Share
26th June 2024
03:32pm BST
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have today spoken for the first time following England's disappointing 0-0 draw against Slovenia and both agreed a key decision made was wrong.
"Trying to put a positive spin" on the latest showing, we can confirm there was no use of the word "s**t" to describe the Three Lions' performance in their final game.
Speaking on the second half however firstly, Lineker noticed improvements:
“In the second half, I thought you could see that if this team continue to play a high press, chances will come. And we may have been playing that way because Slovenia knew that a draw would get them through. So, they were cautious and sat back a little bit. I understand that. But I saw enough to suggest that England are improving slightly.
“Now, I think there were downsides but I think there were real positives, particularly, I thought, when Cole Palmer came on.
“We were still unbalanced on the left, no question about that, and I thought it was a little baffling that he waited so long for Anthony Gordon to come on, because I think (Phil) Foden was playing there but then he was switching with (Jude) Bellingham and I don’t think that really helped either of them in a way, because they were neither here nor there.
“I’m trying to put a positive spin on it. What I did see in the second half was energy and I haven’t seen energy, apart from the first half an hour of the first game, in the other performances.
On the other hand, the first-half was described as "really dreadful" and that Southgate doesn't have it "in him" to approach the game with the "right set-up" with a last 16 tie rapidly approaching.
Speaking on the team selection, Alan Shearer stated Southgate got it "wrong" and explained as to why Conor Gallagher shouldn't have started:
“By his own admission, you can tell that. He took him off (Conor Gallagher) at half-time. That didn’t work, I thought (Kobbie) Mainoo coming on was a positive. He did well. I thought he made his substitutions too late giving Palmer, what, 20 minutes-ish?
“What’s Gordon done against him? Because, giving him two or three minutes?
“I think Gordon did more in two or three minutes on the left-hand side then we’ve shown in two-and-a-half games, I think, with forward passing, with a bit of energy, with a bit of class, bit of knowhow.”
England will play Slovakia in the last-16 on Sunday.
