Highlights
- England manager Gareth Southgate has been urged to change tactics for his side’s Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland.
- Jurgen Klinsmann has suggested the Three Lions’ boss should bring Ivan Toney into the starting line-up for the important tie.
- Phil Foden may be one of the players to drop out of the first 11 should Southgate employ the formation suggested by Klinsmann.
England are gearing up towards their Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday. Gareth Southgate has been urged to make unprecedented changes to his tactical set-up for the difficult clash with the Swiss.
The Three Lions have looked laboured in the competition to date, winning just one of their opening group games and scraping past Slovakia in the Round of 16. Southgate made several errors in the most-recent victory as the nation came within a whisker of elimination. Jude Bellingham saved the day with a wonderful last-gasp overhead kick to send the game to extra-time.
Former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann has now urged the England boss to make a bold switch to his system by deploying Ivan Toney in a 4-4-2 formation. Southgate hasn’t always been the most adaptable boss to date, but Klinsmann insisted (per The Sun):
“I think it might work, and if Gareth feels the same, he should do it. This is the time when, as a manager at a tournament, you have to trust your gut instinct and never hold back from unpopular decisions.”
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Jurgen Klinsmann Calls For England Changes
He has urged Southgate to switch his formation
The ex-Tottenham forward claimed: “The quarter-finals are make-or-break time.” This is why he believes the time is right for Southgate to make significant changes after a series of poor displays in Germany.
Klinsmann claims the Three Lions’ boss should revert to a formation that was once the standard approach in football. The former Bayern Munich manager claimed:
“I understand there can be snobbery about playing a 4-4-2 but sometimes you have to do something different. And I liked the look of Toney when he came on against Slovakia. The 4-2-3-1 has now become the standard formation — since Spain who won three tournaments in a row in 2008, 2010 and 2012.”
Brentford’s Ivan Toney has been limited to just over 30 minutes at Euro 2024 so far, but he has already registered an assist after setting up Harry Kane’s winning goal against Slovakia.
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Klinsmann was one of the best forwards of his generation, and he believes Toney could bring the best out of Kane: “For a real No. 9 like Harry Kane to have a strike partner takes a lot of the physical work away. It is great freedom to have. It can still be a fantastic system — two hard-working frontmen like Kane and Toney can be a real threat to the opposition. Toney is a menace in the air he can bring a different dynamic to the team.”
How England Would Line Up in 4-4-2
Two key players would drop out the side
If Southgate were to take the advice of Klinsmann and change his formation completely, it could be bad news for a couple of the players who started in the previous game. Phil Foden does his best work in the attacking third and the Manchester City star would likely have to make way for Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon in a left midfield role.
Meanwhile, Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo would likely be the other man to miss out on a starting spot, as Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are almost undroppable in the middle of the park. The defence could remain the same, other than a replacement stepping in to replace the suspended Marc Guehi.