Maleft's soccer dug out

The January transfer window might seem like a distant memory, but that doesn't mean the rumour mill has shut down! Speculation over summer moves is heating up, so check out the latest gossip below, and see all official deals here.

TOP STORY: Could Lukaku be coming back to Chelsea?

Chelsea are planning to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge, according to The Sun.

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The Belgium international is enjoying arguably the most prolific form of his career in Serie A with Inter Milan, scoring 44 goals in 68 league appearances since moving to Italy in 2019.

Chelsea are keen to sign a new centre-forward this summer, with Erling Haaland their top target. But, according to The Sun, there is a growing acceptance that a deal for the Borussia Dortmund striker will be too difficult with so many of Europe's top clubs competing for his signature.

That has led them to focus more effort on re-signing Lukaku, who first joined them as a teenager in 2011 but spent two of his three seasons at the club out on loan.

Now 27 years old, Lukaku is thriving at Inter, and Chelsea are reportedly prepared to go after his signing this summer in a £90m deal.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are considering allowing Tammy Abraham to leave Stamford Bridge for £40m, according to the Telegraph. The Blues are willing to listen to bids for the 23-year-old striker's services, who appears to have been frozen out by boss Thomas Tuchel. Abraham has played just three minutes of football under Tuchel since mid-February.

Abraham has come through the club's academy and even though he's their top scorer in all competitions this season, his departure would bolster the transfer kitty for the summer window. The England striker himself would be loathe to leave the club for which he has spent so much time, but he must surely be considering his options given his lack of game time under Tuchel.

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12.39 BST: With Cristiano Ronaldo enduring a tough time at Juventus, could a return to Old Trafford be on the cards or would he be better off at the Parc des Princes?

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1:32
Manchester United or PSG: Which club fits Ronaldo better?Steve Nicol examines Cristiano Ronaldo's prospects should he depart Juventus this summer.
11.46 BST: Barcelona are seeking new means of financing the club after the collapse of the European Super League left them with a €350m hole to fill, sources have told ESPN's Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens.

New Barca president Joan Laporta took charge in March with the club's gross debt standing at almost €1.2 billion. The Catalan club were one of the 12 founding members of the doomed Super League and, despite reaffirming their commitment to the project last Thursday, have been forced to accept that the competition is unlikely to launch any time soon.

That means Barca will no longer receive the initial €350m they anticipated they would receive from JP Morgan. The American had committed to putting up a €3.5bn grant to kickstart the project and help clubs recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, with an internal audit into the club's dire financial situation still ongoing, Barca have accelerated the search for outside investment.

Barca are also working on player sales and reducing the wage bill and have already taken some of the heat off by renegotiating a part of their short-term debt. Of the club's €1.173bn gross debt, €265m was owed to banks before June 30, per the club's latest accounts.

A club source confirmed to ESPN a more staggered repayment plan has been agreed upon with some of the noteholders of that debt. Barca also owe €164m in salaries to "sports personnel" before the end of the season and €126m in instalments on past signings by June 30.

10.49 BST: Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has insisted he is happy at the club despite being linked with the job at Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs missed out on Julian Nagelsmann as Jose Mourinho's replacement after it was announced on Tuesday that the RB Leipzig coach would be joining Bayern Munich this summer.

Rodgers is one of those linked with renewed interest from the London club, along with England manager Gareth Southgate, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez and former Leipzig and Stuttgart coach Ralf Rangnick. However, with Leicester preparing for next month's FA Cup final and closing in on a place in next season's Champions League, Rodgers has no desire to leave the club.

"I'm very, very happy here," he said. "I have a huge respect here for the players, the board and I really feel that I want to continue my work here.

"I've got a set of players that give me their heart and soul every single day and also I can see a future here in terms of the development of the squad."

The former Liverpool and Celtic manager added: "Tottenham is a great club, one of the biggest clubs in Britain but for me I'm just in a really, really happy place in my life."

09.55 BST: Real Madrid have set their sights on Eintracht Frankfurt top scorer Andre Silva, Bild reports. The Portugal international has been in great form for Die Adler this term, scoring 25 league goals, as many as Borussia Dortmund's Norwegian wunderkind Erling Haaland.

Silva has impressed for Eintracht ever since he signed for them from AC Milan in a last-minute swap deal with Ante Rebic in 2019. He has scored 42 goals and set up a further 14 in 68 appearances across all competitions.

