5 things Gareth Southgate must do to take England to the next level

World Cup 2018 gave us something we hadn't witnessed in years. England reached the semi-finals in Russia for the first time in 28 years, much to the delight of fans of The Three Lions.

Above all, England's unbelievable run to the World Cup semi-finals was a result of a pragmatic approach by Gareth Southgate. With players like Wayne Rooney retiring, and injuries to Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as well as the loss of form of other players, Gareth Southgate was forced to pick an inexperienced squad for the tournament.

And as a result of this, a hugely encouraging platform was built. What eventually went against England were the limitations involved in making set-pieces a team's primary focus. They needed to retain possession better, and vary the tempo of the game with which they play.

If the country's new favorite individual wants to build upon a near perfect World Cup and make the team even better before Euro 2020, then it's time he makes some changes to the current formula and the squad.

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#1 No more old players

Ashley Young was part of the England squad in Russia

For the upcoming friendlies, Gareth Southgate demonstrated his ruthlessness and ambition by dropping Ashley Young who was a reliable player throughout the last World Cup.

On the left flank, the selection of a right-footed player in a system which requires width, occasionally caused England to fall short of that very quality, and for a team which needs to look beyond set-pieces and peak in two years, there is no point in retaining a 33-old year old in the group.

Gareth doesn't have to deal with both Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill similarly, after they announced retirement from International football post the World Cup. Dropping a player like Ashley Young who is influential and consistent might seem needless, but when there are already convincing younger alternatives on the sidelines, making an argument is pointless.

#2 Time to introduce the new

Many were surprised to see Gomez not included into the England squad

The Three Lions are not short of young talent. The likes of Luke Shaw and Joe Gomez were not even in the World Cup 2018 squad. Though making multiple changes to a team which has performed so near flawlessly in Russia might be unnecessary, as it may disrupt the momentum as well as the culture Southgate has instilled in the squad.

But there is reason for encouragement as both Luke Shaw and Joe Gomez are in the English squad for the upcoming games. There are other players like Ryan Sessegnon, Phil Foden, and others who have shown their quality playing for their respective clubs, and will be challenging for a place in the future England squad.

#3 Promoting systems over personnel

Big name players should not persuade him

In Gareth Southgate's England Under-21 squad, injuries seemed to force changes of personnel on the team, and this ultimately came at a cost.

However, he has already made one significant change by dropping Adam Lallana for the upcoming game, breaking the English tradition of selecting a proven player even if he is half fit.

As his options for different positions are expected to grow, this will increase the strength in depth of the squad. Alexander-Arnold is as convincing an option as Walker, and Joe Gomez is as commanding as Harry Maguire.

#4 A shift in the balance of play

Southgate needs to look beyond set-pieces

The front three of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Raheem Sterling can give any defense a run for their money. But to get more out of them, a shift in the system from 3-5-2 to a 3-4-3 could ensure that they are more together in the final third, where they can thrive.

The reintroduction of Eric Dier to the center of the back three would provide a composed distributor for his defense. It might help Jordan Henderson as well, he was the sole defensive midfielder in Russia. On top of that, it could free up Kyle Walker to play wide on the right, where he is arguably the best in the world.

#5 Being brave at penalties

England won a shootout against Columbia to progress into the quarter-finals

English fans are not accustomed to seeing their team win a shootout. But they did exactly that against Columbia at the last World Cup, and it could be the start of a long running momentum they need in penalty shootouts.

In big tournaments where the margins are so subtle, even if everything goes excellent, sometimes the most significant chance to cement a legacy is to win a penalty shootout. This will almost inevitably come England's way.

The last shootout victory against Colombia will count for nothing if their next shootout ends in defeat. Another win however would wash away some negative vibes around England and their shootout nightmares.