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England’s final World Cup warm-up friendly with Costa Rica on Thursday evening represents a last chance for Gareth Southgate to learn some important lessons about his side before the tournament in Russia.
He’ll already feel he has a good understanding of the Three Lions’ strengths and weaknesses, but the clash at Elland Road is the ultimate opportunity to put those ideas into practice, and test out a few new theories as well.
With that in mind, we take a look at five questions England’s final warm-up game must answer…
What’s the Plan B?
Easily the biggest concern that came out of England’s 2-1 over Nigeria was the lack of response after the Super Eagles matched up with Southgate’s 3-1-4-2 formation and instantly reaped reward with an Alex Iwobi goal. Perhaps Southgate wanted to see how his side would cope once the benefits of his unique system were cancelled out and whether certain players would take it upon themselves to change the shape of the team and accordingly the flow of the game.
But it’s also clear that, at this stage, England don’t have an obvious Plan B for such scenarios. It could be something as simple as converting the formation into a more traditional 3-4-3, bringing on an impact sub or perhaps even switching to a back four. In any case, Costa Rica represent Southgate’s last chance of testing a Plan B in a game scenario before the tournament starts.
Eric Dier vs Jordan Henderson
Southgate has already confirmed that his World Cup selections won’t include two holding midfielders, which leaves the England gaffer facing pretty much a straight-up choice between Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson, with Fabian Delph representing a backup option.
Both bring slightly different qualities to the role; whereas Henderson is part box-to-box and offers better quality in possession, Dier is part centre-half and can plug up gaps in the back three. The Tottenham ace got the full ninety minutes against Nigeria, so the Liverpool captain will get the chance to provide his retort against Costa Rica.
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How can Vardy impact from the bench?
Not exactly rocket science but something Southgate must consider nonetheless. Jamie Vardy’s pace and netting prowess could have key influence in the latter stages of games, but England’s 3-1-4-2 formation only really allows for one centre-forward and doing a straight swap for Kane almost defeats the purpose of the impact the Leicester City striker offers from the bench.
It could simply be a matter of taking off Raheem Sterling in the supporting striker role and opting for an out-and-out forward line, or it could require Vardy cutting in from the left wing – a Roy Hodgson ploy that produced mixed results. But there are more aspects to consider here than simply the formation; does Vardy’s introduction signal for England to play more direct, to sit deep and hit the opposition on the counter-attack, or does the philosophy stay largely the same? A runout against Costa Rica might just provide a few key answers.
How would Loftus-Cheek affect the midfield balance?
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s probably been included in this squad with future tournaments in mind, but through his power, strength and mazy dribbling the Chelsea youngster does give England something a little different and more direct in the engine room.
The roaming No.8 roles in front of the holding midfielder seem to naturally appeal to his strengths and although he’ll likely start the tournament behind Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard in the pecking order, Southgate needs more evidence of firstly the extent to which he can trust the 22-year-old at senior international level and secondly how his influence changes the balance of the engine room.
The Costa Rica clash too, is a chance for the 6 foot 3 midfielder to really make Southgate think twice about the makeup of his midfield.
Gary Cahill or Harry Maguire?
Maguire’s quality in possession has been a vital component of Southgate’s back three during England’s recent exploits but Cahill made a pretty strong case for himself against Nigeria, scoring the opening goal while putting in a stern defensive performance, and the Chelsea captain’s attributes shouldn’t be overlooked.
He’s probably the best defender England have, at least on paper, and he’s the most-capped player within the squad.
That leadership and experience could be crucial in settling down what is otherwise an incredibly young and naive team, but Maguire is so well-suited to Southgate’s game-plan. It’s a tough call but the ball is now in Maguire’s court, with the Leicester man likely to replace the 32-year-old at left centre-back against Costa Rica.
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