Gary Neville hammered after naming England XI Southgate MUST pick for Euro 2024 opener
Gary Neville England XI selection
Gary Neville found himself sniping back at fellow ITV pundits Roy Keane and Ian Wright after naming the starting XI be believes Gareth Southgate should pick for Sunday’s Euro 2024 opener against Serbia.
The Three Lions begin their Euros campaign in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday and are expected to get off to a winning start in their Group C opener.
England are widely considered as the favourites to end their 58-year wait for a major trophy, largely down to the plethora o attacking talent at Southgate’s disposal.
Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka are expected to be the front three, with reigning LaLiga Player of the Season Jude Bellingham tucked in behind them.
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That still leaves the likes of Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon and backup strikers Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney on the bench, but Neville feels Southgate needs to give that attacking talent a solid base to work from in midfield by having two sitting players – as opposed to dropping Bellingham deeper and trying to fit Palmer into the mix.
“He will 100% bring a Gallagher or a Mainoo, a Wharton or an Alexander-Arnold always in alongside Declan Rice,” Neville told ITV Sport. “This idea that we’re going to see Bellingham and Palmer, or Bellingham and Foden in front of Rice is a non-starter.
“They’re smirking alongside me, they’re smirking, they are! Don’t smirk!” Neville retorted as his fellow pundits sat with big grins on their faces.
Keane responded to his former Manchester United teammate in typical Roy Keane fashion, saying: “Gary wants six midfielders, that’s what he wants!”
Neville, however, stood his ground and stated his reasoning why Suthgate needs to be more pragmatic – following the leads of the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Arsenal.
“The best team Real Madrid win the Champions League final,” he added. “They have Bellingham playing off the front, they have Kroos, Camevinga and Valverde in behind him.
“Manchester City they have Rodri and Kovacic at times in midfield to support what they do.
“Arsenal had to bring Jorginho in to support Declan Rice because he couldn’t do it on their own and they were getting cut open. Every top team has that two or thre in there.
“This idea that Gareth has got to go in with that one holding midfield player and Declan Rice isn’t a holding midfield player, he wonders off a little bit. For me it’s not ridiculous to suggest they should play with two.”