The odd key player not in top form, the manager’s conservatism, consistently tough opposition, there are plenty of factors that contribute to England’s dismal run of form.
But let’s face it, there is one thunderingly obvious problem that is afflicting Gareth Southgate’s stuttering squad.
They cannot score goals. They don’t even look particularly likely to score goals. They have scored none from open play in just shy of FIVE HUNDRED MINUTES of football.
Only two teams in this Nations League competition have failed to score a non-penalty goal … San Marino and England. On Friday night, Gary Lineker sarcastically hailed Southgate’s tactical approach as ‘exhilaratingly safe’.
And Raheem Sterling admits the back-three formation favoured by Southgate IS causing issues upfront - issues they are desperately trying to solve on the training ground.
The Chelsea forward explained: “I could say we just haven’t hit the back of the net but I think, even today, we had to go over things to try to find where we can find that extra man with this five at the back. Do we put a midfielder higher up in the build-up?
“The manager is working on things to get us that space in the attacking third to try and change that. If a team plays with a back five and matches you up, their centre-half follows you in. It’s about trying to find key areas in the final third where we can get an extra player.”
There is a growing clamour from pundits and fans for Southgate to stop using a back three - which often becomes a back five - but that looks unlikely, judging by Sterling’s response to a question about why they did not switch to a back four.
“Because the manager wants to play a back five,” he smiled.
On top of grappling with the current tactical problems, England players are having to deal with the negativity from some supporters. Southgate was jeered when he went over to thank the visiting supporters in the San Siro on Friday night.
For some of the younger players in this England squad, that is a new sensation, but not for Sterling, who was there for the failures at World Cup 2014 and at Euro 2016. And he believes he can use those times to help the less experienced players through this difficult time, explaining: “I remember there was a period when I first came into the squad that was really enjoyable and there was a period when I actually dreaded coming.
“Then, I think it was Spain away (where England won 3-2 in October, 2018) where I scored and, after that, my mentality was OK. No matter good or bad, I just needed to focus on myself and not listen to what the outside world was saying.
“No matter whether you are doing good or bad, keep level-headed and focused and don’t listen to the noise. That’s a message that can definitely go with the squad in the next couple of months. We know there will be noise and we really need to block it out if we are going to do well in this tournament.”
The Wembley meeting with Germany on Monday night is the final game before World Cup 2022 and Sterling - based, presumably on pure optimism - believes the occasion will inspire a turnaround in England’s fortunes.
He said: “It’s not a time to panic and say ‘we haven’t scored, we haven’t scored” … a good performance and one of our players to step up and change the narrative - that is, more than likely, what will happen.”
