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5 months ago
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Anthony Gordon was a welcome and very obvious inclusion in the England squad for these 2024 European Championships.
However, with two of the three group matches gone, the Newcastle United star is yet to get on the pitch.
Media and fans alike looking on in disbelief as Gareth Southgate is stumbling through yet another tournament with utra-defensive tactics, baffling tactics and bizarre team selection.
The balance of the team all wrong and too much of it about Southgate trying to stop the opposition scoring, rather than trying to maximise England’s own goal threat.
Which has been especially woeful, when you take into account England have faced two very mediocre opposition teams so far. Southgate’s team lucky to get a 1-0 against Serbia, even luckier to scrape a 1-1 draw when playing Denmark.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a liability in midfield, whilst one of the other obvious weaknesses, has been zero threat down the left side, with Foden not willing to stretch play by staying wide left, nor indeed anybody else who has got on the pitch, including when Eze got on against Denmark.
So what could be the solution on that problematic left hand side…?
Former England midfielder Izzy Christiansen talking to BBC Radio 5 Live:
“I am on the Anthony Gordon train.
“I think that he needs to have a sniff.
“He needs to have a go because he is so direct.
“He will bring a totally different dynamic to that England forward line.
“He can create, he can score and his pressing is exceptional.
“He has got good energy.”
I think the former England and Everton star (Izzy Christiansen) is spot on. England are crying out for Anthony Gordon on the left, somebody who will run with the ball and go at the opposition.
Saka has done ok on the right in terms of a bit of a threat so far but it is all too predictable, the opposition knows England are going to concentrate on that right side and/or central areas, as Southgate has refused to push an attacking option on the left side.
All eyes on Tuesday and the Slovenia match, will Anthony Gordon get his chance, or will Gareth Southgate stubbornly plod on with his cunning plan?
Newcastle United players on international duty:
Saturday 15 June
Switzerland 3 Hungary 1 (Euros Group match)
The Newcastle United defender with a very good personal performance, playing the full 90 minutes as the Swiss deservedly beat Hungary.
Sunday 16 June
England 1 Serbia 0 (Euros Group match)
England got the job done, eventually.
Anthony Gordon an unused substitute but Kieran Trippier playing the full 90 minutes and doing ok at left-back. His job to stretch things in attack up England’s left hand side, with likes of Foden not willing/able to stay out wide and instead continually drifting inside. With the plan clearly for all of England’s main attacking to be through the middle and especially out wide on the right.
That is where the excellent winning goal came from, a great ball from Walker putting Saka in behind and his deflected cross perfectly then flighted for Bellingham’s pinpoint run into the box and the header giving Serbia’s keeper no chance.
At the other end was Trippier’s main task though and with the rest of the defence he did well, especially after the break when England suddenly went all defensive and invited Serbia to go for the equaliser. The Three Lions offering zero threat in the second-half apart from sub Bowen’s cross where the keeper made a great save but in reality Kane should have given him zero chance with the header.
Pickford only had one shot on target to save all game and whilst the commentator and pundits raved about it, in reality it was from outside the box and straight at him, the England keeper tipping the ball over the bar.
The highlight of Trippier’s performance was when Serbia got into the box on the left and an equaliser beckoned for Serbia with Mitrovic waiting for the ball to be squared for a tap-in. However, the Newcastle defender covering his central defenders had got across and was too strong for Mitro who was sent sprawling and claiming for a forlorn penalty.
Monday 17 June
Slovakia 1 Belgium 0 (Euros Group match)
Martin Dubravka and his Slovakia teammates pulling off a massive shock, third ranked in the world Belgium beaten by a team ranked 48th.
Schranz scoring after only seven minutes and the Newcastle keeper and his international teammates more than matching Belgium. What a victory.
Wednesday 19 June
Switzerland 1 Scotland 1 (Euros Group match)
Fabian Schar and Switzerland with a nightmare start after 13 minutes, the Newcastle defender deflecting a McTominay shot past his keeper, a shot which would almost for sure have been saved without Schar’s intervention.
The NUFC defender recovering to have another decent game. Helping Switzerland stand up to a very physical but limited Scotland team, Shaqiri with a brilliant 26th minute long range curled into the top corner effort to equalise. The Swiss should have went on to win but wasted a fair few chances and Scotland got lucky with two goals denied by VAR fine margins.
Thursday 20 June 2024
England 1 Denmark 1 (Euros Group match)
Yet another Gareth Southgate masterclass of cluelessness and negativity.
The team playing so deep and defensive, clearly the plan to try and stop Denmark scoring and not a plan of how England would score.
On 18 minutes some individual opportunism and ambition by Kyle Walker as he ignored Southgate’s orders and pressed high, won the ball in a dangerous position and Kane scoring from close in, he couldn’t miss.
Southgate’s reaction was to have England even more negative and defensive, invited Denmark on and they equalised 16 minites later. The whole game a shambles with the negative tactics and no apparent plan as to how England were trying to win the game. Very lucky to get a draw.
Kieran Trippier played well on the left and didn’t put a foot wrong.
Friday 21 June 2024
Slovakia v Ukraine (Martin Dubravka) Euros Group match 2pm BBC1
Sunday 23 June 2024
Switzerland v Germany (Fabian Schar) Euros Group match 8pm BBC TBC
Monday 24 June 2024
Costa Rica v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match
Colombia v Paraguay (Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match
Tuesday 25 June 2024
England v Slovenia (Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier) Euros Group match 8pm ITV1
Wednesday 26 June 2024
Slovakia v Romania (Martin Dubraka) Euros Group match 5pm BBC2
Friday 28 June 2024
Paraguay v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron) Copa America Group match
Tuesday 2 July 2024
Colombia v Brazil (Bruno Guimaraes) Copa America Group match
(There will of course be more matches for Newcastle United players if their nations get through the group stages of the Copa America and/or the European Championships.)
Sunday 14 July 2024 – European Championships final.
Sunday 14 July 2024 – Copa America final.

 
