On paper, Switzerland's quarter-final opponents England are one of the toughest opponents with a highly dangerous offense, but in the current tournament they are a heavyweight with a sputtering engine.
How good is this England? The question is difficult to answer, as the bare figures and the impressions left by the team in the tournament so far and in the months and years before are too divergent. One thing is clear: in the quarter-finals, Switzerland will be up against an opponent with an incredibly high individual attacking class, but one that has so far primarily used its horsepower to avoid conceding goals and prevent defeats.
In theory, England are the most expensive team at these European Championships, with stars such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka - equipped with so much quality that there is no room in the squad for names such as Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho. The World Cup titles for the U20s and U17s in 2017 and the European Championship titles for the U21s in 2023 and the U19s in 2017 and 2022 are proof that, after a long period of procrastination, there is now good support for young talent.
European Championship final and World Cup semi-final
The results of the last finals at elite level also promise a lot, although the 1966 World Cup title remains the only silverware to date. At the 2021 European Championship, coach Gareth Southgate's team was only stopped by Italy in the final on penalties. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, England lost in the semi-final to Croatia in extra time after leading for a long time and dominating at times, and in 2022 in Qatar in the quarter-final to eventual finalists France.
Gareth Southgate has been England's national team coach for almost eight years. The 53-year-old, who made 57 appearances for the Three Lions as a player, has been criticized almost constantly for his unattractive, extremely defensive and cautious style of play. However, under Southgate, it felt like little was missing at the finals each time, and with 2.07 points per game, only Fabio Capello (2.19 between 2007 and 2012) has a better points average than Southgate of all previous England national team coaches.
Hardly any goals conceded, hardly any spectacle
England's defense seems vulnerable, and not just because of Harry Maguire's absence from the European Championships due to injury. But the results on the pitch show the opposite: England conceded just one goal in their three group games (plus one in the round of 16). Four out of eight games in qualifying, three in the entire tournament at Euro 2021, none until the semi-final against Denmark (2:1). The team did not concede a goal in three out of five games at the 2022 World Cup and conceded four in total in Qatar.
Seen in this light, the defensive style of play at least makes some sense. If goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and the less renowned defense around John Stones, Manuel Akanji's team-mate at Manchester City, were left to their own devices more often, the figures would look different.
However, Southgate's concept is so much at the expense of the offense that it is sometimes painful to watch and criticism is rarely silenced. "The squad is worth one and a half billion euros. I find it disappointing that they play like this. That can't be the standard, with all due respect," said ZDF pundit and Mönchengladbach player Christoph Kramer after England's 1-0 win in the group match against Serbia.
England in figures
Population: 56 million - Capital: London. - FIFA ranking: 5th - Previous appearances at European Championship finals (11): 1968, 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2024 - Best European Championship result: Final (2021). - Top scorers in the current tournament: Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane (1 goal each). - Top scorer in qualifying: Kane (8 goals). - Record player: Peter Shilton (125 games). - Record goalscorer: Kane (64 goals). - Most famous players: Kane, Bellingham, Phil Foden. - Coach: Gareth Southgate (ENG, since 2016). - Record against Switzerland (27 games): 19 wins, 5 draws, 3 defeats.
SDA
