Gareth Southgate desperately in need of some positives.
England facing Slovenia in their final group game on Tuesday night, needing to avoid defeat to ensure qualification for the last 16 knockout stages.
Not for the first time, England stumbling through the group stage at a tournament thanks largely to luck, with four points from the opening two games, but the vast majority of fans and media wondering what on earth Gareth Southgate is doing.
Ultra-negative tactics and team set-ups, along with very questionable team selections, seeing England very luck to cling on to a 1-0 win over Serbia and 1-1 draw with Denmark. The decision to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, simply ridiculous.
To add to Southgate’s problems, Sunday night brought news from both The Telegraph and The Mail that on top of Luke Shaw having still been unable to join in group training, that Kieran Trippier has been carrying a calf injury during the tournament.
They stated that Gareth Southgate had been hoping to use the Newcastle United defending sparingly in the early stages of the Euros but with Luke Shaw unavailable, Trippier had to play both the opening matches.
The two newspapers added that at the very least Southgate had wanted to sub Kieran Trippier in one or both matches to limit the strain on him. However, the woeful England performances against both Serbia and Denmark meant the manager couldn’t risk taking him off, with the side very lucky to cling on to the win and a draw, with Serbia and Denmark the far better teams after the break in both matches. The journalists reported that Ezri Konsa or Joe Gomez would be in line to replace Kieran Trippier if neither he nor Luke Shaw weren’t available, or Southgate doesn’t risk him/them.
Now on Monday though, Henry Winter (see below) and other journalists have revealed that both Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw are taking part in England group training today.
Obviously no guarantee that this means one or both will be available for Tuesday night’s match, but still a far better scenario, that how it looked on Sunday.
If indeed he does have concerns about Kieran Trippier playing too many matches in a short space of time, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Gareth Southgate getting somebody else right footed to fill in at left-back against Slovenia.
England are all but certain to qualify, even if only as one of four best third place finishers, so the priority in many ways making sure at least one of the pair are available for the last 16 knockout stages.
Luke Shaw hasn’t played any football for over four months and no minutes for England since 19 June 2023, over a year ago. Very difficult I think to see him suddenly starting for England.
Sunday night’s results have made things a little clearer for England and tonight’s matches will do so even more.
If England go through as runners-up in Group C, they will play on Saturday 29 June against Germany.
If winning the group they will play Sunday 30 June against one of the third place finishers from Groups D, E and F.
Whilst if they end up one of the four best teams to finish third… England would either play Portugal on Monday 1 July, or the winner of Group E on Tuesday 2 July, which could be any of four teams with on three points from two games – all of Romania, Belgium, Ukraine and Slovakia.
So if going through automatically, the last 16 game coming only four or five days after the Slovenia match.
Video report from #ENG training. Shaw, Trippier, all involved. #EURo2024 pic.twitter.com/0A0p6E1j1o
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) June 24, 2024
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 1 Ukraine 2 (Euros Group match)
Martin Dubravka and Slovakia looking to be cruising through to the last 16 when dominating the first half and leading 1-0. However, Ukraine came out for the second half all fired up and turned it around, equalising on 54 minutes and then a shocker with 10 minutes to go from Martin Dubravka, when a ball was played over the top that he should have dealt with, allowing the striker to score from a narrow angle and he should have stopped it for sure.
Sunday 23 June 2024
Switzerland 1 Germany 1 (Euros Group match)
A man of the match performance from Fabian Schar helped Switzerland get the point they needed to guarantee progress to the last 16.
However, a brave and dangerous Swiss side deserved the win, as Germany created next to no clear chances. Switzerland scoring a great team goall on 28 minutes and then defending brilliantly but at the same time looking more dangerous on the break than the hosts.
The win they deserved was denied in the second minute of added time due to a quality header from sub Fullkrug. A moral victory for Fabian Schar and his teammates and a perfromance that will give them massive confidence and momemtum for their last 16 tie on Saturday.
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 Dubravka) Euros Group match 5pm BBC TBC
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
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