In the 9th round of Group K in the European Zone of the World Cup Qualifiers, England defeated Serbia 2-0, with Saka and Eze scoring goals. After the game, "The Athletic" talked about the performance of Manchester City defender O'Reill...
In the 9th round of Group K in the European Zone of the World Cup Qualifiers, England defeated Serbia 2-0, with Saka and Eze scoring goals. After the game, "The Athletic" talked about the performance of Manchester City defender O'Reilly and Forest midfielder Anderson, both of whom played the entire game.
The choice of left back seems to have an answer.
Tuchel's main lineup has been generally determined, but there are still questions about some positions, especially the left back. But O'Reilly has become a candidate for Tuchel's consideration due to his outstanding performance. The 20-year-old has performed well under Guardiola and is now emerging in the national team.
O'Reilly's debut for the England team will provide Tuchel with another option. He may become the surprise player at the left back position of the Three Lions in next summer's World Cup.
O'Reilly seems to have all the qualities that a national footballer should have. He has outstanding physical fitness, strong athletic ability, and also has top-notch psychological quality. The youngster appears to be fearless, a valuable quality in an intense competition like the World Cup.
If O'Reilly continues his current form in all competitions this season, he will be able to gain a foothold in Tuchel's lineup and solve England's problem at the left-back position.
Elliot Anderson once again stunned
After qualifying for the World Cup, the England team is preparing for the main stage with full optimism and expectations, which is no different from before. The pressure on the England shirt has always been heavy, but this time it was different.
Traditionally, England have favored a certain type of midfielder: someone who covers the entire field, is dynamic, can score goals and is very hard-working. For example, the Three Lions team in the 2000s had Gerrard, Lampard, and Scholes at their peak, and the team even tried to force the three of them into the same starting lineup.
But the England team has always lacked the kind of organizational midfielder who can control the rhythm and serve as the core of the team's offense and defense. Many top teams have such players. For example, in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, Modric contributed such a performance against England.
Now the England team seems to have found such a key player, and there are more than one. In addition to Anderson, Adam Walton came off the bench. Looking at England's various age groups, there are signs that the youth training system has finally begun to cultivate this type of technical midfielder.
The England U17 team is competing for the world championship in Qatar, and Manchester City's Harrison Miles plays such an organizational core role. At the top international level, control is key and England appear to have finally found that ability.
