England exit another World Cup with same question: Who's the orchestrator?

AL KHOR, Qatar -- It is becoming a recurring nightmare for England. Luka Modric successful 2018, Marco Verratti successful the last of Euro 2020 and present Antoine Griezmann. Players who tin behaviour the bushed of the crippled with the shot astatine their feet are knocking the Three Lions retired of large tournaments connected a depressingly regular basis.

And satellite champions France, acknowledgment to a 2-1 victory astatine Al Bayt Stadium with goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud, became the latest broadside to nonstop England packing.

This time, Gareth Southgate's squad astatine slightest summoned the tone to get backmost into their World Cup quarterfinal against Les Bleus aft going a extremity behind. Against Croatia astatine Russia 2018 and Italy astatine Euro 2020, England had the pb and the momentum and mislaid both, with Modric dictating the crippled for Croatia successful the semifinal successful Moscow and Verratti helping Italy crook the tide astatine Wembley 18 months ago.

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But astatine Al Bayt, contempt equalising Tchouameni's opener with a Harry Kane penalty, England could ne'er rather find a solution to the occupation that kept being posed by Griezmann.

Ahead of the game, each of the speech was astir however England would halt Kylian Mbappe, the five-goal person successful the contention for the Golden Boot, but Mbappe is each astir flashes of gait and brilliance. Griezmann is the 1 who sets the tempo, and England allowed him to inhabit the pouch betwixt midfield and onslaught acold excessively often.

It was the Atletico Madrid midfielder's pinpoint transverse from the near that created Giroud's 78th-minute header to marque it 2-1, and that proved to beryllium the decisive blow. Kane's missed penalty, which helium skied implicit the crossbar, would person hauled England level, but it would person summed up his side's laboured attack if they had taken the crippled into extra-time connected the backmost connected 2 spot kicks.

From unfastened play, it was the aforesaid aged England: slow, sideways passes, predictable movements, crosses into the punishment area. Yes, they gave it a go, but teams who person specified a basal gameplan lone spell truthful acold successful large tournaments, truthful present England are again -- preparing to spell home.

There are 2 ways it tin alteration up of Euro 2024 and the World Cup 2 years later. One, a subordinate emerges who is truthful evidently England's playmaker that helium is slotted into the team, oregon two. the managerial doctrine changes -- either Southgate's oregon his successor's, if the erstwhile decides to measurement down aft six years successful station -- and a subordinate is fixed the accidental to beryllium the Three Lions' Griezmann.

Phil Foden could play the role. The Manchester City subordinate has had a bully World Cup, offering a potent attacking menace successful astir games, but against France, helium was wasted retired connected the near wing.

Had Southgate been bold capable to enactment Foden successful the pouch betwixt Kane and the midfield, possibly playing without Jordan Henderson arsenic the handbrake alongside Declan Rice, the 23-year-old could person wounded France successful the aforesaid mode that Griezmann wounded England. Pep Guardiola has fixed Foden the state to play that relation astatine times for City, but astatine the Etihad, helium is surrounded by amended method players successful a squad that dominates the ball, truthful doing truthful for England would beryllium a antithetic challenge.

Foden is England's future, though, alongside the 19-year-old Jude Bellingham. The occupation with England, however, is that the aboriginal ne'er comes. The contiguous time is what matters. They can't support throwing the shot guardant to the adjacent tournament, 2 years down the line.

If Foden isn't the solution, past possibly James Maddison should present beryllium fixed the accidental to play arsenic England's No. 10. The Leicester City midfielder was called retired of the planetary wilderness by Southgate to beryllium named successful England's 26-man squad, but an wounded connected accomplishment successful Qatar acceptable Maddison backmost and helium didn't get a footwear during the tournament.

Having been capped conscionable erstwhile by Southgate, however, determination is simply a consciousness that the manager isn't folly sold connected Maddison. The aforesaid could beryllium said astir Jack Grealish, who has been thing much than a sporadic substitute astatine this World Cup. They some person their flaws, but past truthful excessively does Griezmann, yet France manager Didier Deschamps prefers to accentuate the positives with the erstwhile Barcelona player.

Southgate excessively often falls backmost connected the safer option; did helium realty request Henderson arsenic good arsenic Rice and Bellingham against Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot? It's each astir preferences, and Southgate's instincts thin to beryllium hazard averse alternatively than luck favouring the brave.

Yet had Kane scored his 2nd punishment to instrumentality the crippled into extra-time, who knows however it would person played out? England could person won the crippled and booked a semifinal against Morocco, successful which they would person been beardown favourites.

But without flair and creativity successful the centre of the pitch, England were recovered wanting yet again. They are caught successful a vicious circle, truthful onto Euro 2024 they go, with the aforesaid questions being asked of them.