'Failed Director'Clinsman's out-of-the-box instruction'英 Southgate, try 4-4-2. Kane-Tony, two-top is good"

Jul 04, 2024

'Failed Director'Clinsman's out-of-the-box instruction'英 Southgate, try 4-4-2. Kane-Tony, two-top is good'
XinhuaYonhap News
'Failed Director'Clinsman's out-of-the-box instruction'英 Southgate, try 4-4-2. Kane-Tony, two-top is good'
AFP Yonhap News
Jurgen Klinsmann, the former head of the South Korean national soccer team, gave a sincere advice to Gareth Southgate, the head of the English national soccer team, in light of his experience.

In an op-ed for the British daily The Sun on the 4th (Korea time), Klinsmann pointed out England's worst performance in the round of 16 against Slovakia in Euro 2024 and said, `It's time to try something new. Southgate wants to consider a 4-4-2 formation in the quarterfinals against Switzerland. A strategy of using Ivan Toney and Harry Kane as a two-top. I think the system will work well. If Gareth feels the same way, he should. England have 56 million managers who want to make a different decision. You have to trust your intuition and know how to make decisions that people will not welcome, he advised. England won 2-1 with Jude Bellingham's dramatic equaliser in the fifth minute of extra time and Harry Kane's come-from-behind winning goal in the first minute of extra time.

"Playing in a 4-4-2 formation will seem like a snob, but sometimes you have to do something different," Klinsmann said. I saw a good performance when Tony played against Slovakia. Since Spain won three consecutive major tournaments in 2008, 2010, and 2012, 4-2-3-1 has now become the standard formation. What happens if most clubs and countries have adopted it but it doesn't work well? You should always be open-minded. If I changed the formation and it doesn't work, I have to switch again"

Continuing "I've lived my whole life as a striker playing in a 4-4-2 system. When I played on the front line with Teddy Sheringham at Tottenham, I was the happiest person in the world with my colleague by my side. Having an attacking partner in a true No. 9 striker like Kane requires less physical effort. You can get great freedom. Also, two hard-running forwards like Kane and Tony can pose a real threat to their opponents" he analyzed.

England will play against Switzerland in the quarterfinals on the 7th. "England face the best Switzerland of all time," Klinsmann said. He's a tough opponent. Has great chemistry, has strikers to aim for goals and midfielder Granit Xhaka, who has played a very important role in Bayer Leverkusen's stunning unbeaten title season. He said, "My Bundesliga player of the year"I'm sure another true drama will be written like a rollercoaster of emotions against Slovakia. The quarterfinals are a time of winning or losing. If you win, you reach the semi-finals, and everyone will respect you Gareth. Defeat is not acceptable for powers such as England, Germany, France and Spain."

Klinsmann, who was dismissed from South Korea in February after failing at the Qatar Asian Cup, is a columnist for The Sun at the Euros.



yoonjinman@sportschosun.com