England vs Tunisia Preview
Who starts for England tonight, how will Kane and Alli fare, the importance of Lingard and Sterling?
For fans all across the United Kingdom, the journey is almost underway. Tonight, England get their World Cup campaign started, and it is of paramount importance we don't see a similar mentality to four years ago. I am absolutely confident we won't. This England side, unlike the squad of 2014, looks ready, and is packed with world class talent. If there's any time to show the world what they're made of, it's now. Despite not being an overly popular choice for manager, there is no denying that Gareth Southgate has done a fantastic job so far of getting his team in the best possible position to go all the way and try and bring this cup home. England did not lose a single game in qualifying, winning eight and drawing two. We have possibly the best striker in the world, Harry Kane, who has just come off of his best individual season with Tottenham Hotspur, netting thirty goals, just two behind Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah. Kane netted five goals in qualifying, and in Southgate's trusted 3-5-2 formation, he will get guaranteed service from Dele Alli, (who Tunisia will have to try and stop the unbreakable bond between the two on the pitch,) Raheem Sterling, who has had an incredible season in Manchester City's title winning triumph, and Jesse Lingard, who, despite a trophy less ten months with Manchester United, has stepped up to become an incredibly important part of his club's attack as well as England's attack, netting 13 overall and assisting 5 in his best season yet as a professional footballer.
Who starts?
Our predicted line up-screenshot courtesy of Tifo Football.
Goalkeeper-Jordan Pickford-For us, it is most likely going to be Jordan Pickford, but we wouldn't be surprised if Nick Pope starts. Both keepers have had good seasons at their respective clubs, but Pope has managed to secure European football with an overperforming Burnley who finished seventh. While Jack Butland may be the most applicable choice on paper, his relegation with Stoke and individual errors made means for us, he will not be making it into the team.
Back line-Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire-A back three filled with talent. The no nonsense style of Leicester's Harry Maguire, the ball-playing efficiency of John Stones, and the versatility and speed of Kyle Walker. While you would normally expect Kyle Walker to play as a right wing back, he has shown his versatility as a footballer and looks comfortable playing as a centre-back in a back three. John Stones is able to bring the ball out with his passing while Maguire is a strong tackler of the ball, managing 1.6 per game in his 38 game season with the Foxes. He is also an accomplished passer of the ball.
Midfield-Ashley Young, Dele Alli, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Kieran Trippier, Raheem Sterling-This will be possibly England's strongest point for this World Cup. There's quite a few players here so we'll go from left to right.
LWB-Ashley Young-For us, Young just edges out Rose. At 32 years old, Ashley Young is England's oldest player, but is one of the most unsurprising additions. Under Louis van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho, Ashley Young has experienced a career resurgence as a full-back, finding purpose in his runs down the left and also being a capable defender, keeping Mohamed Salah quiet as Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford back in March.
CM- Dele Alli-Despite his diving antics, there's no denying just how good Dele Alli is as a central midfielder or central attacking midfielder for Spurs and England. Alli netted 9 times and accumulated 10 assists in the Premier League, with his overall season tally coming to 14 each(goals and assists.) Alli completes 1.4 dribbles per 90 as well as 1.8 key passes per 90 for Tottenham, and in this World Cup he will be a vital cog in Southgate's talented young side.
CDM-Jordan Henderson-This season may have been one of Jordan Henderson's best. He's not the best player in this team by any stretch, but he's one of the most important in shielding the defence and slowing down the play to help his team regain the upper hand. Henderson was vital as a leader and mercenary in Jurgen Klopp's run to the Champions League final as well as Liverpool's second 4th place finish in a row, although if they had finished the season with more desire they could've challenged better for third.
CM-Jesse Lingard-For Manchester United, he is a central attacking midfielder, a shadow striker, and sometimes winger, but for England, Lingard plays in the middle of the park. The 25 year old has shown his world class potential for Jose Mourinho, but to take his career to new heights he must show Gareth Southgate why Sir Alex Ferguson enlisted trust he would come good back in 2012. Lingard is a superb collector of the ball, picking it up in deep positions to run at the opposition with blistering pace and precision, case in point the incredible goal against Watford in December 2017. In desperate situations Lingard can change a game by himself, but needs to improve in his build up play as he has a tendency to play misplaced passes and lose possession for his side. This World Cup is a chance for Lingard to take his amazing potential to the next level.
