Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised one of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United players following the announcement of the England squad.
Gareth Southgate released a provisional squad consisting of 33 players on Tuesday, and it included two Newcastle United players – Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier. That meant the likes of Nick Pope and Callum Wilson missed out, with their returns from injury simply coming too late in the season.
The England squad will then be reduced to 26, with Gordon and Trippier having to wait until June 8th to find out whether or not they are definitely going to the Euros.
As always, the England squad has sparked debate among pundits and fans. Southgate made some big calls, including leaving out Marcus Rashford after a poor season at Manchester United. There was also no room in the squad for Jordan Henderson.
Gabriel Agbonlahor says Kieran Trippier has been ‘poor’ for Newcastle
Some experienced players will not be with England in Germany, but it looks like Kieran Trippier will be. He is one of Gareth Southgate’s most trusted players, and will probably be in the final 26-man squad despite enduring an injury-hit end to the 2023/24 campaign.
But TalkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor has criticised Trippier following his inclusion, stating that the Toon defender has been ‘poor’ since returning from a calf injury.
“He has been poor when he has come back,” he said.
“He has not looked interested. I have seen games he has been playing in, Trippier, and he is like, he has not got up the line with the Newcastle defence. He doesn’t seem bothered after they concede, not himself.”
Criticism of Kieran Trippier is harsh
Agbonlahor sort of has a point, but only sort of. Trippier has been poor since his return from a calf injury, but he has not played much.
In short, Agbonlahor is merely saying he saw Newcastle’s game against Manchester United when Trippier made some crucial errors and really struggled. It was a poor night for the £12million man, who showed real signs of rustiness following his return.
But to say he has not looked interested is too far. Agbonlahor is not a body language expert, after all – at least to the best of my knowledge.
Overall, it has been an interesting season of ups and downs for Trippier. He was immense during the first few months, then came a massive dip during winter when the fixtures began to mount up. He made some decisive errors, and later admitted that he was not playing well at all.
But Trippier did respond during the second half of the season, until a calf injury ruled him out for nine games.
For Southgate, he has picked a player he trusts. Trippier is someone who has a lot of major tournament experience, while he is also flexible in that he can play on both sides of defence. That is vital, with England not having many left-back options.
One key error against Manchester United should not define Trippier, but it appears that is the case when it comes to Agbonlahor’s analysis.
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