Arsene Wenger's great move will help England reach the top of Europe

In the 2016/17 season, Arsenal competed in the bowl and could aim for the Top 4. At the end of the season, coach Arsene Wenger had to make adjustments to try to join the team's defense. The French family strategy followed the trend at that time, with the appearance of Antonio Conte and a three-center-back scheme with variations applied by football teams.

Arsenal, is no exception and for the first time in 20 years, Arsene Wenger used this scheme again. “When the team lacks confidence, you need something new to help the players improve. I also see that even at my age, you can change.”

The Gunners' three-center-back scheme is a bit special, with two attacking midfielders of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil playing near the center to support striker Olivier Giroud. In the first match with a score of 3-4-2-1, Arsenal beat Middlesbrough with a score of 2-1, with two scorers, Sanchez and Ozil.

In the 8-round final, Arsenal won 7, lost 1, including a series of 5 consecutive wins. This did not help the Gunners reach the final Top 4 as they were missed too far in the previous stage, but they regained signs of improvement and the goals conceded were fewer.

Back at EURO 2024, coach Gareth Southgate has also found the right direction in the star-studded squad. After the 1-1 draw with Denmark, the strategist born in 1970 suddenly brought up the name Kalvin Philipps. The media is even more indignant when the world's top superstars are owned, coach Southgate remembers a player who was not called up due to injury and lack of speed.

In fact, Southgate does not need Philipps, but he wants to find balance for the star-studded squad. Bellingham and Foden step on each other's toes, Kane likes to retreat to the middle of the field. After every match, experts tell coach Southgate to replace this person and let the other person in, but he does not cooperate and finds a solution.

It's easy to comment when standing on the sidelines, but let's ask which coach is "brave" enough to leave out Phil Foden - the best player in the Premier League, or Jude Bellingham - the best player in La Liga? He maintained his opinion, letting the two pillars of Man City and Real Madrid continue to play. However, the solution only appears when England has problems in the defense.

Marc Guehi was suspended in the quarterfinals, the Three Lions began to rotate to a 3-center-back scheme. Walker was strengthened in the right central position, Mainoo started to play in the middle, and the Three Lions played smoothly despite having both Foden and Bellingham.

In the 3-4-2-1 formation, Foden is the right attacking midfielder, automatically produced from the left wing and distributed in unison with Saka, taking advantage of long runs and long runs. Bellingham plays the role of an attacking midfielder, supported by Trippier (or Luke Shaw).

In the last 3 tournaments, England did not know clearly the 3-center-back scheme, but they had wingers with direct wings like Rashford or Grealish, playing 2 strikers (Kane - Sterling). This is the first time Southgate has developed a two-attacking midfielder scheme and he has found balance, unlocking the king's playing style.

The advantage of this diagram helps England organize better defense from home, while still ensuring numbers in attack, with excellent individuals in the squad. Plus with the return of Luke Shaw or Guehi, this scheme is operating better with each match, culminating in Game 1 against the Netherlands.

Gareth Southgate is not a coach who is highly regarded for his tactics, but his strength is creating a cohesive team and, to put it in a relaxed way, almost letting the players play on their own. Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Bukayo Saka have mature principles and good tactical awareness when working with the world's top coaches such as Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti or Mikel Arteta. Southgate's job is to best combine those factors together.

In the immediate future, England will face the biggest challenge of this tournament, the Spanish Cat in the EURO 2024 final. Compared to 1 month ago when starting EURO with a sleepy style of play, England is now better. and have the basis to write your name in history.