Jamie Redknapp: "Don't go safe. Let's go out swinging punches. If Mason Mount and Jack Grealish are played together, I'd be nervous if I was in the Germany side." Listen to the latest Sky Sports Football Euros Podcast for all the build-up to Tuesday's clash
Monday 28 June 2021 10:54, UK
Ahead of England renewing their rivalry with Germany, Sky Sports' Jamie Redknapp says Gareth Southgate's side have nothing to fear in the Euro 2020 last-16 clash...
It has not quite caught fire for the England team so far, but it certainly will do with this game coming up. The excitement will be there for sure. I went to two of the group games; I went to the first against Croatia and there was a good feeling about it and we did enough to get the win.
In the Scotland game, the players looked incredibly nervous and the Czech game to a certain extent was slightly better but you could still see there was a little bit of anxiety and caution in our play that I do not really like to see too much.
But having been part of a Euros squad, I know what the expectation is like and you could see the fear in some of the England players in that performance against Scotland.
Germany have a big ego like we have with the England team so we will want to play on the front foot and attack.
It should be a really open, good football match which in theory should suit us more.
It was a strange one for me as I broke my ankle in the group game against Scotland but I stayed with the squad. We played so well that night and we were bang in form and much the better team. When Gazza missed that chance and it went to penalties, I felt we would be OK as we had beaten Spain.
Gareth (Southgate) was not one of the five takers but put himself forward to take the sixth. I just remember him hopping as he took the shot and he looked a little bit nervous as it was not something he had ever done before.
He had probably not even taken a penalty in his career and these things happen but people will now make out that there's a brilliant story line and great narrative to be written. It could be redemption for him, but it's not about Gareth - it's about the players.
He has got to get the right formula, pick the right players and get a bit more flair and excitement into the side. What you do not want to do is go out of this tournament having only scored two goals considering we have got such an exciting group of players.
Given we have got such a young and talented squad, what you do not want to do is reflect on playing with the handbrake on and with a little bit of fear. That is not what anyone wants to see. When Jack Grealish came off against the Czech Republic, there was a collective sigh inside the stadium. Let's have a go.
No matter what happens now, let's have a go. Let's go out swinging punches rather than playing too safe. Let's go and show what we are capable of and give the team the opportunity to go and prove that.
It's a system we have played before but it's got to have the right personnel. Harry Maguire is back now so you could have him, John Stones and Tyrone Mings as your back three while we have got good full-backs. We could play either Reece James or Kyle Walker on one side and play either Luke Shaw or Ben Chilwell on the other.
Chilwell may get the nod if we play with a back three as he plays with that system at his club. It's a system that he knows, and then you could perhaps play with a more offensive midfield. But Southgate should go with what he knows and go with what's best for us. It shouldn't be a case of playing a back three in order to stop them.
If Southgate feels he has got the players and the system that suits us, then fine. Let's not be too worried. Let Germany worry about what we have got. Let's have a bit of a go. The negativity has been there as we have looked a bit fearful at times. I just hope we can play in a certain manner as that's what fans want to see.
Everyone has a view and with England everyone wants to pick the formation and the team. Some people are not sure of us playing with two defensive midfielders, but when Kalvin Phillips has played he has got forward. He's looked forward and he has played forward passes.
Declan Rice plays the slighter deeper role but I would not say we play with two defensive holding midfielders. Thinking of other examples, Tottenham played at the start of the season with Moussa Sissoko and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and they were both very defensive. I would not say it's the same with England.
Phillips has a good range of passing so I do not think that's been a major problem. We have still got four players at the top end of the pitch - be it Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish - who can get forward and create problems.
This is not a dig at Kieran Trippier as I thought he played well against Croatia, but having a right-footed player at left-back did not help, but our full-backs should get forward more. We have been a little bit conservative in taking their wingers back and into areas they do not want to go.
It's a tough call on who you would leave out between Rice and Phillips as both have done well. Declan has not had a bad tournament by any stretch but there is an argument for playing Mason Mount deeper for one of Rice or Phillips and then getting both Grealish and Phil Foden into the team.
I personally cannot see how we can't play Grealish in the next game against Germany. Part of playing for England and for your country is whether you can handle giving the ball away. Can you want the ball at all times? Can you make something happen?
In the first hour that Grealish was on the pitch against Czech Republic, he made more happen than a lot of the other midfielders had done in all the games. In that game on Tuesday, Jack would get fans off their seats. He wants the ball, he receives the ball and he gets us up the pitch.
He's the sort of player that divides opinion. If Gareth was honest when asked if he trusts him to provide a high press off the ball and takes on the defensive responsibilities, I think he would say no. But the flip side is that he can make things happen.
Do I think he'll start? No. I'd be really disappointed if he doesn't start. It's not for me to pick the team, but certain players have to play and Gareth has got to find a way of getting him in from the start.
The number of times he drove at his full-back, he made the goal, so I do not see how we could leave him out of the next game. Do I think he will start? No. I would be really disappointed if he does not start. It's not for me to pick the team, but certain players have to play and Gareth has got to find a way of getting him in from the start.
