Gary Neville urges Gareth Southgate to drop three England players for Slovakia clash
Gary Neville wants three changes for England’s next Euro 2024 clash (Picture: YouTube)
Gary Neville says ‘something is not right’ with Jude Bellingham and has called for three changes to the England team for their Euro 2024 last-16 clash with Slovakia.
Bellingham enjoyed a dream start to the Euros, heading the Three Lions in front against Serbia after just 13 minutes and producing a dominant first-half display in England’s tournament opener.
Given the 21-year-old’s sensational first season at Real Madrid, in which he won La Liga and the Champions League, Bellingham was expected to kick on after scoring his first Euros goal and emerge as one of the stars out in Germany.
But Bellingham underwhelmed in England’s subsequent group matches against Denmark and Slovenia, leaving ex-Manchester United defender Neville baffled and concerned.
‘The big question and the one that everyone is avoiding this week is Jude Bellingham,’ Neville said on the Stick to Football show, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘To be fair, the idea of him being left out would be unthinkable 10 days ago. But at the moment, I don’t know, there’s something not right about him. I don’t know what’s happened.’
Neville’s former Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane then added: ‘There’s something amiss. Why shouldn’t he be left out?
Neville is concerned about England’s Jude Bellingham (Picture: Getty)
‘Sometimes you have to make those big decisions, that’s Gareth’s job. What these players did two or three weeks ago is irrelevant, it’s a different dynamic in a tournament.’
Despite progressing to the knockout stages as Group C winners, England will need to improve if they are to become European champions and end the nation’s 58-year wait for a men’s major trophy.
Next up for the Three Lions is a last-16 clash with Slovakia, who finished third in Group E after producing an upset against Belgium and then taking one point fromRomania and Ukraine.
Neville believes Trent Alexander-Arnold should start Sunday’s match at right-back, allowing Kyle Walker to move across to the left in replace of struggling Kieran Trippier.
The ex-England defender would also start Kobbie Mainoo in midfield following his bright cameo against Slovenia and play Chelsea’s Cole Palmer on the right ahead of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.
‘Kobbie Mainoo has to be in there, he will start,’ Neville added. ‘And I think I would bring in Trent for Trippier.
Gareth Southgate’s side face Slovakia in the last-16 (Picture: Getty)
‘On the right, I think I would bring in Cole Palmer for Saka. I love Saka to bits but I just think Palmer has to play now. So I would bring in Trent, Mainoo and Palmer.’
Meanwhile, England legend Wayne Rooney has also revealed his ‘worry’ over Bellingham and criticised his body language at the Euros.
‘Watching England against Slovenia, I focused on Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane to try to understand how they are working together,’ he told The Times. ‘What I saw left me worried. Jude’s body language told you a lot.
‘Three or four times in the first half he could not hide his frustration. He was trying to lead things by running past Harry to pressure the ball, the Slovenians would pass round him and he’d find nobody was backing up his run.
‘For an attacking player that’s one of the worst feelings you can have. He was turning round to look at others and throwing his arms up. Body language like that sends a message to the fans, to his team-mates, to the manager.
‘I’ve been there. I know exactly the position he’s in. I found myself in that headspace many times in international football, and at certain points in my club career.
‘I just hope the frustration doesn’t boil over to the point where he gets a red card or does something stupid and gets himself injured. Against Slovenia, it looked as if he was getting close.’
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