England’s dress rehearsal for the Euros falls flat

On Saturday 23 March, England played out a lacklustre 1-0 loss at Wembley. The night saw Real Madrid-bound Endrick steal the headlines as he scored his debut goal for Brazil and became the youngest international player to ever score at Wembley, aged just 17.

Both England and Brazil were missing key players; England looked particularly flat without striker Harry Kane and Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka.

Ollie Watkins’ performance as striker in this game proved how crucial Harry Kane is to the England team. Kane pulls defenders out of position, links up with teammates, and creates chances almost singlehandedly. Gareth Southgate has come to rely on him, and rightly so, but it poses a serious problem if he isn’t fit for the Euros in June; a player of his quality will come to make or break England’s tournament.

The night was a chance for England’s fringe players to impress Gareth Southgate as they aimed to earn a spot in his starting eleven for the 2024 Euros

Brazil handed international debuts to seven new players, while England gave debuts to three. Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa, and Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo all played for England’s senior team for the first time.

The night was a chance for England’s fringe players to impress Gareth Southgate as they aimed to earn a spot in his starting eleven for the 2024 Euros.

Debutant Anthony Gordon was impressive on the left wing – he linked up well with Jude Bellingham but was unable to affect the game. He’s bound to face stiff competition from Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden, and Jack Grealish for a spot in the starting eleven.

Chelsea pair Ben Chilwell and Conor Gallagher both had poor games. Gallagher impressed early on with his pressing and his energy, but his influence waned and his ability on the ball was exposed multiple times.

Ben Chilwell on the other hand looked off the pace from the start, particularly in the attacking third, to the point of being replaced by the right-footed Joe Gomez midway through the second half. If Luke Shaw isn’t fit to start at the Euros, Southgate has a serious lack of depth, and a serious headache, at left-back.

A midfielder to link with Bellingham and Declan Rice is also yet to be found in this squad. Kobbie Mainoo was stable in his 20-minute cameo, showing a few touches of flair and composure that have made him so successful in his debut season at club level. Despite this, he still seemed a little nervous on the ball.

Jude Bellingham was largely silenced for the majority of the game, targeted particularly by Brazilian midfielders Lucas Paquetá and João Gomes

Ezri Konsa made a promising debut too, replacing the injured Kyle Walker after 20 minutes. Walker’s injury looks to be nothing serious, but Southgate noted that he may be left out for England’s next game against Belgium as a precautionary measure.

Konsa was certainly thrown in at the deep end for his first game in an England shirt, but largely managed to contain the threat of Vinicius Jr. and the Brazilian attack down the left-hand side. Despite stiff competition at right-back, his versatility and consistency could be invaluable for Southgate this summer.

Jude Bellingham was largely silenced for the majority of the game, targeted particularly by Brazilian midfielders Lucas Paquetá and João Gomes. A series of robust tackles and fouls prevented him from having time on the ball, and from gaining any momentum over the course of the game.

A blunt and ineffective performance like the one at Wembley is hardly encouraging for the Euros this summer

There seemed to be an overall lack of style in the England side against Brazil. Brazil are obviously a quality side, but with the number of key players that they were missing, England would’ve been expecting a better performance.

If Harry Maguire and John Stones struggled to contain a Brazilian attack that was missing stars like Neymar and Gabriel Martinelli, then how will they fair against the attacks of France, Germany, and Spain?

One game months out from the tournament cannot tell us how England will fair at the Euros, but in what should have been an opportunity for England to flex their footballing muscles, a blunt and ineffective performance like the one at Wembley is hardly encouraging for the Euros this summer.