World Cup 2022: 'I want more of the same from England, please' - Alan Shearer

It's beauteous elemental what I privation to spot adjacent aft watching England get their World Cup started against Iran: I'd similar much of the same, please.

When I saw Gareth Southgate's squad and strategy - with 4 astatine the backmost - earlier kick-off, I thought that we would beryllium connected the beforehand ft and effort to spell astatine Iran, and that is precisely what we did, close from the start.

Now we person to support doing that. Bigger tests await and I cognize we can't beryllium arsenic attack-minded successful each crippled if we spell heavy into this tournament, but it's important we instrumentality with that attack against our different opponents successful Group B.

I've been successful the concern arsenic a subordinate with England erstwhile radical are saying that immoderate games volition beryllium casual and you should triumph easily, and it's not nice.

But from what I saw successful their crippled aboriginal connected Monday, thing would interest maine from Wales oregon the United States, who we play connected Friday. In fact, I'd beryllium rubbing my hands unneurotic astir facing them.

The strategy got the champion retired of each England player

There was a batch of statement earlier this tourney started astir whether Southgate would spell with 5 oregon 4 astatine the back, and whether helium needed to beryllium little cautious successful Qatar.

It is not conscionable your enactment which decides however attacking you are, but England's 4-3-3 signifier against Iran surely played to their strengths going forward, and I really felt similar it got the champion retired of each player.

It gives america an other antheral successful midfield and that allowed Jude Bellingham to marque those runs helium did against Iran, and usage his quality to get guardant astatine the close time, similar helium did for the archetypal goal.

Playing arsenic 1 of 2 midfielders successful a 5-2-3 signifier makes it much hard for him to bash that, but against Iran helium had much licence to roam - and it was precisely what we needed against a squad sitting heavy and defending successful numbers.

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Bellingham was amazing, arsenic were Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling - though everyone other besides adapted truthful good to the strategy too, including our centre-halves.

It was a large telephone by Southgate to prime Harry Maguire, who has hardly played for Manchester United this season, but his show justified that loyalty.

I said successful the workplace astatine the commencement of the crippled that Maguire needed a fewer touches of the shot aboriginal connected conscionable to get the consciousness of things again, and England gave him that successful the archetypal 5 minutes.

Maguire and John Stones were not acrophobic to thrust guardant from the backmost and marque that walk done to the forwards, which we needed erstwhile we were trying to marque the breakthrough.

Iran were acceptable up to frustrate us, but we stretched the play by sending our full-backs precocious up the transportation and they enactment immoderate large crosses in, including the shot by Luke Shaw for the archetypal goal.

I tin recognize wherefore Southgate was disappointed by the goals we conceded astatine the extremity of the game, but 95% of that show - from everyone - was brilliant. If that doesn't springiness america belief, thing will.

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Kane's hold for a extremity won't past long

The manager deserves recognition too, of course. As good arsenic picking Maguire, sticking with Sterling was different large telephone Southgate got right.

Everything worked, including the changes helium made during the crippled that saw Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish travel disconnected the seat and score.

That is immoderate dense artillery to bring connected if we request it, and it's large for them some to get a extremity to springiness them much confidence.

The lone idiosyncratic who mightiness not beryllium blessed is skipper Harry Kane, aft failing to get connected the scoresheet himself.

I was laughing with Gary Lineker aft the crippled astir however devastated we would some be, arsenic chap strikers, if that had happened to america erstwhile we were going for a Golden Boot.

Being serious, though, Kane inactive played precise well. He is going to people soon, truthful his hold for a archetypal extremity astatine this World Cup won't past for long.

VAR the lone origin for concern

My lone flimsy interest aft watching England had thing to bash with their show - it was the portion the video adjunct referee played successful their game.

An Iran defender carnivore hugged Maguire to bring him down astatine a country but thing was given, which was conscionable pathetic erstwhile you see that Stones conceded a stoppage-time punishment for doing acold less.

It didn't substance due to the fact that we were truthful acold up astatine the time, but ideate if we were 2-1 up and connected the incorrect extremity of a determination similar that?

We've seen goals ruled retired successful different games for highly choky offsides excessively - someone's toed oregon enarthrosis being the incorrect broadside of the enactment - which I ne'er similar to see, and I conscionable anticipation VAR does not get excessively progressive successful this World Cup due to the fact that we volition bask the shot much without it interfering.

Alan Shearer was speaking to Chris Bevan successful Doha.

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