Between The Lines

The beautiful game and what makes it beautiful.

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

England don’t look like scoring. The game is slower than it needs to be.

Post hydration break Rashford has been the brightest player on the pitch. The game is flowing through Bellingham and Anderson centrally. Nico O’Reilly is taking the 9 position when Kane drops deep. But England have a hole on the right. Quansah isn’t an attacking outlet at fullback but he’s filling Rice’s defensive gap.

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

Germany looked the strongest against a low block at this World Cup. The answer lies in fast one-touch passing with planned rotations across phases.

England will need to —
1. Refresh the game at high speed, wing to wing.
2. ⁠Be patient.
3. ⁠Find the gaps.
4. ⁠Send forward passes when they appear.

They have Bellingham’s movement, Rashford’s speed and drive on the left, and Saka’s experience of breaking low blocks.

The right pieces have been chosen. Execution is in question.

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

Can England break a low block against Panama?

As exceptional as Declan Rice is at recovering balls, deliveries in the box and being everywhere on the pitch, his absence today might be exactly what helps England break Panama’s low block.
Two number 10s in Bellingham and Rogers. Nico O’Reilly inverting into the forward line, Elliot Anderson holding. One extra attacking option in the midfield.
Breaking a low block is always hard, but this shape might be the answer.

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

Slow between phases, over-cautious, almost zoned out at times; that was England today.
You expect defensive intensity from Ghana. You anticipate attacking creativity from England. We got one of the two.

The drive they showed against Croatia was nowhere to be seen today. England came in with serious momentum off that game, but played like they had nothing left to prove.

Ghana were solid. Desperate to keep the ball away from goal. England went for the safe choice and brought a safe point home.

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

Harry Kane not dropping deep at all in this game. A key part of how England move under Tuchel. When he does drop, Bellingham tucks in as the nine.

Kane is exceptional at playing lobbed balls in behind, controlling the build-up, and pulling defenses out of shape off the ball. None of it deployed. Yet?

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

Ghana have desire at the core of their game.
Individuals giving everything to close down English attackers.
Gordon is unable to find any room on his flank with Senaya reading and shutting him down before he can enter from the left.

Reece and Madueke are linking on the right, but every delivery from Reece is forced back. Madueke needs to run in behind; Ghana are killing the cutback option with overloads.

England need pace off the bench and more volume in front of goal.

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

Ayoub Bouaddi of Morocco. The world just met him in the game between Morocco and Brazil.

He was a bigger presence in the game than any Brazilian midfielder on that pitch. To deliver a performance this elegant against the biggest outfit in the tournament, at eighteen, with the kind of spatial intelligence that makes you question whether it can even be taught. A beautiful sight to witness.

Not a complete footballer yet. But the most intelligent player in the midfield last night. Constantly finding new spaces, constantly asking for the ball. A metronome for his team.

[Between The Lines @B_tweenTheLines]

Manchester United can’t break Sunderland’s high press, aren’t winning second balls centrally from direct deliveries, and are looking sloppy in transition. Not allowed to play on their terms — still, a more composed rendition of United.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
#SUNMUN