After a decisive victory, the Three Lions are poised to return to the top division of European football; but, Harry Kane had a rough night.
Curtis Jones has given them optimism for a better future in which the Three Lions can dominate the ball and, consequently, dominate international football, notwithstanding Gary Neville’s assertion this summer that England has struggled to control games in midfield for the past 20 to 30 years. When Neville delivered his damning critique of the team’s lackluster performances at Euro 2024, Jones was nowhere to be seen, but he was everywhere as England defeated Greece 3-0.
Before Thursday, the 23-year-old had never played a minute of senior football for his nation, yet he led the way from the back of the midfield and appeared to be an experienced veteran of international football in Athens. The Liverpool star’s performance, which managed to convey both his maturity and his arrogance, especially his outrageously slick backheel strike that completed a delightful evening for the Three Lions, demonstrated that he could compete with Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo for a spot in the squad.
This night, the interim manager was doing his permanent replacement Thomas Tuchel a favor by making amends for his tactical disaster against Greece just a month earlier. However, he also put England’s all-time leading scorer on the bench, which put captain Harry Kane in a difficult situation. Most concerningly for Kane, the choice turned out to be a brilliant one.
Curtis Jones won.Would Curtis Jones’s life be any better than it is now? In addition to being an England goal scorer and a full England international, he recently became a father and is playing a crucial part in Liverpool’s record-breaking start to the season. And what a good objective that was.
Jones has had bad luck with England in the past; he was left out of the squad for Euro 2024 and missed games he would have featured in because of injury. However, everything lined up for him to make his eagerly anticipated debut this week. Jones was the clear pick to hold midfield because Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo were both absent from these internationals, and he performed admirably. In order to control the pace, the 23-year-old sat directly in front of the defense and developed a fantastic rapport with Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa. He exchanged passes with the two center-backs.
As the game progressed, he gained confidence and continued to drive forward. If there was any indication that he was feeling good, it was his magnificent backheel, which completed a wonderful evening for him and his nation. We’ve warned Mainoo and Rice.