Gareth Southgate, the England manager, has been under fire for his decision to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield during their final Euro 2024 group match against Slovenia on Tuesday. Terry, a reader, asked about the possibility of Trent being dropped from the squad, citing the lack of movement and running into space in front of him as a potential issue.
In response, BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty acknowledged that Trent was put in a difficult position playing in midfield and that he may not be a natural fit for that role. However, he also pointed out that the responsibility falls on the manager to address any issues with Trent before the tournament began.
McNulty emphasized that major tournaments are not the time for experimentation and that Southgate should have worked out any issues with Trent before Euro 2024. He expressed his belief that any experiments that aren’t working need to be ended quickly, especially in such high-stakes situations. This suggests that McNulty believes Southgate should have done more preparation and testing before the tournament began.
For more insights from McNulty and the latest football news of the day, be sure to read the full Q&A session.
