How can the Three Lions win Euro 2024? That’s a tough question. If I had the perfect answer, I’d be the world’s richest man - I’m sure the whole of England would eagerly buy it from me. But really, Gareth Southgate’s team shouldn’t make it this hard. [**In our preview of England’s Round of 16 tie against Slovakia,**](https://m.betking.com/blog/betting-tips/enjoy-1000-odds-in-our-euro-2024-round-of-16-preview-and-betting-tips/) we predicted a close game with England barely scraping by, though we didn’t foresee it going to overtime. Slovakia took the lead midway through the first half with a goal from Ivan Schranz. England’s substitutes made a big impact: Ivan Toney set up Harry Kane’s winner, and Eberechi Eze worked tirelessly after coming on. Yet, it was Jude Bellingham’s individual brilliance that saved them deep into stoppage time. England can’t always rely on individual brilliance to pull them through. It’s part of the game, sure, but overreliance on it will lead to disappointment. As England heads into the remaining Euro 2024 fixtures, here’s what they must do to turn things around: **Stop Using Players Out of Position** The Albert Einstein saying **'insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results'** really hits home when you look at Gareth Southgate's lineup choices. His habit of playing players out of position is getting pretty crazy. Take England's left side for example: Phil Foden as a Left Winger and Kieran Trippier as a Left Back. Yes, Foden has played Left Wing 47 times at club level according to TransferMarkt.com, but last season, when he won Premier League Player of the Year, he was mainly a Right Winger for Manchester City and even played in the middle when Kevin De Bruyne was out. Foden has the skills to be flexible in attack, but Southgate isn’t using him where he shines most. Trippier's situation is even worse. He's been a Right Back 403 times for his club and only played Left Back once – a league cup game against Barnsley in 2017. Southgate's strategy is obvious: cram as many star players into the starting lineup as possible. But this approach just doesn't work… hasn’t worked… will not work. In Lewis Dunk and Anthony Gordon, England has natural Left and Right Backs who are fit and ready to go. If Southgate doesn’t trust them enough to play, it makes you wonder, “Why even include them in the squad in the first place?” **Be Tough Enough To Make The Big Calls** Ahead of their Round of 16 tie with Denmark, Julian Naglesmann made a tough call - he dropped Florian Wirtz from Germany’s starting line-up. Wirtz, who had kicked off the tournament with a great goal against Scotland, saw his performance dip as the games went on. His showing against Switzerland was the last straw, and Nagelsmann had to act. Despite being the current Bundesliga Player of the Year and having a stellar season with Bayer Leverkusen, Wirtz was replaced. This was a significant move considering Nagelsmann’s emphasis on continuity and chemistry, having kept a consistent starting lineup for months. The decision to bring in Leroy Sane was also strategic, as Sane was a better fit to counter Denmark’s wing-back play. In the end, the gamble paid off, but it’s crucial to note that it was a well-informed and calculated risk. Gareth Southgate might want to learn a thing or two from Julian Naglesmann’s approach. There are players who have failed to perform at this tournament and it seems Gareth Southgate is hanging on to the hope that they will turn it around. That faith is admirable but at what cost? Take Kyle Walker, for instance. The Manchester City right back has had a poor tournament by any standard. Despite playing all 390 minutes, he has created just one chance in attack. In contrast, Kieran Trippier, who is being played out of position, has created seven chances. Defensively, Walker has only managed two tackles and two interceptions across four games, and England has a mere 43% possession in the “right wing zone” where he occupies, making it a weak spot. It is time for Southgate to make a bold decision here. **Be More Expressive** Gareth Southgate is known for his more open and attacking approach during qualifiers but plays it safe during tournaments, especially against big teams. It’s a pattern that has angered even members of the online betting community as we are constantly left disappointed when they play. As England manager, Southgate has faced nations ranked in the world's Top 10 a total of 26 times, winning just four of those (15.4%). While Switzerland is ranked 19th, they have been one of the best teams in this tournament. England will need to get past them and other Top 10 ranked teams if they want to win. Their xG of 3.71 is the lowest of any team left, which is disappointing considering the wealth of talent in their attack. In the Euro 2024 Qualifiers, they scored 22 goals in 8 games, averaging 2.75 goals per game. In this tournament, they’ve scored just 4 goals in 4 games, a significant drop. How about being on the offensive for a change? As much as we want England to change their attacking approach, we don’t see it happening and our bet of the day is for them to score less than two goals in regulation time.
**Too Many Bodies Behind The Ball** England has too many players who thrive with the ball at their feet to be effective. Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, and Kobbie Mainoo are four of the six outfield “non-defenders” and they all fall into this category. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane can affect the game with minimal touches, but neither is a typical runner. Plus, Kane has dropped deeper to join the build-up as he's aged which further complicates things. This makes it hard for England to break down teams that sit back defensively. For example, Slovenia held a 4-4-2 defensive shape and earned a point in a goalless draw on Matchday 3. Denmark’s back three also got them a draw, while Serbia, the only team England has beaten in 90 minutes, used a back three and allowed just five total shots. England’s next opponent, Switzerland, also uses a back three with Manuel Akanji, Fabian Schär, and Ricardo Rodriguez. A fundamental change in their tactical approach, especially in attack, is crucial. With this in mind, one of our betting tips today is for England’s slow start to games to continue and for Switzerland to not trail at half-time and we have the best odds for that.
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