This term, his goals have Frankfurt in with a chance to qualify for the 2021-22 Champions League. With just three games left, they hold a one-point lead over Dortmund and arguably have the easier run-in.

According to Bild, Real Madrid are prepared to part with €40m to secure the services of the Portugal international in a deal that could see Luka Jovic's loan from the Bernabeu to Frankfurt made permanent.

09.00 BST: U.S. coach Jesse Marsch has been appointed the new RB Leipzig manager after he leaves defending Austrian champions FC Salzburg.

Marsch, 47, will replace Julian Nagelsmann who will join Bundesliga defending champions Bayern Munich next season after signing a five-year-contract.

Marsch previously worked as an assistant at Leipzig for the 2018-19 campaign but left to manage Salzburg.

During his first season in charge of Salzburg, Marsch led them to a league and cup double. They are six points clear in the Austrian Bundesliga championship round.

With Marsch's arrival, five of the Bundesliga top seven clubs -- Bayern, Leipzig, Wolfsburg, Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach -- will have a new man in the dugout for the 2021-22 season.

TRANSFERS

• Barnwell's best moves: 100-51 | 50-1
• January transfer grades
• Latest completed major transfers
PAPER GOSSIP (by Nick Judd)

- Everton have joined the race to sign Juventus' 23-year-old defender Merih Demiral, according to Calciomercato. Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo is looking to freshen up his back line and Demiral could be one of the first players to leave the club in the summer. The Turkish defender is also keen on Everton, who are said to be willing to spend £22m-£27m to land his signature.

- Real Madrid are looking for defensive reinforcements and they're considering Sevilla FC centre-back Jules Kounde, according to AS. With Sergio Ramos' contract situation yet to be resolved and Raphael Varane's future unclear, Madrid have placed Kounde at the top of their summer wish list. Kounde's consistency and level of performance sees him climb ahead of Villarreal's Pau Torres in Madrid's thinking. Kounde, 22, has a €90m release clause, but Madrid are more likely to offer €50-60m and send a player in the opposite direction.

- Agent Jorge Mendes has made contact with Tottenham Hotspur over a potential switch for Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo to take over following Jose Mourinho's sacking, according to the Sun. Mendes is also looking to bring in ex-Benfica boss Bruno Lage as Nuno's replacement. Nuno's existing contract runs until 2023 but there is a sense that he wants to move on and test himself on the European stage on a regular basis. Nuno is also said to be open to a return to La Liga, where he managed Valencia. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano believes Spurs are setting up a meeting with Ajax Amsterdam coach Erik Ten Hag.

- Newcastle United, Norwich City and Rangers are all said to be chasing Vitesse defender Danilho Doekhi, according to the Telegraph. The 22-year-old centre-back has impressed for the Dutch side in the Eredivisie, playing 18 games in his third season for the club. Doekhi is entering the final year of his contract and is said to be targeting a new challenge abroad.

- Ajax had already been monitoring Toby Alderweireld's progress, but now they're targeting Spurs teammate Davinson Sanchez too, according to Vietbal24. Tottenham are looking to strengthen their own backline this summer, which could mean exits for both 32-year-old Alderweireld and 24-year-old Sanchez. Both players have already played for Ajax, but Sanchez could be the trickier of the two to sign; his contract runs until 2024, and he is keen to force his way back into the London side's plans.

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U.S-born Toni Payne dreams of World Cup success with Nigeria Super Falcons

Sevilla's Toni Payne, born and raised in the USA, made her debut for Nigeria in February. Oscar J. Barroso / Europa Press Sports via Getty Images
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8:15 AM
Colin Udoh
Special to ESPN
Former U.S. youth international Toni Payne is revelling in playing in the green-and-white colours of Nigeria, and has set herself the lofty goals of winning major tournaments with the Super Falcons.

After making her international debut for Nigeria at the Turkish Women's Cup in February, the Sevilla striker was impressed by her new teammates and told ESPN that the quality in the team had given her the confidence that the Falcons could accomplish great things at major tournaments.

"My ambitions in the squad would be to win some major tournaments like the World Cup and play in an Olympics and win an Africa Cup of Nations," Payne, a Duke alum, said.

AFCON success might be the most likely, with the Super Falcons being record repeat champions at African level, but Payne is convinced the team can achieve the same results at a global level.

The Falcons have been past the World Cup group stages only twice, 20 years apart, and they have not progressed beyond the group stages at an Olympic Games since their first outing in 2000.

