Tino Livramento helps fuel England's attacking fluency in winning start

Times

21 hours ago

England Under-21's European Championship title defence started as it did two years ago, as Lee Carsley's team beat the Czech Republic in their opening game.
There will be no repeat of their faultless defensive record, though, with Daniel Fila scoring after Harvey Elliott and Jonathan Rowe gave England the lead. Charlie Cresswell added the third, from a corner.
Carsley, the Under-21 head coach, had warned that England may be a bit 'clunky', with the team debuting a new system. This 4-2-2-2 shape gave his players freedom, but against the Czech Republic's 3-4-1-2, they found it difficult to access the middle.
Instead, they relied on dynamism out wide and clever rotations, with Tino Livramento producing standout work, restoring England's characteristic attacking fluency in the second half.
The Newcastle United full back missed the tournament two years ago after tearing a knee ligament, an injury without which Carsley said he would already be in the senior team.
He operated as a left back, but rotated infield as England attacked and occasionally covered the centre backs in England's defensive line.
Carsley has spoken before of how 'positions' are not too important, instead, he says, the roles players have and spaces they occupy as a team across the pitch, is — no better exemplified than when Jarell Quansah swapped with Livramento around the 60th minute, offering an overlapping run, as the Newcastle defender anchored the team.
Thomas Tuchel said this week that he wanted to watch Livramento 'in a leadership role, taking responsibility, knowing that it is on his shoulders' with the under-21s, and in front of John McDermott, the FA's technical director, he impressed, making decisive contributions and playing with composure. This performance is not likely to go unnoticed.
Put under pressure in the first half — facing towards his own goal, with a man to his back, and the touchline a yard away to his right — he smartly slipped through the Czech players around him, allowing England to break upfield.
He contributed to England's first, crossing from the left after Omari Hutchinson drove forward. His cross was recovered by James McAtee, who teed up Elliott for the opener.
For the second, Hutchinson crossed to Rowe, who ran across the near post, drawing an error from Lukas Hornicek. Fila capped a fine Czech move down England's right with a goalscoring header but Cresswell ensured victory with one of his own.