A fine kick off
England kicked off their World Cup campaign on Monday 21st November with a spectacular 6-2 win against Iran. The result was England's second biggest winning margin in a World Cup: the biggest was achieved against Panama in the 2018 competition with a 6-1 victory. Manager Gareth Southgate's choice of an adaptable and aggressive 4-3-3 formation (four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards) paid off handsomely. The Iranian team's more rigid structure just wasn't able to adapt to the defensive task forced upon it.
Back to reality
Their second match, against the USA, was a rather different experience. Southgate started off with the same on-field arrangement as in the Iran match. Where England had the upper hand throughout the Iran encounter, however, it was the USA who made the best of things on Friday 25th November. England struggled to keep up despite creditable efforts from Harry Maguire and John Stones and some of our best players were, to say the least, a little underwhelming on the night.
Harry Kane was declared fit after his slight ankle injury scare from the Iran game but he certainly wasn't on energetic form. England seemed to do better in defence than they did going forward and the chances were mostly in favour of the US team.
Still, England survived the 0-0 draw to fight another day and the dream is still alive!
Neighbourly rivalry
That 'another day' came almost too quickly and England took to the field against their fellow Brits from Wales. Before the match, fans of both teams were shown on TV enjoying strikingly good-natured interaction. The reduced access to alcohol didn't seem to unduly subdue high spirits and both camps were happily convinced their victory was just hours away.
England found the inspiration they seemed to lack against the USA, thanks to Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden and England now seem to be on better form to meet Senegal on December 4th.
Private plates for England's stars
We know the players are a little preoccupied at the moment, but we found ourselves wondering… When they come home with the trophy, no doubt they'll feel that they deserve to treat themselves. So, if the entire squad decided to splash out on new private number plates, what might they choose? We took a glance at our database to see if anything caught our eye.
Gareth Southgate
Manager
The man responsible for the winning line-up has been England's national team manager since 2016. He has coached the team through three major international tournaments, including the 2018 World Cup, 2020 Euros and the current World Cup competition in Qatar.
The private plate we found: GAR 377H
Jordan Pickford
Goalkeeper
Pickford is a very familiar figure to those who have followed England during Southgate’s tenure. He has been a mainstay in goal for several years now.
We found: 1994 JP (Initials and year of birth)
Kieran Trippier
Right-Back
K113 RAN
England is rather spoilt for top-quality right-backs to choose from. On this occasion, Southgate picked Newcastle's Kieran Trippier for the position. Trippier enjoyed a strong start to the season with his club, so his form wasn't in doubt.
The registration we found: K113 RAN
John Stones
Right Centre-Back
Another consistent feature of the England squad, John Stones is almost guaranteed to start when fit. Due to his ability to comfortably play out the back, he is essential to how the team builds its attacks.
We found: 1994 J (Birth year and first initial)
Harry Maguire
Left Centre-Back
Maguire is the most expensive centre-back in British football history, costing Manchester United a hefty £80 million. With a price tag like that, one would hope to get plenty of mileage out of him, so it is good that he has remained a steady fixture in England’s set-up for a number of years and is one of the first players on the team sheet.
The private reg we found: H442 RYS
Luke Shaw
Left-Back
LUK 335S
At 27, Shaw should be at his peak and we're hoping for good things from him. Shaw is another expensive player and when Manchester United acquired him at the age of 19 for a fee of £30 million, he was one of the most expensive teenage players. Perhaps then, it should have been no surprise that Luke was a valuable team member during the previous World Cup, in Russia.
The number plate we found: LUK 335S
Declan Rice
Midfielder
Despite his age of just 23, Rice is incredibly experienced. Combined with the fact that he has probably not yet reached the peak of his performance, his future looks bright. He has played 182 games for West Ham and was named as the club’s captain this year. Touted as one of the best midfielders in the country, he could be pivotal to England’s push for glory.
We found the private registration: D366 LAN
Jude Bellingham
Midfielder
Bellingham has been one of the most sought-after midfielders in the world since he was 16. He is now 19, and is another young man with a promising future to play for. He is currently captain of his club, Borussia Dortmund, and possibly their most valuable player. This prodigal talent scored England’s first goal against Iran, thus announcing his arrival on football’s biggest stage.
The private plate we found: JUD 333B
Mason Mount
Midfielder
There are few champions league winners in this England squad but Mount is one of them. An integral part of his Chelsea team, he is renowned for his work rate, technical ability and capacity to perform when it matters. These factors make him an instant starter for Southgate.
We found: M455 SON
Bukayo Saka
Right-Winger
Saka is one of the youngest players in the squad but is already vitally important to his club, Arsenal. He scored two goals for England against Iran and was one of the standout players in the game. Saka is the third youngest English player to score in a World Cup.
The personal plate we found: S742 BOY (For Bukayo Saka's nickname, Starboy)
Raheem Sterling
Left-Winger
Raheem is one of the most accomplished players in the squad, winning numerous trophies with his former club, Manchester City. Sterling is an experienced player and shines in big games. No doubt, Southgate will rely heavily on him to make a difference.
We found: 1994 RS (Birth year and initials)
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