complain that the side he has so painstakingly created are capable of even more. Defeats like the World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia in 2018 and the cruel penalty shootout agony against Italy at the last Euros leave lasting scars.
Two years ago, only a late penalty miss by Kane prevented England from taking their World Cup quarter-final against France into extra time when Didier Deschamps’ side looked there for the taking.
After so many broken dreams over the past 58 years, this has already been a Golden Generation. But for Southgate’s team to put themselves up alongside Ramsey’s Boys of 1966, they have to take that final step.
Problems with form, fitness and inexperience elsewhere in the team suggest that England must play with the brakes off and trust themselves to do what now comes naturally.
Kane’s move to Bayern Munich may not have brought him the medals he craved, but he did claim the European Golden Shoe after scoring 36 Bundesliga goals, during a season which saw him hit the net 44 times in all competitions.
The goal chart incorporating Europe’s top five leagues includes another three Englishman in the top 10.
Palmer scored 22 times in his debut season at Chelsea, while Foden was named FWA Footballer of the Year after finding the net 19 times as he helped his club win a fourth successive Premier League title, and Watkins matched that tally as Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League.
Then there’s Bellingham, who marked his debut season for Real Madrid with 23 goals and is already in the frame for the Ballon d’Or after winning both La Liga and the Champions League.
Defensively, Southgate has some big issues to solve. Harry Maguire is missing, while Luke Shaw will have not played a competitive game for four months by the time England face Serbia in Gelsenkirchen in their opening group game next Sunday.
John Stones is also a worry. Pep Guardiola was furious with Southgate for starting the defender in successive friendlies in March before sending him back to Manchester City injured.
The chances of Stones staying fit in Germany will hinge on the England manager nursing him carefully through the tournament. So almost five years after Kyle Walker ’s international career appeared over when he was dropped by England, the 34-year-old is now Southgate’s go-to defender.
Kieran Trippier, another 30-something, may have to play out of position on the left if Shaw isn’t ready in time. Joe Gomez, Lewis Dunk, Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa offer versatility but have a combined total of 36 caps between them.
Declan Rice will have to replicate his outstanding debut season at Arsenal by protecting the weakness in England’s team. Southgate may even be forced to deploy Alexander-Arnold at right-back and ask Walker to play inside as he has done previously.
The England manager has not played it safe with his squad selection.
Teenager Kobbie Mainoo ’s form at Old Trafford made him a compelling contender, and he has also been brave enough to recognise the talents of Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, less than six months after the 20-year-old was playing in a struggling Blackburn team in the Championship.
But to go all the way, Southgate will likely have to rely most on those up top to fire the Three Lions to glory once again.