Nigeria won all three fixtures in Turkey earlier this year, rounding out their trophy-winning campaign with a 9-0 victory against Equatorial Guinea.

"Before that tournament, it had been quite a while since the girls had been together in a camp as a squad, and yet everyone seemed to be gelling quite quickly and coming together in a distinct style of play, and things were coming together quite smoothly," Payne said.

"So, I think with the players that are in the team, and also the coaching staff, I think definitely the Falcons have a really strong potential to win major tournaments."

Payne, whose parents are from Nigeria, is not new to winning titles. Born in the Alabama, she suited up for the the U.S. at youth level, helping them to win the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Under-17 title, alongside current USWNT players Jane Campbell, Andi Sullivan, and Midge Purce.

With that under her belt, and after a spell at Ajax in Amsterdam, she decided in 2019 to switch her international allegiance to Nigeria; but it took two years to do so, due a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and getting her paperwork in order with FIFA.

Toni Payne was on the USA team that won the U17 CONCACAF Cup in 2012, alongside current senior USWNT players Jane Campbell, Andi Sullivan, and Midge Purce, and also played in that age group's World Cup that year. Jamie McDonald - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Those developments cost her the chance to represent Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, when the Super Falcons equalled their best performance from 1999 in making the Round of 16.

Payne said: "I was obviously disappointed, but realising that things happen for a reason and when it's the right time then the things will fall into place.

"So, I knew hopefully at some point I'll have my opportunity and when I have it I'm going to make the most of it. So, it was unfortunate to miss out but I was still supporting the team from home and just waiting for my next opportunity."

That opportunity presented itself in February, when, with her paperwork completed, new coach Randy Waldrum included her in the squad to play in Turkey. Payne made an immediate impression as Waldrum handed her a surprise start in the first game against CSKA Moscow.

"It was a very exciting and pleasant surprise. I told my family and friends, and everyone was really happy for me," she said.

"I was also surprised when I was on the starting list. Players were just coming into camp and had the first match after [minimal] training, and I think Randy had to make those [snap] decisions."

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If Payne proved herself capable in that first game, the second against Uzbekistan was even better and she really came into her own in the third fixture against Equatorial Guinea.

Payne, playing in a less-than-familiar position, first set up Uchenna Kalu and then scored a spectacular individual goal of her own, running through three defenders to hit an unstoppable effort as the Super Falcons ran out 9-0 winners.

"I think my initial thoughts were just to try and break some pressure and when I saw that I was in front of the goal, I decided to take the shot and it's good that it went in.

"But, yeah, it was nice..." was Payne's subdued response to questions about a rather sensational strike.

Payne's transition from U.S. junior international to senior Nigeria international may not have been straightforward, but, in hindsight, it seems like it was always going to be a natural progression. Her father, Oyeleke Payne, has always been a big fan of Nigerian football and got his children involved from an early age.

"I have always been a lover of Nigerian football," Oyeleke told ESPN.

"I loved those games between IICC Shooting Stars and Rangers. I also do some coaching of my own, and I have some players I coached who are now playing pro.

"I am a lucky guy. God blessed me with a knowledge of the game but I just wanted to be a father kicking a ball with his kids. When I saw that they loved the game, all I wanted to do was push them to be the best they could be.

"My kids grew up in the early 90s watching the Super Eagles, the likes of Austin Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu and the rest, and the way they play.

"But of all my three kids, the one [who] truly loves soccer, Nigerian style, is Toni. She was always really engaged in it."

Nigeria striker Toni Payne played for the Duke Blue Devils from 2013 to 2016. Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Payne said the opportunity to play for Nigeria was not just an honour but inevitable: "It means everything to me that I'm able to represent Nigeria.

"It's always felt quite natural to me, honestly. Having the opportunity to represent my parents and the family that I have in Nigeria is an amazing feeling, and I'm really honoured to be able to have this opportunity.

"I've obviously played in a lot of youth programs in the U.S. national team for many years but I've always watched Nigeria, whether it was the men's team or the women's team, and I always had a sense of pride and support for the Nigerian side.

"So once Nigeria gave me the opportunity, I knew that that was the right decision and the right move, and I was honestly just really honoured and I'm really excited. I'm hoping that I will continue and be a good addition to the team.

"I was grateful to have had the opportunity to play in the U.S. program, and I learned a lot from the program, but playing with Nigeria is just something that feels a little bit more natural and more right for me and for my future career."

