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The England manager’s selection and tactics against Brazil have been criticised by former Reds defender Steve Nicol.
Gareth Southgate has come under more scrutiny after England’s 1-0 loss to Brazil, continuing the criticism of the Three Lions boss since Saturday’s defeat at Wembley Stadium.
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22:08 - 23.03.2024
England vs Brazil: More than a friendly as Real Madrid new boy leaves mark at Wembley
Teenage sensation Endrick scored his first goal for Brazil to help secure a 1-0 victory over England at Wembley Stadium.
England vs Brazil
Despite being without Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka, while losing Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire to injuries in the loss, England played against a more understrength opponent.
The game was heading towards a stalemate before Real Madrid-bound Endrick netted in the 80th minute. The teenager’s historic goal at the Home of Football settled ended the Selecao’s four-match winless run — including three defeats on the trot — to hand Dorival Junior a win on his first game in charge of the five-time world champions.
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13:16 - 24.03.2024
Former Premier League striker defends Gareth Southgate after England’s loss to Brazil
An ex-Premier League forward believes the Three Lions manager can lead the perennial underachievers to success at Euro 2024.
The aftermath has seen Southgate fiercely criticised and defended, but Steve Nicol let rip at the former Middlesbrough boss.
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What Nicol said about Southgate and England
Nicol, named the 1988-89 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year while representing Liverpool, on Sunday, slammed Southgate’s personnel choices and tactics against Brazil on the ESPN FC daily show.
“I understand, even though it’s against Brazil at Wembley, nobody looks forward to friendlies,” said Nicol in response to the show’s anchor Dan Thomas. “For me, the manager should do something to make it interesting. He should try something.
“For example, playing Conor Gallagher beside Declan Rice, we know that going into the tournament, there’s going to be two sitting in front of the back four that are going to be defensive-minded.
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“Why don’t you try and look a bit further forward and stick Bellingham beside Rice and have Maddison playing or bring Foden from the wide area and bring him in the middle and try something? And if you lose, it’s just a friendly.
“Again, why are you playing Harry Maguire? He’s going to start at the Euros. It’s a friendly, try a new player out at the back, try and do something in the middle of the park.
“You can make it not a waste of time for everybody because that’s what this was.”
What comes next for Southgate and England?
Southgate may have been linked with the Manchester United job, but the England manager is gearing up for this summer’s European Championship in Germany. The Three Lions’ tournament begins against Serbia on June 16 as they hope to claim the finals for the first time in the nation’s history.
England host Belgium on Tuesday, seeking a return to winning ways after Saturday’s defeat.
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