I’M PACKING my bags for Rome and singing ‘It’s Coming Home’.
England are ready for everything and I will be really disappointed if they don’t get to the final.
We should, we really should.
But I still think the Three Lions need to learn what Harry Kane wants and needs.
At 1-0, after Raheem Sterling’s goal, Harry would have been more than happy.
Knowing him as I do, I know he just wants his team to win.
He is not chasing individual trophies, he is chasing a trophy England have never won.
But, of course, a goal will mean everything to him.
To score against Germany, in the knockouts, at Wembley, in an England shirt, means everything for the kid.
He deserves his first goal of the tournament and has a lot more to give.
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For periods of the game England could not find him. Sterling is playing amazingly well but when he drops back he occupies some of the areas where Harry likes to play.
Sterling, when attacking space in behind, can hurt teams even more.
Harry is a fantastic link player, is technically very good, has great vision and can easily find other guys making runs.
Sterling can then break the lines, with Harry dropping to become the connection.
But looking ahead, England will not have the same space as they did against Germany. This was a game that will be similar to the final against the likes of either Italy or Belgium.
But the quarter-final and semi will not be the same because of the opponents, with England having to make the game.
The big thing now is that a back three going forward doesn’t make sense to me. It was the right thing to do against Germany and it was not as though they didn’t have the tactical knowledge to switch to it.
England had not conceded in three games during the group stages going with a four.
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But they have used that system before, and we saw earlier in the Euros what Germany did to Portugal’s back four — they killed their full-backs.
It wasn’t as though Gareth Southgate one day slept, spoke with his pillow and then decided to go with three.
And, in the end, where was their left wing-back Robin Gosens? I saw him only once trying to head the ball at the end of the first half.
Luke Shaw and Kieran Trippier both won their duels, while Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice were giants in midfield.
But on Saturday the game will be given to England, they have it in their hands, and can easily go back to a four to add one creative player.
The Three Lions then have to be able to destroy the organisation of a team who considers England favourites.
Yet the same way England need balance in the bad moments, they also need balance in the good.
There is still a long way to go, even if in normal conditions England will be in the final because I don’t see them losing against one of the others they can play on the way.
But we need to respect football. To respect football is to respect the unpredictability of the game, anything can happen.
I say it to my teams, that I don’t want them in the bad moments to be in hell, and in the good moments I don’t want them to be in heaven.
England should be thinking exactly the same. Calm down.
Respecting football is the best way to be ready for the next game. But I am very pleased and just hope it comes home.
Jose Mourinho was talking to talkSPORT.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
