Only one Newcastle United player featured as England started their Euro 2024 campaign with a win.
Kieran Trippier started at left-back for the Three Lions as they beat Serbia 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen. It was Jude Bellingham who scored the only goal of the game, as the Real Madrid superstar proved early in the tournament that he can be England’s talisman.
However, it was it was a different story for Phil Foden, who played on the left of attack on Sunday night.
The Manchester City player struggled to get involved against Serbia, failing to take his domestic form to the international stage. Foden was the best player in the entire Premier League during the 2023/24 season, but that was not evident as he lined up for England.
He really struggled in the Euros opener, on a night when England had to dig in just to get over the line. It certainly was not a convincing performance from Gareth Southgate’s side, who limped to a 1-0 win.
Jamie Carragher questions Anthony Gordon decision
The performance raised questions about Southgate’s team selection, while the substitutions he made have also been debated.
It is the changes that Southgate did not make that have interested Jamie Carragher, who has written in the Telegraph about Anthony Gordon not making an appearance.
“Even when England were in control during the first 30 minutes against Serbia, Saka was the only attacker running beyond the defence,” he wrote.
“He was brilliant, but there was too much responsibility on him to make those runs.
“The lack of pace hurt England the longer the game progressed, so it was surprising Anthony Gordon was not introduced.
“There is also an argument that Ollie Watkins should have replaced Kane for the last 20 minutes because he is quicker and could have freshened it up physically.”
Newcastle winger could have helped England against Serbia
As Carragher says, Bukayo Saka was outstanding on the right of attack, but it was a different story on the opposite side of the pitch.
There was no one else willing to make those runs and stretch the pitch, which is why it was a shock to see Anthony Gordon left on the bench.
The Newcastle United winger is at his first ever major international tournament, and had been tipped to start by the likes of Wayne Rooney going into the competition. But he was an unused substitute during the opening game.
That was a surprise, as England really could have done with a player like him in the second half. Foden did not play as a conventional winger on the left, while Saka began to be shut down on the right.
It resulted in England continuously failing to retain possession and putting themselves under pressure. With the pace and ball retention ability of Gordon, perhaps it would have been a more comfortable win.
It is food for thought for Southgate, who left a lot of his attacking stars on the bench on Sunday. Gordon did not feature, and neither did Cole Palmer or Ollie Watkins. They will all hope to play more as the tournament progresses, with England’s next game set to take place on Thursday evening at 5pm against Denmark.
Given Foden’s struggles on the left, a lot of fans, likely of a Newcastle persuasion, will be clamouring for Gordon to come into the side. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.
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