English legends slams bizarre decision to bench Liverpool ace

Gary Lineker slams Southgate for not using Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold against Slovakia

English legend Gary Lineker has publicly disagreed with Gareth Southgate’s decision to leave Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench during England’s match against Slovakia. Southgate, the England manager, has faced criticism for his handling of the squad, particularly his player selection strategies.

England’s performance under Southgate in Euro 2024 has been underwhelming, especially given the high expectations surrounding the team. Although they managed a victory in their first group match against Serbia, subsequent draws against Slovenia and Denmark have led to questions about Southgate’s effectiveness. With a squad touted for its depth and talent, the lack of significant progress in the group stages has only intensified scrutiny on his decisions, including not utilizing a player of Alexander-Arnold’s calibre in crucial matches.

Southgate faced further scrutiny over his squad selection and player utilization during Euro 2024, particularly for the limited playing time afforded to talents like Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Criticism intensified following England’s Round of 16 match against Slovakia, where England initially fell behind due to an early goal by Slovakia, who then effectively stifled England with robust defensive tactics.

England struggled to penetrate Slovakia’s defence throughout the match. However, a moment of brilliance from Jude Bellingham, who scored with a stunning bicycle kick in the 95th minute, brought England back into the game. This late equalizer shifted momentum, and England’s offensive tactics finally broke through Slovakia’s defences in extra time. Harry Kane’s early goal in the additional period eventually secured a hard-fought victory for England/

Alex-Arnold missed the chance in the eleven

The win was a narrow escape for England from an exit. The major questions raised after the match were regarding the absence of Alex-Arnold from the team. Football pundits and fans were furious over the decision by the English manager in an important match.

“I know we won in the end and his [Southgate’s] lack of changes ‘worked’, bizarrely. But when you’ve got 20 minutes to go and you’re 1-0 down, playing against a team who are trying to defend, to not bring on Trent for Kyle Walker [is surprising], You needed the quality, the delivery, the passing, the crossing of Trent Alexander-Arnold. I mean [the game] was crying it out for it.”

Gary Lineker responded in The Rest Is Football podcast. Alex-Arnold is one of the best right-backs Liverpool has ever produced. The full-back made his national debut in 2018 under the same Gareth Southgate and has since made 28 appearances for the England national team and scored three goals. He is also one of the consistent performers at Anfield and his creative talents have few peers.

Trent’s ability not just to score goals but unlock defences is a key weapon that England must use more. Any other side would build their first XI around such a player but not England.

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While we wish Trent is afforded the opportunity to prove himself on the world stage, Southgate appears to have other ideas. At the very least, the Liverpool man should garner enough rest ahead of the 2024-25 season, even if it is at England’s detriment.