Gareth Southgate has said he would consider a switch back to a three-man defence as he picked over the tactical flaws that led to Friday’s 2-1 defeat against Czech Republic in Prague.
The England manager, whose team face Bulgaria in Sofia on Monday in the second game of the Euro 2020 qualification double-header, felt the tremors from the Czech reverse more keenly because of how smoothly his team had progressed in the campaign up to that point.
England’s 100% record was taken apart and so was Southgate’s faith in the 4-2-3-1 system with which he began the game. With his team over-run in midfield and unable to take a grip in creative terms, he reverted to a more familiar 4-3-3 for the second half, which served to bring more cohesion.
That said, the overall performance fell some way short of the expected levels and Southgate indicated that a move to a back three was an option, although most likely not for the Bulgaria game. Read more