Devastating debut of Rashford-Kane-Saka attack points way for England

It is tempting to assume Gareth Southgate has found the way forward. England’s manager picked a front three of Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka for the first time on Monday and the results were devastating: a hat-trick for Saka, two more goals for Kane and, from Rashford, a performance that suggested a starting spot on the left is his to lose.

North Macedonia had no way of handling the imagination, speed and trickery of England’s attack. For a while the theory had been that Southgate’s best attacking trio was Rashford-Kane-Saka, but it had never been put into practice. Rashford has been too susceptible to minor niggles and the suspicion is that Southgate’s faith in him is not unflinching. Trust has to be built up. Rashford is in the middle of that process and despite his excellence for Manchester United last season it is worth remembering that he started only once at the World Cup.

It did not quite happen for Rashford in Qatar. He scored three times during the group stage – once after coming off the bench against Iran, twice to kill off Wales – but was a reserve during the knockout stages. Saka and Phil Foden started on the flanks and Rashford stayed on the bench until the 85th minute when England lost to France in the quarter-finals.

The sense was that England had wasted an opportunity to use their most effective forward line. The beauty for Southgate, though, is that he does not have to limit himself. Although Kane thrives when surrounded by pace, England can also turn to the subtler touches of Jack Grealish, Foden and James Maddison.

“There will be games where different attributes are helpful,” Southgate said. “That is the challenge for the squad. I’d rather have that situation than say it’s a headache. That’s a brilliant position to be in.”

Although there is so much depth, the inclination is to favour Rashford and Saka. They are suited to playing with Kane, who just so happens to be England’s record goalscorer and their best No 10. Rashford offers more directness than Grealish and Foden on the left and Saka is becoming undroppable on the right.

The sense is that Rashford, Grealish, Foden and Maddison are fighting it out on the left. The shift in status is clear. Saka is the emerging star and if it continues to click with Rashford there is less need for Raheem Sterling, whose pace and finishing once made him a mandatory starter.

Bukayo Saka is hugged by Gareth Southgate. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Southgate is not ready to write Sterling off. But the winger sat out this camp to recover after a difficult first season at Chelsea and he could struggle to regain his place. “He’s a fighter,” Southgate said. “In the past he was the name on the teamsheet – we knew his goals were critical. There is now more competition there but I expect him to respond. The part he has to get right this summer is his physical fitness and I would expect him to be flying next year.”

Sterling was vital two years ago, driving England to the Euro 2020 final and setting the standard for other wingers to follow. Kane aside, nobody could match Sterling in the final third. He scored big goals and was crucial in a tactical sense, stretching teams by running beyond defenders, ensuring England did not get bogged down because of Kane’s lack of explosive speed.

His problem is that Saka and Rashford can do all that and more. Rashford has more layers to his game and Saka is special. The Arsenal winger can make those diagonal runs, as he did when he ran on to Kane’s sweeping pass and completed his hat-trick against North Macedonia, and then there is relentlessness of his dribbling. The quality of his final ball. The conviction in his shooting.

Southgate knows it, though he was wary of calling Saka an automatic starter. “We’ve got to keep other people feeling important within the squad,” he said. “We’d be foolish to give anybody that half a per cent that might cause them to take a step back.”

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A year out from Euro 2024, Southgate was right not to go overboard. The mood can change. Mason Mount will have something to offer in midfield when back from injury. Grealish and Foden are too good not to play and this is a big summer for Maddison, who needs a move after Leicester’s relegation.

England have more than one way of playing. No doubt the starting point has to be the 4-3-3, which feels sturdier than 4-2-3-1. There is no need for a No 10 when England have Kane, especially as the thought of Jude Bellingham driving forward from midfield is a mouthwatering prospect.

Yet new options keep emerging. This was the camp when Southgate saw Trent Alexander-Arnold flourish as a midfielder. Alexander-Arnold’s passing gave England a new dimension and Southgate would not rule out using him against elite opposition after watching the Liverpool player excel against Malta and North Macedonia. The only problem, Southgate said, was that Jordan Henderson had just produced two more excellent performance alongside Declan Rice.

It is about finding the right balance. The tantalising option is a midfield of Rice, Bellingham and Alexander-Arnold, but would Southgate sacrifice Henderson’s pressing and energy against the very best? There are, as he said, different solutions for different games. At this juncture Rashford-Kane-Saka looks like the most potent front three. But there will be fluctuations in form and fitness during the next 12 months. Southgate will avoid favourites. He has to remain flexible.