Gary Neville calls for Gareth Southgate to make THREE changes to his England XI against Slovakia, as he reveals his solution to the Three Lions’ left back problem
- England will face Slovakia on Sunday evening in the eighth finals of the 2024 European Championship
- Gary Neville thinks manager Gareth Southgate needs to make three changes
- Listen to It all begins! EUROS DAILY: All the reasons why England fans should be positive ahead of the last 16
Gary Neville has said he would make three changes to England’s starting XI for their Euro 2024 last 16 clash with Slovakia if he was in charge.
England manager Gareth Southgate has been reluctant to make several changes so far this summer.
The same 11 players who started in the 1-0 win over Serbia also started the 1-1 draw against Denmark.
Southgate subsequently made just one change for the 0-0 draw with Slovenia, when he dropped Trent Alexander-Arnold from his midfield and brought on Conor Gallagher.
But Neville, who played 85 caps for the Three Lions between 1995 and 2007, believes it is time to shake things up even further.
Gary Neville believes England need to make some personnel changes when they play Slovakia
Manager Gareth Southgate has so far been reluctant to make any changes to his starting XI for Euro 2024
Neville revealed his proposed team against Slovakia in an episode of his podcast, The overlapon fridaynight.
One of the changes has been to Neville’s old position at right-back, where he believes Southgate should play Alexander-Arnold instead of Kyle Walker.
Neville would move Walker to left-back, leaving Newcastle captain Kieran Trippier out of the squad.
The left-back position has been a problem for England this summer, with the only natural No.3 in Southgate’s squad being Luke Shaw, who has not featured in a competitive match since February due to a hamstring injury.
In midfield, Neville would like Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo to replace Gallagher and play alongside Declan Rice.
The final change Neville suggested was to start Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer instead of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.
Cole Palmer made his first European Championship appearance as a substitute in Tuesday’s draw against Slovenia
Neville would like to see both Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo start for England in the round of 16
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold should also start, but not in midfield, according to Neville
Neville’s proposed changes would see Kieran Trippier dropped from the England starting XI
Discussing his choices with podcast guests Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Jill Scott, Neville said: ‘Mainoo has to come in, Mainoo has to come in. He has to come in. Mainoo comes in and Trent comes in. Then I guess I’ll have to find a way for Palmer to get in.’
Neville then toyed with the idea of bringing in Palmer for Jude Bellingham, claiming there was ‘something not right’ with the Real Madrid midfielder at the moment.
However, he ultimately decided that it would be a better decision to drop Saka to the bench.
Neville explained: “Trent gives us better use of the ball from the back and gives us some kind of threat with his assists and set pieces. Mainoo makes us play. We saw that the other night [when he came off the bench].
“Then I think Palmer at this point…I would have started [Phil] Foden, Bellingham and Saka, 100 percent, with [Harry] Kane [at the start of the tournament]. They are the four frontrunners that anyone would have chosen.
‘But Palmer looked so effortless. He looks like he’s got that little bit extra. I feel uncomfortable leaving one of them out. I don’t know which one it should be, maybe Saka. I feel uncomfortable leaving Saka out, just because he’s a brilliant player too.’
After listening to the opinions of his fellow panellists – including Arsenal legend Wright, who disagreed with the idea of leaving Saka out of the starting XI – Neville reluctantly confirmed his choice.
“I think I would probably put him (Palmer) in ahead of Saka and I love Saka very much,” Marcel concluded.