Euro 2024: Carragher highlights two England players Southgate must drop
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Gareth Southgate and Jude Bellingham after England's draw with Denmark (Imago/SOPA Images)

Euro 2024: Carragher highlights two England players Southgate must drop

Seye Omidiora 14:37 - 21.06.2024

The former Liverpool defender has advised Southgate to change the Three Lions’ formation and remove two stars from the altered side.

Erstwhile England defender Jamie Carragher has suggested personnel changes and tactical alterations to Gareth Southgate in the wake of the Three Lions’ underwhelming Euro 2024 start. 

How have England fared at Euro 2024?

England won their tournament opener 1-0 against Serbia on Sunday before playing out a 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday, leaving them with four points from an available six. 

However, the Euro 2024 runners-up have struggled for fluency in both games and have tended to retreat into a negative approach after taking leads in both games. 

Individuals have also failed to live up to the pre-tournament hype, underlined by Phil Foden’s inability to sparkle, teething issues with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, Declan Rice shackled in a deeper role in the middle of the park and Harry Kane seeing little of the ball. 

Gareth Southgate
England manager Gareth Southgate (Imago/Every Second Media)

What Carragher said about England’s Euro 2024 campaign so far

The said challenges have promoted Carragher to suggest to the England boss to exclude Foden and Alexander-Arnold in subsequent games and change England’s 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3. 

“Unfortunately, two of the best Premier League footballers – Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden – will have to be sacrificed now. The team’s set-up is not getting the best from them, or their team-mates,” said the former Liverpool man in his Telegraph column.

“Introducing Alexander-Arnold into midfield in a major tournament was always a risk. It has not worked. The experiment ended with his early substitution against Denmark.

“Elsewhere in the side, nobody loves watching Foden more than me. But for England to come up with a system that works and complements everyone, he cannot operate in the starting XI with Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane if they are all trying to occupy the same space and positions.

“Kane correctly remains one of the untouchables – a world-class striker. His best work for England is with two pacey widemen. I would like to see a 4-3-3 with Saka and Anthony Gordon either side of Kane.”

What comes next?

England are unlikely to be eliminated after their unbeaten start, but they are yet to secure first spot in Group C. 

Southgate’s men face Slovenia on June 25 potentially needing a point to end atop their section.