Gareth Southgate proved his doubters wrong once more as England’s stars weathered an early storm to defeat Senegal 3-0 in the World Cup round of 16....CONTINUE READING
A quick look at four things Southgate got right as England breezed past the African champions.
1. Jordan Henderson was key
Despite criticism from some supporters, Southgate stuck by Jordan Henderson’s composed presence.
The Liverpool captain, a Premier League and Champions League winner, was one of ten players who retained their positions and played an important role.
Henderson not only used his leadership skills to help his younger teammates, but he also scored a crucial opening goal to repay his manager’s faith.
2. Bukayo Saka’s trust
Bukayo Saka was given another chance to show off his talent, which he did by scoring England’s third goal to justify his inclusion from the start.
Gareth Southgate struggled with starting Saka ahead of Marcus Rashford. Despite his excellent goal-scoring form, Rashford was benched. However, Southgate’s decision to start Saka ahead of Rashford paid off.
3. Kyle Walker risk
Kyle Walker kept his place in the starting XI despite Kieran Trippier being Southgate’s favorite and starting the first two games.
Gary Lineker suggested that Walker be rested ahead of a potential showdown with Kylian Mbappe, but the Manchester City man got more valuable minutes in before that exciting showdown.
That test could very well be the story of the game during the December 10 tie, which is sure to be entertaining.
4. Harry Kane’s reliance
While The Coach was never going to abandon his star striker, his unwavering faith in him paid off as he smashed home a second goal before the break.
That will undoubtedly boost Kane’s confidence ahead of the biggest game of the tournament so far against France, with Southgate dismissing one wild claim that Kane should have been dropped from the first XI.
