June 30th 2024.
Gareth Southgate's England team was dealt a major blow as they were unexpectedly defeated by Slovakia. The team's lackluster performance left many fans and experts baffled, including former England player Gary Neville.
Neville didn't hold back when he criticized Southgate for his "illegal" handling of Trent Alexander-Arnold during the game. At half time, with England trailing by a goal, Neville expressed his frustration on ITV, saying, "Southgate's hands-off approach is clearly not working. This is giving me major flashbacks to the disastrous Iceland game."
He urged Southgate to take action and shake things up, stating, "It's now or never for Gareth. He needs to intervene and throw out the playbook because this has been happening for four games now. It's not enough to just make one or two changes, he needs to make a bold move and bring on three players."
Neville specifically called for the inclusion of Palmer, Trent, and Gordon in the team, stating that they could turn the game around. "We need to see Palmer on the pitch, Trent must play, and Gordon should also be given a chance. The whole narrative of this game needs to change, or else we'll keep seeing the same disappointing results."
The former player suggested shifting Kyle Walker to the other side and bringing Trent onto the pitch, saying, "Trent is a natural footballer, and it's a shame that he's not playing in a game like this for England. It's unacceptable to have players like Walker and Trippier on the field when we're dominating possession."
Neville's support for Trent was evident as he hailed him as the best right-back in the country, saying, "He's simply the best we've ever seen in that position. He needs to be on that field."
As the game progressed, it was clear that Neville's words had struck a chord with Southgate as Trent was eventually brought on. However, it was too little too late as England failed to turn things around. With this defeat, questions were raised about Southgate's tactics and team selection, and it remains to be seen how he will respond to the criticism. Stay tuned for more updates.
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