June 27th 2024.
At Euro 2024, Marc Guehi has been standing out as one of England's top performers. He recently shared his thoughts on how his Crystal Palace teammate, Tyrick Mitchell, could have been the solution to England's left-back dilemma during the tournament.
It was unfortunate that Manchester United's Luke Shaw, the only natural left-back in the squad, was unable to play in any of the group stage matches due to injury. As a result, right-back Kieran Trippier had to fill in on the left side, which had mixed results. While Trippier helped England maintain the best defensive record in the tournament, he struggled to provide attacking support and connect with the team's forwards, such as Phil Foden.
With Shaw still not getting any playing time, it is unlikely that he will start in England's upcoming last-16 match against Slovakia. Many experts have suggested that Kyle Walker or even Bukayo Saka should replace Trippier at left-back. Guehi himself admits that it is unfortunate that Mitchell did not make the squad, given England's issues in that position. Mitchell has been a consistent performer for Crystal Palace over the past three seasons and even earned two caps for England in 2022.
When asked about Mitchell's absence from the squad, Guehi expressed his disappointment, saying, "I would've loved for him to be here. He had an amazing season and was very consistent in his performances. It's a shame, but I'm confident that if he keeps up his form, he will definitely get his chance, as we've seen with many England players."
Guehi is not the only Crystal Palace player in England's Euros squad, with Dean Henderson, Adam Wharton, and Eberechi Eze also making the cut. However, they have not been given much playing time so far, while Guehi has impressed fans and pundits with his solid performances in defense.
When asked about the praise he has received, Guehi humbly replied, "It's nice to hear, but I don't think I'm the best player here. There have been some really good performances by others. I'm just enjoying the experience and the tournament. I'm grateful for the opportunity. I know I still have room to improve in all aspects of my game, and I hope to show more in the future."
Guehi also highlighted Napoli's Stanislav Lobotka as a player to watch out for in England's upcoming match against Slovakia. Slovakia had a decent performance in the group stage, beating Belgium and drawing with group winners Romania. Guehi acknowledged that it will be a tough challenge for England and that they need to be prepared for what their opponents will bring to the table.
Despite being on the "easier" side of the tournament bracket, Guehi emphasized that there are no easy opponents in the Euros. He stated, "We've seen from the results so far that there's no real 'favorable' side. Every opponent is tough, and we need to remain calm and focused." Guehi, who has garnered interest from several Premier League clubs, also added that there is a calm and focused atmosphere within the team, and they are not putting too much pressure on themselves.
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