RWB-Kieran Trippier-While many would have expected Kyle Walker to fulfil this role, for us Kieran Trippier is a suitable choice. The Tottenham right back has taken his game from strength to strength, and this is all seen in his statistics from the season just gone. Trippier makes 1.3 tackles per 90 as well as 2.3 clearances per 90, while also making 1.7 key passes per game. Trippier boasts a deadly cross, as seen in his impressive 5 assists from right back last term.
CAM/CF-Raheem Sterling-Possibly England's most important player, Raheem Sterling has the huge responsibility of connecting midfield with attack this World Cup. From the season just gone, Sterling has been simply incredible, netting 18 times in the Premier League along with 11 assists as a winger in 33 appearances, meaning a goal contribution comes every 87 minutes from him. His season total of 24 goals with 12 assists show why Pep Guardiola has enlisted his trust in the young forward, who now must take his supreme talent to superior heights in Russia.
Attack- ST-Harry Kane-Who else was it going to be? Kane has been given the armband for Russia, and with good reason. Kane has continued to break personal records this season, and has been slightly overlooked due to the electric and unexpected form of Mo Salah in the Premier League. 30 goals for Tottenham in the Prem, 41 overall along with 4 assists. Simply incredible. Kane will be given good services by the likes of Alli, Lingard and Sterling, and will almost definitely want his hands on the Golden Boot as well as the World Cup, however likely the latter may be.
Things to look out for?
The link between Alli and Kane. Despite being blissful on paper, sometimes things don't work out in international competition for players, which may be down to club chemistry as many of these players do not play week in and out with each other, but this won't be the case for Dele Alli and Harry Kane, something Tunisian boss Nabil Maaloul has publicly expressed the desire to break if he is going to get anything out of the game. Also expect Sterling to collect the ball from deep and spread it to the wings of Ashley Young and Trippier who will look to overcrowd the Tunisian defence in the final third.
In conclusion...
Don't worry, this England team is far superior to the drab we were given four years ago. There is no extra weight dragging the team down(unless Cahill and Jones start) and across the board, this exciting squad should be able to dismantle Tunisia piece by piece while being perfectly comfortable defending centrally and wide. Young and Trippier will have to run all game, but both are completely capable of doing so. Expect a show from Sterling, who will look to make runs and passes through Tunisia's defence, expect Harry Kane to be composed in the box, expect cutting edge passes from Alli and Lingard, and most importantly, expect every player to give their all for the Three Lions on the shirt this evening.
For fans all across the United Kingdom, the journey is almost underway. Tonight, England get their World Cup campaign started, and it is of paramount importance we don't see a similar mentality to four years ago. I am absolutely confident we won't. This England side, unlike the squad of 2014, looks ready, and is packed with world class talent. If there's any time to show the world what they're made of, it's now. Despite not being an overly popular choice for manager, there is no denying that Gareth Southgate has done a fantastic job so far of getting his team in the best possible position to go all the way and try and bring this cup home. England did not lose a single game in qualifying, winning eight and drawing two. We have possibly the best striker in the world, Harry Kane, who has just come off of his best individual season with Tottenham Hotspur, netting thirty goals, just two behind Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah. Kane netted five goals in qualifying, and in Southgate's trusted 3-5-2 formation, he will get guaranteed service from Dele Alli, (who Tunisia will have to try and stop the unbreakable bond between the two on the pitch,) Raheem Sterling, who has had an incredible season in Manchester City's title winning triumph, and Jesse Lingard, who, despite a trophy less ten months with Manchester United, has stepped up to become an incredibly important part of his club's attack as well as England's attack, netting 13 overall and assisting 5 in his best season yet as a professional footballer.
Who starts?
Goalkeeper-Jordan Pickford-For us, it is most likely going to be Jordan Pickford, but we wouldn't be surprised if Nick Pope starts. Both keepers have had good seasons at their respective clubs, but Pope has managed to secure European football with an overperforming Burnley who finished seventh. While Jack Butland may be the most applicable choice on paper, his relegation with Stoke and individual errors made means for us, he will not be making it into the team.
Back line-Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire-A back three filled with talent. The no nonsense style of Leicester's Harry Maguire, the ball-playing efficiency of John Stones, and the versatility and speed of Kyle Walker. While you would normally expect Kyle Walker to play as a right wing back, he has shown his versatility as a footballer and looks comfortable playing as a centre-back in a back three. John Stones is able to bring the ball out with his passing while Maguire is a strong tackler of the ball, managing 1.6 per game in his 38 game season with the Foxes. He is also an accomplished passer of the ball.
Midfield-Ashley Young, Dele Alli, Jordan Henderson, Jesse Lingard, Kieran Trippier, Raheem Sterling-This will be possibly England's strongest point for this World Cup. There's quite a few players here so we'll go from left to right.
LWB-Ashley Young-For us, Young just edges out Rose. At 32 years old, Ashley Young is England's oldest player, but is one of the most unsurprising additions. Under Louis van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho, Ashley Young has experienced a career resurgence as a full-back, finding purpose in his runs down the left and also being a capable defender, keeping Mohamed Salah quiet as Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford back in March.
CM- Dele Alli-Despite his diving antics, there's no denying just how good Dele Alli is as a central midfielder or central attacking midfielder for Spurs and England. Alli netted 9 times and accumulated 10 assists in the Premier League, with his overall season tally coming to 14 each(goals and assists.) Alli completes 1.4 dribbles per 90 as well as 1.8 key passes per 90 for Tottenham, and in this World Cup he will be a vital cog in Southgate's talented young side.
CDM-Jordan Henderson-This season may have been one of Jordan Henderson's best. He's not the best player in this team by any stretch, but he's one of the most important in shielding the defence and slowing down the play to help his team regain the upper hand. Henderson was vital as a leader and mercenary in Jurgen Klopp's run to the Champions League final as well as Liverpool's second 4th place finish in a row, although if they had finished the season with more desire they could've challenged better for third.
CM-Jesse Lingard-For Manchester United, he is a central attacking midfielder, a shadow striker, and sometimes winger, but for England, Lingard plays in the middle of the park. The 25 year old has shown his world class potential for Jose Mourinho, but to take his career to new heights he must show Gareth Southgate why Sir Alex Ferguson enlisted trust he would come good back in 2012. Lingard is a superb collector of the ball, picking it up in deep positions to run at the opposition with blistering pace and precision, case in point the incredible goal against Watford in December 2017. In desperate situations Lingard can change a game by himself, but needs to improve in his build up play as he has a tendency to play misplaced passes and lose possession for his side. This World Cup is a chance for Lingard to take his amazing potential to the next level.
RWB-Kieran Trippier-While many would have expected Kyle Walker to fulfil this role, for us Kieran Trippier is a suitable choice. The Tottenham right back has taken his game from strength to strength, and this is all seen in his statistics from the season just gone. Trippier makes 1.3 tackles per 90 as well as 2.3 clearances per 90, while also making 1.7 key passes per game. Trippier boasts a deadly cross, as seen in his impressive 5 assists from right back last term.
CAM/CF-Raheem Sterling-Possibly England's most important player, Raheem Sterling has the huge responsibility of connecting midfield with attack this World Cup. From the season just gone, Sterling has been simply incredible, netting 18 times in the Premier League along with 11 assists as a winger in 33 appearances, meaning a goal contribution comes every 87 minutes from him. His season total of 24 goals with 12 assists show why Pep Guardiola has enlisted his trust in the young forward, who now must take his supreme talent to superior heights in Russia.
Attack- ST-Harry Kane-Who else was it going to be? Kane has been given the armband for Russia, and with good reason. Kane has continued to break personal records this season, and has been slightly overlooked due to the electric and unexpected form of Mo Salah in the Premier League. 30 goals for Tottenham in the Prem, 41 overall along with 4 assists. Simply incredible. Kane will be given good services by the likes of Alli, Lingard and Sterling, and will almost definitely want his hands on the Golden Boot as well as the World Cup, however likely the latter may be.
Things to look out for?
The link between Alli and Kane. Despite being blissful on paper, sometimes things don't work out in international competition for players, which may be down to club chemistry as many of these players do not play week in and out with each other, but this won't be the case for Dele Alli and Harry Kane, something Tunisian boss Nabil Maaloul has publicly expressed the desire to break if he is going to get anything out of the game. Also expect Sterling to collect the ball from deep and spread it to the wings of Ashley Young and Trippier who will look to overcrowd the Tunisian defence in the final third.
In conclusion...
Don't worry, this England team is far superior to the drab we were given four years ago. There is no extra weight dragging the team down(unless Cahill and Jones start) and across the board, this exciting squad should be able to dismantle Tunisia piece by piece while being perfectly comfortable defending centrally and wide. Young and Trippier will have to run all game, but both are completely capable of doing so. Expect a show from Sterling, who will look to make runs and passes through Tunisia's defence, expect Harry Kane to be composed in the box, expect cutting edge passes from Alli and Lingard, and most importantly, expect every player to give their all for the Three Lions on the shirt this evening.
Comments
Post a Comment