Gary Lineker and Gary Neville in agreement over 'illegal' Trent Alexander-Arnold problem

Gary Lineker and Gary Neville are in agreement about Trent Alexander-Arnold

Gary Neville and Gary Lineker were both astounded by Gareth Southgate's refusal to use Trent Alexander-Arnold against Slovakia.

England advanced to the quarter finals of Euro 2024 by the skin of their teeth after Jude Bellingham spared their blushes - and Southgate's job - via a 95th-minute equaliser. Harry Kane then bagged the winning goal just over a minute into extra time to complete the turnaround, though it failed to quell a nationwide inquest into yet another dire performance from the Three Lions out in Germany.

During the game, Neville said he was baffled by Southgate's lack of assertiveness while England were chasing an equaliser and branded it "illegal" that Alexander-Arnold wasn't brought on to provide a little creativity. Lineker, meanwhile, reckoned England were "crying out" for the Liverpool man throughout the second half.

"I know we won in the end and his lack of changes 'worked', bizarrely. But when you've got 20 minutes to go and you're 1-0 down, playing against a team who are trying to defend, to not bring on Trent for Kyle Walker [is baffling]," Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast. "You needed the quality, the delivery, the passing, the crossing of Trent Alexander-Arnold. I mean [the game] was crying it out for it."

Speaking on the ITV, Neville said at half time: "Trent Alexander-Arnold, it is illegal that that lad is not playing football in any game like this for England today. We cannot have Kyle Walker and Trippier at left and right-back when we're on the ball most of the time.

"That is the kid who is the best football player we have ever seen at right-back, or full-back, in this country. He has got to be on the pitch."

Southgate's decision to stick with Walker ultimately paid off, with the Manchester City ace playing a part in England's equaliser by launching a long throw into the box, which was flicked on by Marc Guehi and turned in by Bellingham. But the 53-year-old still has plenty to answer for about both his team selection and his indecision.

He made just one change to the side that huffed and puffed to a draw with Slovenia last week, and refused to drop underperforming superstars like Bellingham, Kane, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka. He also waited until the 84th minute to make his second substitution of the game, and until the 94th minute to make his third.

Slovakia took the lead on 25 minutes through Ivan Schranz, and very nearly scored again when David Strelec fired inches wide after lobbing Jordan Pickford from the halfway line. Foden had the ball in the net minutes earlier but his goal was chalked off for offside, while Declan Rice hit the post from range and Kane missed a close-range header.

But for all England's possession and occasional half-chances, they never really looked comfortable. Sunday's last-gasp turnaround will presumably be a decent mood-lifter, but whether the team's fundamental tactical problems can be a solved by good vibes remains to be seen.

Up next for England is a clash with Switzerland on Saturday, and victory there will set up a semi final tie with either Romania, the Netherlands, Austria or Turkey.

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