There is a certain weight to praise from an opposing manager. It is rarely idle chatter. When Stale Solbakken, the Norwegian boss who knows a thing or...
There is a certain weight to praise from an opposing manager. It is rarely idle chatter. When Stale Solbakken, the Norwegian boss who knows a thing or two about tactical rigour, tells GoalZaza that England are the favourites to reach the semi. finals of the World Cup, you do not simply nod along and file it under pleasantries. You listen.Solbakken is no fool. He has watched the same England we have: a side that can oscillate between a cautious low block and moments of genuinely thrilling transitional play. What Solbakken sees is a squad that has finally shed the timid skin of past tournaments. The days of England bottling it from the penalty spot are now folklore. This current crop has a bit of steel about them, a quiet arrogance that comes from winning knockout ties under pressure. Is that enough to make them favourites over the usual continental heavyweights The Norway manager certainly believes so.Let us be honest about what this declaration really means. It places a target squarely on Gareth Southgate's back. When you are labelled the favourite, the margin for error shrinks. There is no room for a defensive wobble or a slow start. Any hint of a cautious approach now gets judged against the expectation of reaching the final four. Solbakken, perhaps intentionally, has turned up the heat. He has handed England a compliment that carries the sharp edge of a gauntlet thrown down.The question for Southgate now is tactical flexibility. Can his side marry that defensive solidity with the clinical finishing needed to unlock a tight quarter final Can they manage the game state when the opposition parks the bus These are the questions that will define their campaign. Solbakken has given them the billing. Now we get to see if they can handle the script. Squeaky bum time is coming, and it starts right here.
