Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: England, Euro 2024, Harry Kane, Denmark, Gareth Southgate
Josh Lawless
Topics: England, Euro 2024, Harry Kane, Denmark, Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate has shown he is prepared to adjust tactics and be flexible but there is one thing in particular he is refusing to do ahead of England's second Euro 2024 game.
England beat Serbia 1-0 courtesy of a Jude Bellingham header in their opening fixture on Sunday and will look to make it two wins out of two against Denmark on Thursday.
In a second half which wasn't all that impressive, Southgate made three substitutions and brought on Conor Gallagher, Jarrod Bowen and Kobbie Mainoo.
Southgate has rebranded subs as "finishers" to emphasise the important role those on the bench have.
But while the England boss is willing to change and adapt, he isn't willing to budge in one specific area.
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As per The Telegraph, Southgate is yet to try playing with two strikers in training.
Captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane is firmly first choice, with Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney serving as back-up.
But it seems as though the chances of seeing one of them play alongside Kane are extremely slim.
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Instead, Toney and Watkins have been helping the team by acting as opposition strikers in tactical sessions.
"No, we haven’t," Watkins said when asked if he had played with Kane, as per Matt Law.
"We’ve done a lot of tactical stuff, but it’s normally me and Ivan pretending to be Serbia. We weren’t too bad! Ivan makes a good Mitrovic and I was Vlahovic."
Watkins, who scored 19 goals and a league-high 13 assists for Villa last season, may well take on Rasmus Hojlund's role before the clash with Denmark.
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But he has made it clear that he thinks he and Kane could form a fine partnership and likened it to his link-up with Heung-Min Son.
He explained: "Yes, definitely. I would like to play with H, because he drops in deep. He can play the No 10 role and he picks up a lot of passes.
“I feel it would be similar to when he was at Tottenham and picking the balls up and playing it through to Son. But I know we’re blessed with a lot of talent in the No 10 role.”
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