Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham have been two of the best players for their respective club teams this season. They were expected to be key to England’s chances in the 2024 Euros, but both have come under the spotlight due to a run of poor performances from the Three Lions. While Bellingham has managed to net two goals, Foden has failed to get on the score sheet, but both have not had a particularly consistent tournament.
England have managed to scrap past the group stage and edge out a victory against Slovakia in the Round of 16 fixture, but the road ahead will not be easy. With their star players struggling to fire together, the Three Lions must find a solution. Unfortunately, it might be dropping one of either Bellingham or Foden from the starting eleven. While this may sound bizarre, it might be the only solution to England’s struggles in getting something going on the attacking front.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham have been the only two scorers for the Three Lions in the Euros. This doesn’t sit right considering the fact that the other two in the front three [Saka and Foden] have both scored over 20 goals each in a season for their clubs. England have at times looked monotonous in attack and this comes down to an overload of players in the middle areas.
Is it possible to drop either Jude Bellingham or Phil Foden?
Phil Foden is one of the most creatively gifted players in English football. Last season, he helped Manchester City get to their fourth consecutive Premier League title by scoring 19 goals. His ability to drive into dangerous areas and make something happen has won him win a lot of praise from the football world. However, he has not been able to showcase all of his brilliance in these Euros. Not all of it is down to him as he is playing on the left wing, which is a position he is visibly not comfortable playing.
Under Pep Guardiola, Foden was seen flourishing due to the free flow movement of the attack, but the same is not the case with the English national team. With Bellingham playing in an advanced role it has become difficult for Foden to get the ball in a good position. He often is seen making his way into the middle areas, which leaves a lot of space in the wing. To add to the problem, Harry Kane also drops down to get a touch of the ball making a big clutter of players in the middle areas for England.
The only way this problem can be solved is if Foden plays as a 10 and Southgate brings on another winger in the starting eleven to occupy the left wing. The likes of Eberchi Eze and Anthony Gordon have both shown that they are both capable of playing there. With them coming in, it could also activate Harry Kane as he is highly effective when he plays alongside a pacy winger.
What role will Bellingham play in?
This leaves a question on where to play Bellingham. The answer to this is complicated as he has had a roller-coaster of a tournament. He scored the first goal for England in the Euros and then had two poor group games, only to turn up big for the Three Lions with a bicycle kick goal in the 95th minute against Slovakia. The 21-year-old is a proven performer and does not shy away from the big stages. Despite the tactical difficulty, it would not be ideal to drop someone like him who stands out in big moments.
Him playing alongside Declan Rice would be ideal as it would give England a physical dominance in the midfield. Rice’s brilliance would also give Bellingham the license to go ahead and attack the box, thereby giving England another attacking outlet. Whether this happens or not is something that only Southgate can decide, but having seen the Three Lions perform, this seems to be the only ideal way they can play some good attacking football.
