Roy Keane slams Gareth Southgate as England ‘lack courage and bravery’ at Euro 2024… while Gary Neville gives haunting prediction and claims the Three Lions’ wealth of talent is a ‘PROBLEM’
- Keane thinks Gareth Southgate is ‘exaggerating’ his England tactics at Euro 2024
- Neville worries that England is on a dark path unless they solve their problems quickly
- Listen to It all starts! What Jude Bellingham needs to do to take his game to the next level
Roy Keane has dismissed what he sees as a hesitant England at Euro 2024.
He believes Gareth Southgate is ‘exaggerating’ and failing to unlock ‘courage and bravery’ in his pride of lions.
Meanwhile, Gary Neville has made an ominous prediction for the rest of the tournament unless things change quickly. He thinks England’s ’embarrassment of riches’ has become a hindrance.
Their scathing rebukes come after England drew their second match 1-1 against Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark, who still top the Three Lions in Group C.
“Courage and bravery, we don’t really see it,” Keane told ITV Sport.
Roy Keane believes Gareth Southgate is ‘exaggerating’ and England are playing ‘without courage and bravery’
Gary Neville believes England’s attacking talent has become a ‘problem’ for Southgate
‘There’s something wrong with the balance. Bellingham waves his arms.
‘This is a big test for Gareth. It seems like he’s thinking about things.’
Pundits were quick to attack England after their 1–0 win over Serbia to open the campaign, accusing England of lacking ingenuity and much drive to score a second.
Jude Bellingham scored the goal in that match, but the likes of Phil Foden on the left wing and Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield came under scrutiny.
Yet England have a checkered history at the European Championship and Southgate is the only boss to ever lead them to victory in the opening match, something he has done twice.
Gary Neville said: “He will be put through the mill in the coming days.
“We expect them to win it, but it’s the first time I feel like he’s coming into conflict with this embarrassment of riches. It causes him a bigger problem.
‘He has to look at it very carefully over the next 24 hours. They’re not playing particularly well, so they need to sort themselves out.
Southgate watched his side draw 1-1 against Denmark on Thursday evening
England deserve credit for topping Group C but are struggling to convince with their performances
Harry Kane put England ahead but was later taken off the field and criticized for a lack of pressure
Rio Ferdinand said he would have ‘shouted’ at Kane at half-time because he didn’t have the same ‘workload’ as others
‘Something has to change here. It’s going to end badly the way it’s going.’
The problem of how to merge the front four of Harry Kane, Foden, Bukayo Saka and Foden, and how many stars like Cole Palmer to include, has been one of the talking points in England before and during the 2024 Euros.
Pundits felt Foden improved in playing a more central role against Denmark, but criticized Kane for dropping too deep and not pressing with enough verve.
At half-time against Denmark, Rio Ferdinand told BBC Sport: ‘I would go crazy [at Kane]. I would scream. I couldn’t allow my centre-forward not to take on the same workload as the other players.
‘I need to see the same workload and intensity [from Kane]. Put pressure on their centre-back, like I do as an England defender!’
Micah Richards even called for him to be replaced by Ollie Watkins, which he did after 70 minutes, a decisive move for which Southgate was praised.