June 17th 2024.
During England's recent match against Serbia, Declan Rice was placed in a midfield trio alongside Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold. However, former footballer Gary Neville believes that this formation is not utilizing Rice's full potential and strength, as he is being restricted to a holding role. Neville suggests that to have a serious chance of winning Euro 2024, England may need to find a better balance in their midfield.
The match against Serbia saw a new-look midfield for England, with Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold joining Rice. Despite a narrow 1-0 victory, the Three Lions appeared disjointed and struggled for large portions of the game at Gelsenkirchen's Arena AufSchalke. While the win puts them at the top of Group C, there is still much debate among supporters over some of manager Gareth Southgate's selection choices, particularly in the midfield.
With players like Kalvin Phillips and Jordan Henderson left out of the 26-man squad, England seems to be lacking experienced midfielders, forcing Rice to adapt to a different role than what he is used to at his club. Neville, who played for Manchester United and England, believes that this is not allowing Rice to reach his full potential, and Southgate may need to rethink his midfield combination for the upcoming matches against Denmark and the later stages of the tournament.
The former right-back highlighted the importance of balance in a team, drawing on his experience playing for successful teams. He explained that players need to be willing to play a role that benefits the team as a whole, rather than focusing on their individual talents. Neville believes that England's current shortage of experienced central midfielders is causing a problem, and it's not just Alexander-Arnold's presence that is affecting Rice's performance. He argues that Rice's power and abilities are being wasted in a holding role, and this was evident when he played alongside Phillips in a previous match.
The only goal of the game was scored by Bellingham, which Neville believes shows the importance of not hindering players with certain roles. He gave the example of Roy Keane, who was known for his powerful runs forward during his time at Manchester United. Neville was watching the game with Keane, who agreed that it would have been foolish to restrict his attacking abilities by forcing him to play in a holding role. Neville sees a similar issue with Rice, who has similar strengths to Keane, but is being asked to primarily sit back and defend.
Neville also pointed out that Rice's playing style is not comparable to players like Rodri and Sergio Busquets. He mentioned that even Mikel Arteta, who coaches Rice at Arsenal, has recognized this and has used him differently this season. Neville believes that as a collective, England needs to figure out how to work around this and find a way to best utilize Rice's talents. He also mentioned Henderson and Phillips, who have been filling similar roles for years and may not be the most popular choices among fans, but have proven to be effective in certain situations.
Neville emphasized that to win a tournament, a team needs a balance of players, not just those with individual talents. He gave examples of top teams like Real Madrid and Manchester City, who have a mix of players with different roles. He believes that England cannot simply rely on their talented players and play an attacking style, as this is not always effective in winning tournaments.
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