Confirmed England team v Slovakia announced – You have to laugh

4 months ago 33

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The England team v Slovakia has been announced.

Gareth Southgate revealed the starting eleven an hour ahead of the 5pm kick-off.

After the opening 20 to 30 minutes of the Serbia match, England have been so poor.

Fans were bewildered by the team selections, tactics, and ultra-negativity of the manager.

The same unbalanced eleven were named for the opening two group games, and then Gareth Southgate somehow made it even worse for the third group game against a weak Slovenia. Refusing to listen to calls for positive changes from both fans and media, the only change a poor Conor Gallagher in place of what had been a woeful Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield.

So surely Gareth Southgate is at last seeing the need for a number of positive changes for this all-or-nothing knockout last 16 match against a limited Slovakia…

Confirmed England team v Slovakia:

Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Trippier, Rice, Bellingham, Mainoo, Foden, Saka, Kane

You have to laugh, just the one change, and that change in exactly the same position. Mainoo replacing Gallagher who had replaced Alexander-Arnold.

Precisely zero attacking changes, no Cole Palmer or Anthony Gordon.

As for Slovakia, they make no changes at all, with Newcastle United keeper Martin Dubravka named in the Slovakia team v England:

Dubravka; Pekarik, Vavro, Skriniar, Hancko; Kucka, Lobotka, Duda; Schranz, Strelec, Haraslin

Worth pointing out that Slovakia has made very positive starts in all three group games, showing attacking initiative and a desire to get at the opposition, unlike ultra-negative Gareth Southgate’s England.

Indeed, Slovakia taking the lead in all three group matches early on, seven minutes to take the lead against Belgium, 17 minutes against Ukraine, 24 minutes against Romania.

You just hope that Southgate doesn’t have the team sitting so deep they invite Slovakia to take the initiative and score early yet again. I wouldn’t have any great confidence in England recovering, even against such limited opposition.

All four Newcastle United stars that started in this tournament in Germany, reached the last 16 of the 2024 European Championships.

Martin Dubravka on Wednesday, joining Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar in the knockout stages.

The excellent and comfortable Switzerland win over Italy on Saturday, ensures there will be at least one Newcastle United player who gets to the semi-final stage, as the Swiss will play either England (Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon) or Slovakia (Martin Dubravka).

This is the last 16 schedule to the 2024 European Championships final: