How England should line up vs the Netherlands in Euro 2024 semi-final: Drop lumbering Harry Kane for Ollie Watkins & replace misfit Phil Foden with Cole Palmer

The stakes couldn’t be higher for Gareth Southgate and he needs to make the toughest decision of all in Dortmund – dropping his captain

England are so close to Berlin they can almost see the Brandenburg Gate. A second consecutive European Championship final is within their grasp after seeing off Switzerland in the quarter-finals. They just need to reach out and take it.

But in the semi-finals they will be facing a tricky Netherlands side who have overcome a surprise defeat by Austria to make it to the last four. And despite getting this far, England have not had too much to shout about at the tournament.

Against the toughest side they will have faced in Germany, containing genuine Premier League stars including Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Nathan Ake and Cody Gakpo, England will have to up the ante and start to their potential. And that means making some tough decisions, indeed the toughest of all: dropping Harry Kane.

Kane had just 26 touches against Switzerland and was holding the team back in a manner remarkably similar to Cristiano Ronaldo’s negative impact on Portugal. Calls are growing for Kane to be taken out of the firing line and Gareth Southgate needs to listen to them.

But the captain is not the only star name the manager should remove to make way for players who stand a much better chance of taking the Three Lions to the final. Thus, GOAL picks England’s best starting XI to down the Dutch and book their ticket to the Olympiastadion on Sunday.

GK: Jordan Pickford

England’s No.1 is being rightly hailed for his role in the victory over Switzerland, his third win on penalties in four attempts, helping break the national team’s miserable cycle of repeated failure in shootouts. He also has the second highest save percentage of any goalkeeper in European Championship history with 85 percent, only trailing double-champion Iker Casillas among those with 10 or more appearances at the finals.

RCB: Kyle Walker

Walker had an inconsistent display against Switzerland after a concerning performance against Slovakia and could be partly blamed for being beaten by Breel Embolo for the goal. But he is experienced enough to learn from his mistakes and England will need his recovery pace to stop Cody Gakpo, the joint-top scorer in the tournament, and Memphis Depay.

CB: Marc Guehi

The Crystal Palace defender was England’s most consistent player in Germany until he got suspended and now he should be well rested. John Stones, by contrast, has lacked sharpness and is at risk of turning into a liability, so he can watch this one from the bench.

LCB: Ezri Konsa

Konsa carried the baton from Guehi to perfection against Switzerland, putting his strength and speed to good use. He deserves to keep his place in the team and his position on the left of the back three.

RWB: Bukayo Saka

Saka was England’s talisman in the quarter-final and has been the team’s most reliable attacker all tournament long. He shone in the unfamiliar position of wing back so it makes sense to keep him in the same role. And if he is even as half as lively as against the Swiss, it will limit how much damage Gakpo can do down the same flank.

CM: Declan Rice

Arsenal’s record signing produced his best display of the tournament against Switzerland, aggressively winning the ball back high up the pitch and moving it around with purpose. He was also a fine Yann Sommer save away from scoring. It’s the perfect preparation for what will be his toughest test of the tournament.

CM: Kobbie Mainoo
The Manchester United midfielder has performed well in each of the two games he has started, even if England did not score while he was on the pitch. Southgate will need his bravery on the ball against the Netherlands.

CM: Jude Bellingham

Real Madrid star Bellingham played a deeper role than usual against Switzerland but did a fine job carrying the ball all over the pitch, drawing his opponents into fouls and bookings. He tired as the game entered extra-time but must be kept on due to his capacity for conjuring match-winning moments and his ability to score penalties.

LWB: Luke Shaw

After five months out of action, Shaw finally returned against Switzerland and looked fresh and raring to go. He has confirmed he is ready to start against the Netherlands and should finally fix England’s lack of balance across the pitch.

FW: Cole Palmer

Whatever the reason might be, Phil Foden has not been able to shine at this Euros. Palmer, however, has made a noticeable difference each time he has made an appearance from the bench. So why not give him a chance to prove himself from kick-off?

ST: Ollie Watkins

Watkins contributed to 32 Premier League goals for Aston Villa last season, but has played just 20 minutes in Germany. He looked dangerous in his cameo against Denmark and made England an actual threat between the lines, making the darting runs Kane has rarely bothered to do. It’s time to bring him back into the fold and stretch the towering but ageing Dutch defence out.