World Cup 2018: Belgium defeat shows England need better players if they are to win Euro 2020
The defeat to Belgium - their second against the Red Devils at this World Cup - exposed weaknesses in the England side that must be addressed
THEY wanted to sign off for the season with a win.
Third place at a World Cup, another building block for the future, would have really meant something special to Gareth Southgate.
Instead, England’s head coach got a no-show from his players.
The brutal, depressing reality is that Belgium are a bit beyond them at the moment.
Roberto Martinez’s side, picking up the bronze gong for finishing third, have done the double over England at a World Cup.
Southgate’s men lost 1-0 in Kaliningrad on June 28 — when both teams fielded reserve line-ups for their final group clash — but they were comprehensively beaten in their final game in St Petersburg.
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Even so, these England players deserve a pat on the back.
They exceeded expectations, way beyond anybody’s dreams or aspirations when they landed in Russia nearly five weeks ago.
Reaching a World Cup semi-final, especially after years of tournament misery, should have given England a bit of a swagger.
The depressing reality is that Belgium are further ahead in their development with this batch of players.
Martinez’s side punished the Three Lions with goals from full-back Thomas Meunier after just four minutes and a belting finish from Chelsea’s dazzling winger Eden Hazard late on.
The serious concern for England is that Belgium could step on the gas whenever they felt like it.
When they did, with Kevin De Bruyne and Hazard having the time of their lives out there, England could not cope with their movement.
Southgate’s players were beaten by a better, far more accomplished set of footballers.
In a one-off game, a shootout for third place at a World Cup, the result does not matter so much.
Nobody really remembers much about England’s 2-1 defeat to Italy in Bari at the 1990 World Cup and nobody really needs to care.
For Southgate, the man who woke up at 4am on Friday to watch a re-run of the last-four defeat to Croatia, this is about the bigger picture.
Belgium’s players are happy to trade punches, to rally cross-court, until the moment arrives when they can sniff out an opening.
When they did, they asked questions of Eric Dier, Danny Rose, Fabian Delph, John Stones, Harry Maguire and Phil Jones.
And when they did, England could not live with them.
To win Euro 2020, or to look beyond that and target tournament glory at Qatar 2022, England will need better players on the field.
They will refine, modify, tinker — but remember, so does everybody else. This sets the tone a little bit for the new season ahead, creating doubt about the direction of travel because Belgium were so ruthless.
Martinez’s team had conviction and quality, playing with composure following their semi-final defeat to France.
They were much better than England.
Meunier got their early opener, sending a neatly-taken half-volley beyond Jordan Pickford when he connected with Nacer Chadli’s cross.
Thibaut Courtois had gone long, the keeper launching the ball towards Chadli hovering on the halfway line.
His downward header fell to Romelu Lukaku and the Manchester United forward sent Chadli scampering down the left.
Chadli’s cross beat England’s defenders, falling neatly to the onrushing Meunier. It was an excellent finish.
They wanted more, with Pickford pawing away De Bruyne’s first-half effort after a defensive lapse by Kieran Trippier and Stones.
Hazard, who went on to score in the second half, got a shot away before the break that was eventually hooked over the bar by Toby Alderweireld on the follow-up. England then spluttered into life, with Raheem Sterling spotting Harry Kane on the edge of the box midway through the half.
Kane, still leading the race for the Golden Boot with six goals, sent his effort wide.
For some reason, Kane’s killer touch deserted him in the final three games of the tournament.
Those moments swing matches.
Southgate sent for reinforcements, with Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford on for Rose and Sterling at the break.
It gave England a lift, with Rashford setting up Dier for a chance to equalise when he was in space down the right side of the box.
Dier dinked his shot over Courtois, but Tottenham club-mate Alderweireld got back in time to clear off the line.
It was a minor scare, a reminder to Belgium they still had to win this game. They did just that with a sparkling move for the second involving sub Dries Mertens, De Bruyne and Hazard eight minutes from time.
De Bruyne’s delicious backheel began the mesmerising journey towards England’s goal and Hazard eventually finished it off with a clinical strike.
It felt like they always had this game in the bag, that they always had too much for England.
Sadly, they did.
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