If Mason Mount and Grealish are played together, I would be nervous if I was in the Germany side. I would be more nervous playing against those two than against Rice and Phillips. That's no disrespect to them or whoever is left out, but Jack Grealish has to play.
Harry's looked a little bit flat. There's no doubt he's one of the best centre-forwards in the world, but there's a fine line between looking lethargic and lacking that little bit of confidence. He has not had the service or the supply line he would have liked.
He did slightly better against the Czech Republic but if we are going to win this, we are going to need Harry Kane. This is a good game for him, up against Antonio Rudiger. He will look at this as a really good opportunity. Germany will be a bit more expansive and there will be a little more space.
He just needs one moment of brilliance and then his Euros will get kick-started. If we can get through this game, then we have got a brilliant opportunity. The route then is pretty straightforward for us with a bit of luck. I know, how many times have we said that before?
But I would love to just see Kane get that goal. I do not think it helped taking him off in the first game or against Scotland. I did not see the point in that as it just created negativity around him and confusion over whether he would start.
It was a strange one to take him off against Scotland when England needed a goal, so I am not sure I am happy with how Gareth has gone about it. Do not get me wrong: he's not played well, but now the narrative with him is 'are they going to leave him out? He should get dropped'.
But he's our captain and the reason we arrived here in such good form. I personally do not want to see Kane dropped as I think it would be a huge mistake.
Group F lived up to its reputation. It was exciting right until the death and I enjoyed watching the performances. I feel it helped having such big games all the way through for Germany. I have played in three games against Scotland and you have got everything to lose and nothing to gain.
Our players did not quite know how to take it and played in a very cautious manner. For Germany, France and Portugal they have been up for every single game. They played against a Hungary side that had a full house and were bang up for it.
Germany have good players and they are players we all know. With Ilkay Gundogan in midfield, we are going to have to make sure that he does not dictate the tempo. Rudiger is one of the best defenders in the world, Manuel Neuer is good but I am not sure he is the same level as he was a few years ago.
Defensively, I feel we can still get at them. Kai Havertz is going to be a key player for them, so I am really looking forward to it but I do not feel we have anything to fear.
A win would bring so much confidence moving forward and it would generate belief in the whole country. Gareth has to take responsibility for that by picking a bold team and surprising a few of us. Do not go safe. If we go out playing safe, you cannot really say we were unlucky.
I genuinely feel it's a 50-50 game. With home advantage at Wembley, we should look at this as a brilliant opportunity.
We have got much more to come. Germany have stumbled into the last 16 whereas we have been pretty calm about it so I see us winning this game.
I have really enjoyed watching these games alongside my little boy and I really hope this journey can continue. We have got a really good group of players so let's not let it go to waste.
I have spoken to some of the players who say they are off social media and they should not listen to any of the noise surrounding the game. Just enjoy the game and have no regrets.
Rivalries in international football do not get any bigger than England versus Germany. With the two nations set for a collision course in the last 16 of Euro 2020, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp and Uli Kohler joined Peter Smith to analyse both camps ahead of Tuesday's showdown at Wembley.
PART 1 | Jamie Redknapp, a member of the England squad dumped out of Euro 96 by Germany, assesses the performances in the group stages of Euro 2020 and explains why Gareth Southgate's talented squad have nothing to fear against the Germans.
PART 2 | The prospect of facing England at Wembley is one every Germany player will relish irrespective of an inconsistent group stage, according to Sky Germany reporter Uli Kohler, who talks tactics, Jamal Musiala, Jadon Sancho and the dreaded prospect of penalties with Peter in part two.
Gary Neville joins Peter Smith ahead of England vs Germany to talk tactics ahead of the big last-16 tie at Euro 2020 at Wembley.
The Sky Sports pundit explains how playing a back three can help England nullify Germany's wing-backs but also give the Three Lions' attack the chance to "cause massive problems" at the other end.
Neville also discusses Raheem Sterling's leading role in the team, what the current generation can learn from Euro 96 heartbreak against Germany, and why he believes England can edge past their old rivals…
Is it going to happen again? Jamie Carragher is convinced England vs Germany is heading to penalties when they meet in the last-16 of Euro 2020 at Wembley on Tuesday.
The Sky Sports pundit joined Peter Smith to examine the clash and explain why these two evenly matched sides may end up only being separated by spot-kicks.
Carragher also dissects England's defence, which has kept three clean sheets, explains the factors Gareth Southgate will be weighing up when he decides to pick Jordan Henderson or not, and discusses whether Mason Mount or Ben Chilwell could still play a role, despite isolating until Monday.
Peter Smith is joined by Sky Sports football writers Ron Walker and Charlotte Marsh and Sky Sports Data Editor Adam Smith to pick out the teams and players who impressed during the group phase and the ones which have to step out in the knockouts - if they have not already gone home!
The panel also looks ahead to the last-16 ties, the key match-ups which could decide the eventual winner of the tournament, and explain why - with much nervousness and trepidation - England have a good chance of knocking out Germany…
