After early goals for both teams in the opening minutes, England struggled in buildup play against Czech Republic’s man-oriented pressing. In the second half, Gareth Southgate changed to a more familiar system, which helped England gain slightly more control. However it was not enough to secure a result, as the Czech Republic scored a late […]

The Bulgarian resistance seemed a worthy match for England’s slower approach, which looked to gradually chip away at them. We might even have had a tighter finish on our hands, irrespective of the result, had it not been for the visitors laying it all out on a plate for the hosts. Tactical analysis and match […]

This Nations League semi-final proved to be a bad advert for playing out from the back, as center-back errors from both sides defined the scoreline. However, while Matthijs de Ligt’s error looked pretty much as a one off within an overall successful buildup by Netherlands, John Stones’ errors were representative of England’s problems throughout the […]

Gareth Southgate’s England continued their good form with an impressive victory at Wembley Stadium to kick start their qualifying campaign for the European Championships. Dominance in possession, impressive runs from wingers and fast breaks forward would break down an inferior but well-organised Czech Republic – for a good hour at least. Tactical analysis and match […]

Gareth Southgate’s side displayed fluid rotations and movements that enabled England to pull apart the Croatian midfield throughout the first half. After they failed to convert those chances, once again, set pieces saw them home and dry in the second half. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M.   Compared to their last UEFA […]

England’s forwards put Spain’s defense to the sword in the first half, giving England a three-goal lead. After the break, England stood strong against Spain’s attack for the most part, although they may have been slightly fortunate to hold their lead. Luis Enrique could barely have hoped for a better start as Spain manager. He […]

Playing behind closed doors – if you exclude the couple of dozen England fans that camped out on the hill behind the small arena – added to the slow and lifeless pace of Croatia’s possession. England made the extra man they created in the back count as they gradually dominated the match and used their […]