ESPN: Menu Can Dominate the Midfield for the Three Lions; He is England’s De Jong

ESPN has written an in-depth article analyzing Menu’s tactical value to the English national team.

The article reads as follows:

“Menu is conquering everything in his usual style, calmly addressing one issue after another for England. The Three Lions have finally found a player who can control the tempo and dominate the midfield in major tournaments.”

“In the match against Switzerland, even when Stones’ pass was not accurate, Menu remained calm, adjusted his body position, and completed a technical turn to receive the ball. This clever dribble directly broke through Xhaka and Freuler’s defensive areas, pushing England’s attack forward. This detail epitomizes Menu’s playing style.”

“In the same match against Switzerland, Menu completed 33 of his 34 passes, winning four out of five duels. According to statistics, Menu’s pass success rate was as high as 96%, the highest among all midfielders in the European Championship since 1980.”

“The control that a midfielder exerts over a game is crucial. In the 2021 European Cup final, where England lost to Italy, the opponents had Verratti and Jorginho anchoring their midfield, which prevented England from mounting any substantial attacks. During the 2018 World Cup, Croatia was highly competitive because Modric and Brozovic firmly controlled the midfield rhythm.”

“Due to De Jong’s injury, he could not play for the Netherlands, causing the Orange Army to focus more on defense, even exhibiting a conservatism similar to Southgate’s. However, England has its own ‘De Jong,’ the young Menu. In this upcoming semi-final, whoever wins control of the midfield will be able to sway the outcome of the match.”

“This presents a huge challenge for Menu. But perhaps, he already has a strategy in place.”