Mcateer: Trent snub ‘ridiculous’
JASON MCATEER has slammed Gareth Southgate’s decision to leave Trent Alexander-arnold out of the England squad for the latest internationals.
The 22-year-old right-back has been a regular since he forced his way into boss Southgate’s plans for the 2018 World Cup.
Now he faces an uphill task to ensure he’s part of the squad for this summer’s European Championship.
It’s a decision Mcateer (below), who played for Ireland in the 1994 and 2002 World Cups, struggles to understand.
“I think it’s ridiculous not taking Trent for these games,” he said.
“Kieran Trippier is in the team and he has hardly played for Atletico Madrid since Christmas.
Decision
“I don’t know, whether things went on behind the scenes, I don’t know, whether the Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and Southgate have had the conversation, ‘If you’re not going to play him, don’t take him’, maybe.
“But I just don’t understand the decision by Gareth Southgate, if they haven’t had that Club v Country kind of conversation.”
England beat San Marino 5-0 in their opening qualifier for Qatar and it would be a surprise if their journey to the tournament wasn’t similarly serene, given the group they are in.
Putting together a team capable of winning it, though, could be easier said than done, Mcateer believes.
He added: “I think there’s too much talent and sometimes you’re under pressure to get them all in the team to keep them happy.
“Or you think that they’re going to produce something magic because they’re so good individually.
“I don’t think a winning team is actually made up of that. It’s about a team that works so well in tandem.
“Southgate will probably end up trying to shoehorn them all into the team when they’re all in such good form, probably to the detriment of the team and results.”