Pundits pick their England XIs to face Slovenia at Euro 2024 – so which team can get Three Lions roaring again?
THERE has been much debate around how England should play and line up at Euro 2024.
The first two games have seen Gareth Southgate‘s side flatter to deceive and land heavy criticism from pundits and fans alike.
While four points from two games have already seen the Three Lions qualify into the last-16 in at least third place following the final results of Group A and B, the performances have been way off standard.
Southgate’s experiment with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield looks to have run it’s course after leaked team news revealed Conor Gallagher was expected to take the Liverpool’s star spot.
Otherwise the starting XI is expected to remain the same.
England take on Slovenia in their final Group C game tonight at 8pm in the Cologne Stadium.
Their potential opponent in the next round will be shaped by the result, with anything but top spot lining England up for an encounter with some of the tournament’s heavy hitters.
Therefore, this game has a lot riding on it, and pundits have revealed how they would go about tackling it.
Wayne Rooney
England’s former top goalscorer Wayne Rooney has largely kept the same team as what has been selected, only with Anthony Gordon coming in for 25-year-old Alexander-Arnold.
Rooney has then elected to move Jude Bellingham deeper to play alongside Declan Rice with Phil Foden then coming inside and occupying the number 10 role.
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He told BBC Sport: “Phil and Jude are almost occupying that position so it’s difficult to find space. So I think just drop Jude back a bit and giving Foden that space to go and roam.
“And having Gordon and Saka to keep the width will make a big difference to the team.”
Jack Wilshere
SunSport’s Euro 2024 columnist Jack Wilshere also made one change to his team to face Slovenia, but unlike Rooney he did not change any other positions.
Instead, Wilshere has opted to be bold and hand a full tournament debut to 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo ahead of Alexander-Arnold.
Wilshere said: “I reckon Kobbie Mainoo would be the best choice to play alongside Declan Rice. Mainoo has proved he can hold, he can play on the half-turn and he can get forward.
“He has also shown great personality. He was the shining light for Manchester United in a difficult season. At 19, Mainoo won’t be worrying, ‘This might be my last tournament, I don’t want to make a mistake’.”
Pundits and legends lay into England
ENGLAND's lifeless display in the 1-1 draw with Denmark left pundits and legends queuing up to take a dig at Gareth Southgate's team.
Here’s the best of what was said…
ALAN SHEARER
“Awful performance, particularly after going up in the game.
“I don’t think one England player can look at themselves and say, ‘I’ve done my job tonight’.
“England were all over the place, far too sloppy in possession, gave the ball away too much and got caught too many times.
“There was no energy, no pace, no guile — Southgate is simply not getting the best out of England’s best players.
“It’s concerning and Gareth will get some serious questions.
“You saw England players lying on their backs — they look absolutely shattered but there’s no excuse for that.”
GARY LINEKER
The BBC host called the performance “lifeless and tepid”.
On Harry Kane he said: “He needs his manager to ask more of him. I would have expected that if I’d put in that kind of performance.”
RIO FERDINAND
“The players don’t look the same as they do for their clubs. It is a big concern.”
ROY KEANE
“Courage and bravery, we’re not really seeing it.
“There’s something amiss with the balance. Bellingham is waving his arms.
“This is a big test for Gareth. It looks like he’s overthinking things.”
JAMIE CARRAGHER
“My big worry watching this and for the rest of the tournament?
“England look absolutely knackered. They can’t get close to the ball.
“The surest sign of fatigue is dropping deep.
“Declan Rice is having to cover so much ground. No-one can convince me this is a strategy.”
JACK WILSHERE
“It’s strange that we have taken the lead in both games so far, yet instead of it settling us down and giving us the confidence to play, we have failed to take control.
“But what was most worrying was that Denmark had a clear way of playing — while we didn’t.”
Gary Neville
Gary Neville has shouted out two changes for his team in positions under the most scrutiny, central midfield and left wing.
Neville would bring in Gordon on the left for his ability to stretch the width of the pitch and then also have Mainoo in midfield conducting alongside Rice, while even teasing a possible switch to a back-three.
He told ITV: “He talked about a partner for Rice and maybe some pace upfront alongside Kane. That’s Gordon and that’s Mainoo. Declan Rice must have a partner in midfield who can play and get us playing out from the back.
“I think that pace question is there, we’ve been talking about it for a few days. I think he could even be disruptive enough to do what he did in previous tournaments and go to a three at the back as well. It’s that left wing-back role that’s a bit difficult for Gareth.”
Talk of dropping Harry Kane is absurd, says Jurgen Klinsmann
NO manager in the world will really care about how many touches their centre-forward has, writes Jurgen Klinsmann.
It’s being widely flagged up that Harry Kane has not seen much of the ball in England’s first two matches but this is not, in itself, going to be a concern for Gareth Southgate.
It’s a nice thing for the stats fanatics to go on about — and there are obviously more and more of them in and around football.
But not all statistics are helpful and this one doesn’t mean a great deal.
Harry has scored one goal, and so nearly two, in two games. It’s not as if he hasn’t been involved at all.
Everybody in England needs to calm down a little about the captain.
Some are even suggesting that he should be dropped or rested for tomorrow’s final group game against Slovenia — but that is totally absurd.
Please stop worrying. He will come good. He always does.
Read Jurgen Klinsmann thoughts on Harry Kane’s struggles in full.
Jamie Carragher
Sky Sports mate Jamie Carragher has a similar mindset to Neville in selecting Gordon on the left and a new partner in midfield with Rice, but also opted for a formation tweak to 4-3-3.
However, rather than Mainoo in midfield, the ex-Liverpool defender believes Gallagher is needed to bring energy into the team.
Writing in The Telegraph, he said: “Unfortunately, two of the best Premier League footballers – Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden – will have to be sacrificed now…
“It has to be a midfielder who will bring energy across the pitch, such as Conor Gallagher, Adam Wharton or Kobbie Mainoo. That is not a negative move; it is an essential one.”
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes has gone for the most radical changes of all, with two being personnel and one a change of position.
Scholes has urged Southgate to incredibly switch Alexander-Arnold to left-back, bring Mainoo into midfield and start Cole Palmer at right-wing.
Taking to Instagram, Scholes said: “TAA left-back, Mainoo centre-mid, Palmer on the right…
“Would give reasons but too many touchy f***ers out there. Laters.”