Oyeleke is as proud as can be: "For her to get the opportunity to wear Nigeria colors is a joy to me.

"I have always told my kids to consider everything they do as service. So whether it is playing for Nigeria or the U.S., use those lessons to impact in life."

But for the immediate future, Payne is more focused on the short-term objectives of keeping her place in a stacked Nigeria team.

"The bigger challenge was playing in new position," she said.

"For many years I normally play as a winger so it was a little bit of an adjustment period; but I really enjoyed it. My goals are to just improve, keep getting better at the position, and hope to make an impact

Mikel Arteta desperately needed a result to back up his rhetoric, and Arsenal beating Chelsea 3-1 on Saturday, was precisely it.

It is a popular refrain among managers attempting to arrest a decline to cite the importance of hard work, but you suspect Arteta means it more than most given his taskmaster style and the lack of application that epitomised the end of the Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery eras. With the Gunners seeking their first Premier League win since Nov. 1, Arteta packed his lineup with grafters, urging them to show the unity and spirit he insists is in everyday plain sight at the club's London Colney training base but has been lacking on the pitch of late.

This time, they duly delivered.Gabriel Martinelli shook off an ankle problem to pick up where he left off against Manchester City, combining work rate and quality to probe from the left. Bukayo Saka continued his remarkable consistency despite the turbulence around him on the opposite flank.

The surprise name on the home teamsheet was Emile Smith Rowe, getting his first Premier League start in a year, and in many ways his inclusion epitomises the existential fight Arteta is battling at Arsenal.

Arteta switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation, and on the occasions when he plays with a No. 10, the Spaniard issues specific defensive instructions to a primarily creative position. It is arguably the most pointed footballing reason why Mesut Ozil, the club's top earner on £350,000 a week, remains in the wilderness. Nobody could reasonably argue that Ozil isn't a far greater talent on the ball than Smith Rowe, but the accusation so often levelled at the former is he does apply himself out of possession with sufficient thought for his teammates. Smith Rowe excelled in this regard.

By the time of his 65th-minute substitution, no player had regained possession more than the 20-year-old's six occasions. As if to underline the point, Smith Rowe's replacement, Joe Willock, won three tackles in the final 25 minutes, equalling Martinelli's team-high tally. It was this pressing from the front that unsettled Chelsea from the outset, establishing a level of intensity that the visitors never matched aside from a late flurry when the game was already lost.Gabriel, David Luiz and Willian missed the match with COVID-related issues. Gabriel has tested negative but must self-isolate after coming into contact with someone in his bubble who tested positive, while Luiz and Willian have symptoms but have also tested negative. It is doubtful all three would have been involved, but Willian's absence in particular enabled Arteta to pick a front four with much greater movement and dynamism than the static performances of recent weeks.

They still needed a penalty, a wonderful free kick and a fluke to take a 3-0 lead, scoring with their only two shots on target of the first half. Alexandre Lacazette stroked home a spot kick after 34 minutes following Reece James' tackle on Kieran Tierney, before Granit Xhaka fired home from 25 yards just before half-time. Saka appeared to be eyeing a cross when he made inroads 11 minutes after the restart, but his right-foot effort looped over Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and in off the far post.

Tammy Abraham struck five minutes from time, but even though Jorginho then missed a penalty after Pablo Mari fouled Mason Mount as Chelsea improved, they were second-best throughout.

"Obviously [it's a] a really big win for us," Arteta said. "We were really disappointed and frustrated with the results, not so much with the performances, but the results. The players were suffering, our fans were suffering and today is a really special day. It doesn't get any better: Boxing Day, playing a London derby at the Emirates and winning the way we've done it."Hopefully this is a turning point and will elevate the confidence of the team, because I know that they can play at this level. It is how consistent we are throughout the game to sustain that level and to maintain it."

Saka, Smith Rowe and Martinelli thrived in contrast to the much more expensively assembled trio at the opposite end of the pitch as Chelsea slipped to a third defeat in four games.

There must be doubts as to whether Frank Lampard knows his best team after spending £220 million in the summer, with Kai Havertz left on the bench and Christian Pulisic failing to hit the heights reached during Project Restart. Timo Werner was superb in the formative weeks of the campaign but he has now gone eight starts without a goal, looking more of a peripheral figure on the left flank with each passing week. He was substituted for Callum Hudson-Odoi at half-time in a double change along with Mateo Kovacic for Jorginho.

