June 15th 2024.
Gary Neville, the former England player and current football pundit, has expressed his opinion on the starting lineup for England's first match of the Euro 2024 tournament against Serbia. Neville hit back at fellow pundits Roy Keane and Ian Wright for smirking at his suggested starting XI, which he believes would give England the best chance of success.
The Three Lions, who are the clear favorites in their Group C clash, are filled with an abundance of attacking talent. However, Neville argues that finding the right balance and fitting all of these talented players into the starting lineup is not an easy task. He mentions the likes of Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Bukayo Saka as exciting options, but also points out that there are other intriguing options such as Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze, Ollie Watkins, and Ivan Toney.
Neville believes that in order to find the right balance, England manager Gareth Southgate should take a more conservative approach and choose at least two defensive-minded players in midfield. He even jokingly mentioned players like Gallagher, Mainoo, Wharton, and Alexander-Arnold as potential options alongside Declan Rice. Keane and Wright may have found this amusing, but Neville stood his ground and argued that this approach is necessary for success.
Neville also drew inspiration from top teams like Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Manchester City, who all have multiple players in midfield to support their attacking talents. He believes that this approach is crucial, especially in high-stakes matches like the Champions League final. He also mentioned Jorginho as an example of a player brought in to support Declan Rice in midfield for Arsenal.
In conclusion, Neville's main point is that Southgate should not be afraid to play with two defensive-minded players in midfield in order to maintain balance and support the attacking talents on the team. He believes that this is not a ridiculous suggestion and is necessary for success in top-level football.
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