NETHERLANDS ENGLAND
Giggs: Fine to take pop at pundits DAZZER: KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
GARETH SOUTHGATE thinks Jake Livermore’s love for England could take him all the way to Russia.
Livermore (above) was surprisingly included in Southgate’s latest squad to face Holland and Italy despite Premier League struggles with basement club West Brom – and being implicated, with three other senior Baggies players, in the taxi scandal on the bonding trip to Barcelona last month.
But Southgate believes Livermore’s commitment to the Three Lions sets exactly the right example, and deserves recognition, after the Albion to be an England player or work with England, then you’ve got to have that mental resilience to be able to perform when the excitement and the spotlight increases.
“That’s a big part of our criteria on selecting those people.”
Despite the perception that Rashford has been used sparingly by Jose Mourinho, the exciting youngster has actually featured in
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all but four of United’s games so far this season.
And there is bags of confidence that he will be fresh enough to deliver the goods in Russia.
Southgate added: “He’s maybe played more than you’d think because of the amount of cup competitions – so he’s actually racked up a lot of minutes.
“I think with all young players there’s a balance. You want them ROSS BARKLEY has been told by England manager Gareth Southgate that he is OUT of the World Cup in Russia this summer. The Chelsea star – who joined Stamford Bridge from Everton in a £15million January deal – has been sidelined by another hamstring injury picked up in training last month. And although there are still three months to go before England’s opening group game against Tunisia on June 18, Southgate has delivered bad news for the 24-year-old midfielder. Southgate said:“I think he’s just not been fit. He went to Chelsea on the back of a long-term hamstring injury and has had only had a couple of matches, really. “He’s not available for selection now anyway, so he’s unfortunate in the way this year has played out. “But if he can get back playing regularly I’m sure, post-summer we will look again. “It’s going to be difficult to get the number of games he needs now for the World Cup.” to play in games to improve, you want them to experience things, but Jose is working with him every day too.
“He will have a feel of the moments to unleash him and when the moments are that we’ve got to rein him back a bit, to get him physically to the place we want.
“Over the last couple of games he’s looked fresh and it’s the right moment to put Marcus back in.” REPUBLIC OF IRELAND No.1 Darren Randolph is backing two of Martin O’Neill’s new recruits to start long international careers this week.
West Ham defender Declan Rice and Manchester United keeper Kieran O’Hara will be with O’Neill’s squad for the friendly against Turkey in Anatyla on Friday.
O’Neill has turned to youth after the RYAN GIGGS admits he is braced for criticism after going from TV pundit to Wales boss.
But the Manchester United legend, who named his first squad on Thursday, insists managers are entitled to hit back.
Jose Mourinho recently slammed former Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer after the Dutchman said on TV it is a “pity” Marcus Rashford plays under the Portuguese.
United boss Mourinho has previously clashed with pundits including Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.
Giggs understands both perspectives having been a TV expert and member of Louis van Gaal’s coaching staff at United. Now he expects his actions as Wales boss in his first full-time managerial role to be pored over in his first games in charge at the China Cup in Nanning this week. Giggs (right) ) said: “I have been on n both sides.
“When I was assistant at United I know how coaches feel because you come in, you have had a difficult ficult result, you switch the telly on and your team is getting criticised.
“It is like players, the adrenaline is still going and it is difficult to take. But I have also been a pundit where that is their job to give their views. Whether you agree with them or disagree with them, that will never change.
“Pundits will have views but then coaches are sometimes within their rights to have a little pop back.
“That is the great thing about football, every person around the table will have different views and you can agree or disagree with them.”
Giggs’ first game in charge of Wales is on Thursday in the Far East against hosts China, with Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale expected to play.
The Welsh will then face either Uruguay or the Czech Republic in their final game in the tournament. Republic’s humiliating World Cup play-off defeat to Denmark and Middlesbrough keeper Randolph sees a bright future for both newcomers.
“Declan has kicked on to another level,” he said. “Kieran has trained with us when the Under-21s had qualifiers and he looks good. Go and get games, as young as possible – especially if you’re a keeper.”