The latter swap makes it even easier to see why Chelsea continue to monitor Declan Rice, among other defensive midfielders, given the imbalance of their team at the Emirates. N'Golo Kante has his merits playing further forward, but it feels counterintuitive when Chelsea are losing a midfield battle to Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny.

CHELSEA Vs WESTHAM Lineups
CHELSEA

Mendy
Azplicueta Zouma Silva Chilwell
Kante Jorginho Mount
Werner Abraham Pulisic

WESTHAM
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CHELSEA Vs WESTHAM

Live in 10 minutes drop your predictions

Lewandowski: Messi and Ronaldo can have a seat at my table!

Robert Lewandowski has suggested his performance levels in recent years stand up to scrutiny with regard to the efforts of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barcelona great Messi and Juventus superstar Ronaldo have dominated the conversation with regard to the best player on the planet for over a decade, with the pair having 11 Ballons d’Or between them - six for Messi and five for Ronaldo.

The award was not given out this year on account of the coronavirus pandemic, but there was a case to be made for the pair having been eclipsed by Lewandowski.The Poland international won the Bundesliga and Champions League with Bayern Munich, with his goals being key to the German side’s success in both competitions.

Lewandowski brushed off talk of comparisons between himself and the two greats of the game, but conceded his numbers stack up.

“Messi and Ronaldo have been sitting at the same table, at the top, for a very long time, and that's what makes them incomparable,” Lewandowski told France Football. “So to answer your question, I can't imagine myself next to them in this point of view.

“That said, if you take the numbers for this year and even previous ones, I think I'm pretty good in terms of performance and goals scored.

“Failing to be at the same table as Messi and Ronaldo, I think I can invite them to eat at mine!”

At 32 years of age, Lewandowski’s best years are probably behind him but he talks about constantly learning in a bid to evolve his game.

“I have a desire to progress and that's even more important because I know that my time is limited,” he said. “Obviously, progress is not instantaneous. “When you repeat something every day, you can only measure its effect three or six months later, not the next day. The problem is, a lot of people want what you do in invisible work to be seen immediately.

“Patience is an important virtue, in football as in life.”

Former Borussia Dortmund man Lewandowski will head into the Christmas and New Year break with his side top of the Bundesliga and through to the knockout stages of the Champions League, so he could well be challenging for top honours again in 2021.

Messi will stay if a new board arrives at Barcelona - Suarez

Luis Suarez believes that Lionel Messi will stay at Barcelona if the club brings in a new board, which would include replacing current president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Messi nearly left Barcelona in the summer, telling the club he wanted to activate a release clause in his contract, before reversing his decision when he told Goal that he had decided to stay to avoid a potential legal fight against the club.

The 33-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the current season, is still far from happy with the club's board, saying Bartomeu and Co. have failed to build a winning team around him for some time.

“The truth is that there has been no project or anything for a long time, they juggle and cover holes as things go by," Messi said.

Messi's anger was part of the reason that a vote of no confidence will proceed against Bartomeu, who could be forced out of his position.

Suarez, who himself departed Barcelona last month when he joined Atletico Madrid, said he spoke to his good friend often about his desire to leave Barcelona.

“Out of respect for the relationship I have with Leo, I'm not going to say what we talked about at the time, but he lived through a difficult and complicated situation," Suarez told ESPN.

"He wanted to leave and the club did not want him to. I tried to support him, take care of him and distract him a little."

Suarez believes that part of the reason Barca wanted to see him leave was because he had grown too close to Messi.

“I think they wanted to get me away from Messi’s side, perhaps it bothered them that I have a good relationship with Leo," he said. "Maybe they wanted him not to be with me so much."

The Uruguayan added that he does not believe Messi's desire to leave Barcelona had anything to do with the club's treatment of him, though Messi has since hit out at Barca's behaviour toward the striker.

“That Messi wanted to leave Barcelona was not a gesture towards me. They should have respected his decision to leave," Suarez added.

Suarez said that he will respect whatever Messi decides to do after the current campaign but he believes that if there is a change at the top, the Argentine will be more inclined to stay at Camp Nou.

"There may be the possibility that Messi plays for another club, but if he feels comfortable, happy again and another board arrives, he will want to continue at the club," Suarez said.

"As a friend, I'll be happy if he does well there and if he has to go to another club, I'll be happy too."

