As England prepare for the World Cup knockout phase to begin and the tournament heat rises with the Doha mercury, focus turns to how Gareth Southgate’s team can maintain control in midfield when the going gets tough. It has been one shortcoming that has seen England consistently come unstuck.
Think back to the loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final and it’s hard not to notice the way England were forced to retreat as the game wore on and the battle for midfield supremacy began to tilt in the direction of Jorginho and Marco Verratti. Similarly, albeit a little time ago, Andrea Pirlo completed more passes than the England midfield when Italy knocked them out of Euro 2012.
One can take examples from other times: Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric playing the long game with England but again succeeding when Croatia advanced in the 2018 World Cup semi final, being another. There are lessons for England to learn.
The one situation Declan Rice remembers most clearly was the Uefa Nations League semi final defeat to the Netherlands three years ago. Rice was winning his third cap that day and has not forgotten Frenkie De Jong dominating midfield for the Dutch, who fought back from a goal down to win in extra time.
“My time against De Jong, I was really young,” Rice said. “I was only 19. I said at the time he was a really special player. If I want to be one of the best I need to test myself against the best. And as a central midfield group in England, if we want to be one of the best we need to win midfield battles.”
Rice and England have developed markedly since that defeat and are keen to demonstrate as such by ensuring the midfield presence remains throughout their stay in Qatar. Rice, the West Ham United captain, is one of the most commanding midfielders in the Premier League and has become an automatic starter for the national team.
Even so, it was tough for Rice and Kalvin Phillips when they took on Jorginho and Verratti last July. There is a tactical element which remains unanswered for Southgate and the manager has already tinkered with his midfield during the three group games with Rice being partnered by Jude Bellingham and then also being joined by Jordan Henderson.
“When you play against the better nations they are always going to have top midfield players,” Rice added. “They are going to have players that control games and it’s about how we can counteract that.
“Italy had an extra man in midfield because we set up with a back five, so it was hard to get pressure on the ball. It was hard to get up to the ball because they would pop it off and get you out of your slot. It’s about learning and being that coach on the pitch yourself.”
'I'm learning on the job'
The hope is that England will be more prepared should they face Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni of France in the quarter finals, or the Barcelona trio of Gavi, Pedri and Sergio Busquets for Spain later down the line.
The quality is there for England and Rice’s performance against Germany in the Euro 2020 last-16 meeting at Wembley is a case to demonstrate that he can deliver a display full of poise even in the biggest of games.
“It is a massive role and Gareth has put real emphasis on that for me,” Rice said. “At my club, I play like a box-to-box midfielder in a way where I can free roam, go anywhere I want. I can drop back, get into the box but be in the same defensive positions.
“It is really important I am doing what they say, being in front of the back-four, being the central connection, letting our attacking players go and flourish and being there to stop counter-attacks and of course having that good connection with the back four.
“I’m really learning on the job because every time I come with England I’m always playing this role and I don’t really play this role with West Ham.”
As for West Ham, it is a relationship that could come to an end in the summer as other Premier League clubs have been eyeing him up and the midfielder has ambitions he wants to fulfil. “I want to play in the Champions League,” Rice said.
“For the last two or three years I’ve been saying that. I’ve been playing consistently well for [my] club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies. You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in.”
Rice has been a consistent performer for England and it is clear why Southgate regards the 23-year-old as a leader in the squad. Even in this short media briefing he raved about Marcus Rashford — “his speed, his eye for goal, the way he hits the ball, it’s really special” — and took on Mason Mount’s social media critics — “he’s such a team player, such a hard-working, honest guy”.
Belief in others, belief in himself — Rice possesses them both.