sport news John Stones insists England's don't need a five-man defence against the top ... trends now
Can one good result and performance wipe away six months of struggle all by itself? It seems we are about to find out.
There was a moment, when England trailed 2-0 to Germany at Wembley in September, when it was tempting to wonder if the national team would ever play well again.
John Stones insists England do not need to field a five man defence against the best teams
They recovered to draw that game 3-3, but still there was enough in it to indicate trouble for England when they reached Qatar a matter of weeks later.
Now, after a 6-2 stroll against Iran in their opening game in Group B, the six games without a win that preceded it already seem like a distant memory.
On Friday night against USA, however, will be a game that asks England different questions. Iran were surprisingly meek on Monday, but the Americans will not be.
If England have not quite shaken off the uncertainty that characterised their football in the lead-up to this World Cup, then this might be the night when it shows itself again.
England boss Gareth Southgate is expected to persist with a four-man defence versus the USA
‘We came into this tournament with intent and we played well,’ said manager Gareth Southgate on Thursday. ‘We exploited the opponent on the day but the next two games are going to be completely different.
‘Now we play a team who are on one point. They have high motivation playing against England, they play in a way that is different from Iran.
‘They are going to test more our ability to deal with pressure on the ball and they are going to be harder to break down because of that. We have to make sure we have the answers to those questions.’
Stones believes that England's versatility and ability to play different systems is very useful
After placing his preference to play three central defenders to one side for the Iran game, Southgate is expected to play a back four again this evening at the remote Al Bayt stadium north of Doha.
The chances are this will ask more questions of central pairing Harry Maguire and John Stones than were posed on Monday.
Stones, the Manchester City defender, spoke
