Euro 2024: Gareth Southgate hits back at England team selection criticism – ‘It is slightly ironic’

Gareth Southgate has hit back at criticism of his team selection ahead of England’s crucial Euro 2024 clash with Denmark in Frankfurt.

The England manager has come under fire in the days since though, with some suggesting that his line-up left Harry Kane isolated and failed to get the best out of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden.

That criticism has bemused Southgate, who believes he can’t win after eight years of being told to play Alexander-Arnold and to stop letting Kane drop deep.

“For most of the eight years I have been in charge I have been told that Kane drops too deep,” said Southgate.

“It is slightly ironic that I am now being told not to play Trent when I was told to play Trent for eight years and not to let Harry go deep.

“That is our world, really. That is the one bit I am certain of [that as England manager, he is never right].”

Foden was played on the left wing against Serbia, a position he has often been deployed in at Manchester City.

However, the 24-year-old has operated in a more central role for Pep Guardiola’s side over the last 12 months.

Foden has only scored four goals in 35 England caps, a disappointing return for a player who found the back of the net 19 times in the Premier League last term.

Southgate insists Foden performed selflessly for the team last Sunday.

“I thought Phil did an incredible job for the team,” he said. “You know, sometimes the bits with the ball are obvious and they catch the eye.

“But the amount of ground he covered, the angles of pressing, the filling in for people who were further forward.

“I know it is not the sexy bit and everyone wants to see him with the ball, but without his contribution off the ball I do not think we win the game.”

Southgate also backed Harry Kane’s decision to stay higher up the pitch rather than drop deep and thread passes through to England’s wide players.

The Bayern Munich star has a history of operating as a playmaker as well as a goalscorer, and Southgate insists he has the freedom to adapt to what is happening on the pitch.

“I think that was Harry’s interpretation of what was happening on the day,” he said.

“It was not something that we specifically talked about, he has got the freedom to come low and when he does others need to make forward runs.

“I think he felt, in the first half, that there were enough players doing that he was better served by occupying people higher.”

Alexander-Arnold was deployed alongside Declan Rice in the heart of England’s midfield against Serbia.

His performance has come under some scrutiny too, but Southgate was happy with his display and hopes more forward runners can help the Liverpool star show off his passing range.

“I don’t want to dismiss the other players in the squad, we have always got to have competition for places,” added Southgate.

“I thought positionally he was very sound, it was not always easy to get on the ball.

“Some moments we did not have enough forward runners as well, if you have got a good passer you need people to make those runs in order to hit them.”