SOUTHGATE 4 SOCIAL MEDIA 0
Even his detractors must admit England manager’s gambles all paid off
EvEn before England’s Euro 2020 opener got going, the hashtag ‘SouthgateOut’ was trending on Twitter. Upon seeing the team sheet, I didn’t agree with playing right back Kieran Trippier at left back, but I would never stop supporting Gareth Southgate because of that.
Thankfully for England’s manager, the endnd justified the means. One by one, Southgate’sate’s calls were provenven to be correct.
The first mistake - he made — according to the court of social media — was naming two holding midfielders inn Declan Ricee and K alvin Phillips. In actualtual fact, Phillipss was positioned muchuch higher than Rice and being used as more of a no 8.
The Leeds United midfielder was the best player on the park here, showing what a wonderfully complete footballer he is and assisting Raheem Sterling’s winner. So let’s say that’s Southgate 1, social media 0.
His next mistake was starting
Sterling rather than Jack Grealish. He has not enjoyed his greatest of seasons for Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola using him infrequently of late. But Sterling was behind England’s winner.
I’m not saying Grealish would not have made the same run, but all that matters is Sterling did and it’s a winning start to Euro 2020. That’s Southgate 2, social mediamedi 0. We cocould make it 3-0 by mentioning why he was right to use Tyrone Mings, who had a good ggame. Or 4-0 for trusting Trippier over a perfectly ggood Luke SShaw or Ben CChilwell. WWe all have our own ideas of team selection but at theth end of the dayday, it’s theth England manager whose decisions matter. He sees these players every day in training. He knows better than us what they can and cannot do.
In securing a 1-0 win against a solid Croatia side, Southgate must be applauded. He made brave decisions, he trusted his instincts, and England won.