Manchester United’s Wan-Bissaka hints at international switch on Instagram
Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka may have dropped a major clue as to where his international future lies after dropping the England flag on his Instagram bio and replacing it with a Democratic Republic of Congo flag.

The right-back is eligible for the two countries at senior level, having represented both at youth level.

Despite moving to United from Crystal Palace in 2019, he still appears to find himself way down the pecking order in the Three Lions ranks.

Right-back is a particularly competitive spot for England, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier all appearing to be ahead of him currently in Gareth Southgate’s standings.

Born in Croydon, London, the full-back represented the DRC at U-20 level in 2015, and actually played against England’s U-17s—in a losing effort—in his sole appearance for the Leopards.

He subsequently represented England at both U-20 and U-21 level, and represented the Three Lions at the U-21 Euros in 2019, where he made one appearance for Aidy Boothroyd’s side.

In August 2019, the defender was called up to the senior side by Southgate, but didn’t appear in either Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kosovo or Bulgaria after missing out on the fixtures due to injury.

Even under the new rules on nationality switches ratified by Fifa last month, an appearance in either match would have prevented him from representing the Congo in the future, as he would have been 21 already at the time of his competitive outings for the Three Lions.

Should the 22-year-old opt to represent the Leopards, he would have to compete with the likes of Jordan Ikoko, Glody Ngonda and Djuma Shabani for the right-back berth, but could have a key role to play as the Central Africans look to reach the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and their first World Cup since 1974.

Despite not yet officially committing to the land of his origins, Wan-Bissaka has retained close ties with Congo during his career.

Why Kane should no longer be England's No.9

The Tottenham ace is a fine forward but his skills are better suited to a deeper role, as underlined by his performances under Jose Mourinho,For the first time since Gareth Southgate became England manager in September 2016, there are doubts over his capabilities as a coach.

His quiet, dignified revolution over these past four years had appeared to end the era of English exceptionalism at international tournaments; of suffocating underachievement; of the migraine tension between superstars frozen with fear and a vicious tabloid press.

However, all of a sudden, these elements are seeping back into the national psyche, a consequence not just of the new status of players in the England camp but of Southgate’s own tactical hesitancy.Cobbling together a plucky team of underdogs when expectations were at rock bottom post-Roy Hodgson is one thing. Now that England have another ‘Golden Generation’ emerging, the demons of the Sven Goran Eriksson years – the red-top gossip, the clunking 0-0 draws, the crushing sense of inevitable misery – are resurfacing.When England lost to the Czech Republic in October 2019 – the first warning sign that England aren’t necessarily on an upward trajectory after the fourth-placed finish at the World Cup in Russia – Southgate had reached eight defeats in 38 matches. It took Hodgson 56 games to get to that point.

One year on, two insipid performances against Iceland and Denmark have forced some serious questions.If England continue to play sluggishly against Wales, Belgium and Denmark over the course of the next week, the role of captain Harry Kane should come under scrutiny.

The recent 0-0 draw with the Danes and last-minute 1-0 win over Iceland – games in which England dominated the ball but couldn’t break down a deep-lying defence – taught us that something tactical has to change, and clearly it isn’t just a case of switching up the formation.If England continue to play sluggishly against Wales, Belgium and Denmark over the course of the next week, the role of captain Harry Kane should come under scrutiny.

Southgate has trialled 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 4-2-3-1, and 4-3-3 in recent outings, betraying his tactical shortcomings and a sense that he is struggling to work out how to unlock stubborn defences happy to retreat into their own third.

A back three tends to be unveiled only out of necessity and, after the dreadful performance against Denmark, we can expect it to be shelved again. But a 4-3-3 with Kane leading the line is no more incisive.
The Tottenham striker has never been one to make runs in behind, instead perpetually dropping deep to link the play and create for others.

He famously wears the No.10 shirt because he is more comfortable in this role than as a penalty-box striker, which is why when England play badly, nobody looks more lethargic, more lost, than Kane.

This kind of play means England are stuck playing in front of their opponents, with wingers Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho waiting patiently on the flanks, Kane leaving the centre-backs unoccupied, and a functional central midfield struggling to get on the ball between the lines.

That does not mean Kane should be cut from the starting XI. He has been in exceptional form under Jose Mourinho at Spurs this season, scoring three goals and assisting six more, primarily because he has been given the freedom to play his favourite position as a deeper 10.