Gareth Southgate’s Masterstroke Substitutions Turn the Tide, Kane and Bellingham Thrive as England Returns to Title Contention Track

Heading into this Euro tournament, the highest-valued England team was tipped as the top favorite for the title. However, as the group stage came to a close, criticism and doubts about Southgate’s squad selection and tactical decisions were abundant, with many believing that Manager Southgate had limitations in raising England’s potential.

When assembling England’s Euro squad, Southgate’s exclusion of Jack Grealish and James Maddison sparked controversy, as fans felt their technical skills would diversify England’s tactical options. Throughout the group stage, Southgate’s lineup choices were also heavily scrutinized. Initially, he paired Declan Rice with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, but concerns were raised over Alexander-Arnold’s defensive capabilities and positional awareness. In the final group game, Southgate switched to Conor Gallagher alongside Rice, but the result was similarly unconvincing.

Additionally, there were issues integrating Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Jude Bellingham, whose positioning and cooperation led to a lackluster attacking display. After the group stage, experts even suggested alternatives like dropping Kane and Bellingham in favor of Palmer and Watkins, using Foden as a central playmaker, or partnering Rice with Walton.

However, in the round of 16, Southgate made just one change to the starting eleven, introducing Manor Quay to partner Rice in midfield. The match started with England struggling to find cohesion, and Slovakia took the lead. With England on the brink, Southgate made decisive substitutions, bringing on Palmer, Eze, and Ivan Toney, which immediately paid dividends. England’s attack opened up, creating more variety in both positional play and counterattacks, ultimately regaining control of the match.

In stoppage time of regular play, Bellingham, who Southgate had much faith in, stepped up with an extraordinary bicycle kick to equalize for England. In extra time, England scored within the first minute. Palmer’s free-kick was cleared, and Eze played the ball into the box, where Toney’s header found Kane, who nodded home the go-ahead goal. Southgate’s replacements all contributed significantly, while Bellingham and Kane justified his trust. Consequently, Southgate steered England to a 2-1 victory over Slovakia, advancing to the quarterfinals and silencing critics. Next up, England will face Switzerland.

Southgate’s record with the national team is perhaps the best since Alf Ramsey. Although he hasn’t replicated Ramsey’s feat of winning the World Cup, Southgate’s performances at continental tournaments are commendable. He guided England to the semifinals in the 2018 World Cup, their first since 1990. In the 2020 Euros, Southgate led England to its first-ever final, albeit ending in a penalty shootout defeat to Italy. At the 2022 World Cup, he took them to the quarterfinals. Now, with England back on track, Southgate aims to mount another championship challenge in this Euro competition.