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England host Spain in their first ever Nations League clash on Saturday evening and the match itself comes with almost as much intrigue as UEFA’s new competition. Whereas the Three Lions will be hoping to build on unexpected World Cup success, Spain are looking to turn a corner after disappointing in Russia and parting with some illustrious icons in David Silva, Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta.
So, can England extend this sudden purple patch in their history, or will the Wembley encounter mark the start of Spain’s re-emergence as world football’s most dominant force? This week’s experts, Football FanCast’s editor-in-chief James Jones and obedient underling of no relation Will Jones, share their thoughts and predictions ahead of Saturday’s clash…
Gareth Southgate lead England to their second-best ever finish at a World Cup, but perhaps it’s time for a bit of a reality check. The Three Lions were given an incredibly favourable route to the latter stages and then came up short against Croatia – a talented team, but not a member of world football’s traditional elite – and nobody understands the difficulties of raised expectations better than the Three Lions.
Will England build on their World Cup heroics, or will Russia 2018 prove to be an anomaly rather than the new norm?
James: “I’d like to think Gareth Southgate is grounded enough to ensure he passes that onto his players – if he can do that then we have enough talent coming to through to help us continuously improve. England delivered a wonderful summer for the country, one we’ll never forget, but it will always be insignificant if they can’t go on and achieve more.
“I’m not suggesting we should be going on to win the next major tournament to show a sign of real progression, but becoming consistently strong at this level has to be the next step for England. We’re now 6th in the FIFA World Rankings and if we can remain in the top six for a prolonged period of time then I think that will constitute progress for an England team which was as low as 20th in the world this time four years ago and had not been in the top ten since March 2016.”
Will: “As wonderful as England’s World Cup adventure was, it must be viewed in context. The Three Lions’ run to the semi-final stage was relatively kind and I don’t think their exploits in Russia are enough to qualify them amongst the favourites for upcoming international tournaments. That being said, the power of positivity, belief and togetherness cannot be overstated. Team spirit can fuel a squad to achieve beyond expectations and to become more than the sum of its parts.
“This feels like an England squad brimming with confidence and togetherness. World Cup semi-finals may not become the new norm, but if England can make a habit of overachieving and approaching tournaments with optimism rather than trepidation then that would be a great marker of real progress being made.”
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”290057″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Fixture in Focus England v Spain”]
Perhaps the biggest danger of the World Cup, considering how much of it appeared to be caught in the zeitgeist of the moment, is that it doesn’t become a dogma for England. This Three Lions side needs to continue evolving and Southgate appears to recognise that, having already made some changes to the squad that excelled in Russia.
Which of the new additions would you like to see start against Spain?
Will: “Joe Gomez is quite rightly attracting plenty of plaudits for his fine start to the season for Liverpool. Were it not for his cruel injury last season, the young defender could well have been part of Southgate’s group that went to Russia. However, it is Gomez’s fellow centre-back, James Tarkowski, who I’m most excited to see during this international break. The Burnley man feels like the natural heir to Gary Cahill and I think he was unlucky to miss out in the summer. A solid, authoritative, grafting defender – Tarkowski could provide the perfect foil to John Stones and Harry Maguire’s more daring technical game.”
James: “The one I’m most excited about isGomez, who has been superb for Liverpool during the opening four weekends of the Premier League season. If it wasn’t for injury he will have gone to the World Cup but now is his time to really prove to the nation and himself that he belongs at the very highest level.”
Spain, meanwhile, enter their first Nations League game on completely different terms to England. Bizarrely, it’s now La Roja who represent the underperforming giant, having crashed out early of the two World Cups since they completely dominated South Africa 2010. Some iconic names have now retired amid a painful transition between two generations of players, and after relying on Iniesta and Silva for so long, it’s now not wholly clear who Spain’s most threatening attacking players are.
Which Spain player is capable of causing England the most damage?
James: “I would have said Diego Costa but he’s pulled out of the squad – we all know what he’s capable of and he would fancy his chances against defenders he regularly bullied in the Premier League during his time at Chelsea. Spain’s squad is still filled with big names and outstanding footballers, so it would be too naive to focus on one threat because they’re still a brilliant football nation.”
Will: “In Costa’s absence, Marco Asensio is the individual who could really take the game to England. The brilliance of the Real Madrid man’s talent has perhaps been masked at club level by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, but make no mistake, the 22-year-old is special and could prove the difference.”
England’s 3-1-4-2 system resulted in plenty of interesting tactical battles at the World Cup, and while we think Enrique will start his Spain tenure by maintaining their traditional mantra of a multitude of playmakers in midfield, he could decide to match up with England having used a back three frequently at Barcelona. In any case, it will be either two opposing formations or two that cancel each other out, so directions from the dugout will play a big part.
Where will this game be lost and won?
Will: “Despite Spain’s obvious wealth of talent, England should fancy their chances here. The home side have a wonderful record at Wembley, and the visitors come in a state flux. Following a poor World Cup, this is a Spain side under a new manager and shorn of many of the stars who brought the national team so much success in recent years.
“This is not the Spain of a decade ago, they are instead something of an unknown quantity, as much to themselves as England. The opposition have supreme ability, but at this stage they may lack cohesion and direction, and Southgate should be priming his side to take advantage of that.”
James: “I think England will be looking to make use of their threat at set pieces, which Spain struggled to defend at the World Cup. England’s set piece ability was arguably our ‘secret weapon’ in Russia and no doubt that will continue moving forward. More importantly, though, I think Spain’s ability to adapt to life under Enrique will decide this game. England are on a high and will feel unbeatable under Southgate at Wembley, while the Spaniards are in transition once again after a very eventful World Cup.”
And finally chaps, let’s hear your score predictions…
James: “I’m going for a 2-1 win for England. We’re going to win the Nations League. It’s coming home.”
Will: “2-1 to England. Whatever combination of centre-backs England line up with, they ought to be able to effectively neutralise the threats presented by Rodrigo, Alvaro Morata or Iago Aspas. Equally, this new-look Spanish defence can be got at. As long as England don’t surrender control of the midfield, they should be able to get a result on Saturday.”