Gareth Southgate’s hypocrisy has just been revealed by Harry Maguire
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool was not selected to play for England against Germany on Monday night.
Harry Maguire has had a strong start to the new Premier League season, and one could understand that.
Gareth Southgate has continued to stand by the 29-year-old by starting him in recent UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Germany, despite the fact that Erik ten Hag, the new manager of Manchester United, has frozen him out following two disastrous performances against Brighton and Brentford in the first two games of the season.
Having been at fault for both of Germany’s opening goals against England yesterday, Maguire’s lack of club activity was obvious as he appeared to be far behind the pace. In fact, the defender was compelled to apologize for his “mistakes” against Germany on social media.
Fikayo Tomori, who was instrumental in helping AC Milan win Serie A last season, was unable to even make the substitutes’ bench, while Ben White, who is currently leading the league with Arsenal, was left sitting at home. This made his selection all the more bizarre.
The England boss also failed to give Trent Alexander-Arnold a chance, not for the first time in his career. To Southgate’s defense, it is well known that the Liverpool right-back has not performed at the same level as in prior seasons and has battled for the Reds lately. The problem is that it looks like there are various sets of regulations for certain players.
The manager of Three Lions stated the following to the Daily Telegraph in 2017: “I never criticize someone’s reputation; form must be considered. You must choose the players that are most suitable for the situation based on the competition and the anticipated sort of game.” After five years, it seems that this method of choosing teams has been abandoned.
The similar response frequently follows inquiries about why he is reluctant to give Alexander-Arnold further opportunity. Southgate decides to highlight the various choices available to the Reds right-back rather than laying out what the player needs do to force his way onto the team.
Prior to last night’s game at Wembley, he claimed, “We’ve got four right-backs who are fantastic class. “Kieran Trippier is now performing very well, and Reece James was a standout player in the Premier League at the beginning of the season. Trent, though, is a very, very talented football player, which is why we chose to include him in the squad.”
After a disastrous night at Wembley, attention quickly returned to Maguire. When questioned about starting the ineffective center-back, England manager Gareth Southgate adopted a belligerent tone, saying that now was the moment to “support our best and most experienced players.”
Since then, Gary Neville has refuted claims that Gareth Southgate, 52, favors a select few players on the international stage, saying: “I don’t know any England manager over the last 30 years that has picked more on form than Gareth Southgate, irrespective of what club you come from. He has always been just and impartial. Simply put, he backs Harry Maguire because he’s one of the top two or three center backs in the world.
Jamie Carragher, a former captain of Liverpool, offers a different perspective, arguing that with yet another subpar performance, the post of club captain for United may very well have become untenable. “The criticism of his performance against Germany is genuine and well-deserved, and Southgate needs to determine whether Maguire is mentally fit for the World Cup and capable of demonstrating that he can move past his problems.
It’s something Maguire has had trouble with in the past. If Maguire isn’t representing his club, how can the manager make such a significant decision prior to the opening match against Iran?” asked the previous Red.
It remains to be seen if Alexander-Arnold can persuade Southgate of his talent in the weeks leading up to the World Cup, however there’s a good risk that even the most forceful arguments might not be sufficient to persuade the England coach.
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