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Harry Redknapp: Tottenham Full-backs Key to Wales Game

By Alexander Balano

CHANTILLY, FRANCE - JUNE 10: Roy Hodgson manager of England in discussion with Eric Dier, Kyle Walker, Harry Kane and Danny Rose during an England training session on the eve their opening match of UEFA EURO 2016 against Russia at Stade du Bourgognes on June 10, 2016 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images,)
CHANTILLY, FRANCE - JUNE 10: Roy Hodgson manager of England in discussion with Eric Dier, Kyle Walker, Harry Kane and Danny Rose during an England training session on the eve their opening match of UEFA EURO 2016 against Russia at Stade du Bourgognes on June 10, 2016 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images,) /
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One key to success for England and keeping their European Championship dreams alive is to take full advantage of Tottenham Hotspur’s full-backs against Wales’ three-man backline.

With England’s match against Wales coming up in three days time on Thursday, June 16th former Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, is already looking at one critical match-up that could work in the Three Lions favor: Tottenham’s full-backs.

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Roy Hodgson started all five Spurs players in their opening group stage match against Russia which resulted in a 1-1 draw. But for long periods of time, England dominated the game and a good reason why was down to Kyle Walker and Danny Rose, Tottenham’s two full-backs.

Both players are highly adept at pushing up the pitch and helping out on attack while having the pace to track back and defend which has worked wonders in Mauricio Pochettino’s high-press counterattack style of football.

According to Harry Redknapp, who published an article on The Telegraph, he believes there were no real complaints in England’s draw against Russia, but acknowledges that he’ll be disappointed if Hodgson’s side can’t beat a Wales team who he feels is just below the Three Lions in terms of quality.

Assuming that England’s starting XI remains mainly unchanged on Thursday, one key to success for England to have an easier time to advance into the knockout stages is taking full advantage of Tottenham’s two full-backs, Walker and Rose.

MARSEILLE, FRANCE - JUNE 10: Harry Kane of England speaks with Kyle Walker (l) and Danny Rose (r) during an England training session ahead of the EURO 2016 Group B match against England at Stade Velodrome on June 10, 2016 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
MARSEILLE, FRANCE – JUNE 10: Harry Kane of England speaks with Kyle Walker (l) and Danny Rose (r) during an England training session ahead of the EURO 2016 Group B match against England at Stade Velodrome on June 10, 2016 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

"“Wales will play three at the back and I can see Danny Rose and Kyle Walker giving them massive problems because the space is all going to be down the side,” Harry Redknapp said.“Rose and Walker will actually be spare players against the system Chris Coleman [Wales’ national team manager] plays.”“Raheem Sterling will be taking Chris Gunter away, Rose will be coming forward all afternoon and our first pass has got to be out to our full-backs.”“Then they make it two against one down the side and we can completely over-run the Welsh in the wide positions.”"

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Wales have plenty of good players and one world-class player in the form of Gareth Bale.

Everyone knows that Bale is a man that must be constantly marked and Harry Redknapp expects the Real Madrid winger to provide a stiff challenge but won’t be playing out wide due to Rose challenging him, which should be the break that England needs.

"“We obviously can’t discount the threat of Gareth Bale, a fantastic player who is probably in the top five players in world football,” Redknapp continued.“I’m sure this is the one he’s been looking forward to and he will be desperate to make his mark.”“It’s all whether Wales can get the ball to him enough because if he’s running against Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling he will be a problem. He will fancy playing against them, make no mistake.”“He won’t play wide because Rose is difficult to play one-on-one while Walker has got genuine pace so Gareth will want to do his work against the central defenders. He will be trying to get into pockets of space and pull England’s defence around the field.”"

In summary, Redknapp once again says that not much has to change against Wales except for one thing. Getting Harry Kane off of corner and free kicks because he’s better off scoring from those set pieces rather than being the one to deliver a pass.

Other than that, it’s also getting Jamie Vardy into the game as he is just as dangerous than Kane has been this past season in the Premier League. Vardy’s pace and a eye for goal can help stymie a Welsh side who might not fear England’s offense if their two best strikers aren’t able to get a chance to score due to different reasons.

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"“There’s not much that needs changing for that Wales game but obviously Harry Kane has got to stop taking corners,” Redknapp added. “Like everybody else I just can’t understand it, especially because Harry is good in the air and would want to be in a position to score from a corner.”“Jamie Vardy should also have come on late in the game when the Russians finally started to show some ambition. The two full-backs would have been more exposed and that big ball over the top for Vardy, like the one he scored for Leicester against Sunderland, would have worked – certainly against their two centre-halves who were carthorses.”“I fully expect England and Wales to both qualify but Roy Hodgson needs to get his European Championships off and running with a win on Thursday.”"

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