Terry Butcher hails ‘encouraging’ England performance in 1-0 defeat by Germany

Former England captain Terry Butcher has hailed boss Gareth Southgate’s decision to play three centre-backs with two attacking full-backs which delivered a promising performance in the friendly defeat by Germany. 

The Three Lions had excellent chances in the first-half to take the lead with Adam Lallana and Dele Alli both squandering gilt-edged opportunities. 

Steve Holland, who helped implement the system at Chelsea this season, has now joined the England set-up and the early signs were hugely positive ahead of the World Cup qualifier with Lithuania on Sunday. 

Lukas Podolski scored a stunning long-range winner in the second-half, but overall Butcher was impressed with the performance of an inexperienced England side. 

He told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast: “I thought it tailed off a bit after Podolski scored the winner, but it was very encouraging with the new system as well. 

“Having played in a back three many years ago, I can understand why people were reticent to use it as it opened up the flanks and centre-halves had to come out. 

“But centre-halves have to come out anyway when you have a back four if play gets behind the full-backs. 

“England didn’t have much time too get used to it, but they looked like they had been playing it for years. 

“And I think with Chelsea playing a back three it seems to be the fashion now that teams do that, but it does suit England players.

“Kyle Walker had a fantastic first-half, he’s really exciting, he’s improved a lot and Ryan Bertrand down the left didn’t get quite get forward as much as Walker, but we’ve still got Danny Rose and Luke Shaw made his comeback, too. 

“We’ve got good pace wide allied with the front three.”