England boss Gareth Southgate had plenty to answer for after his side’s 0-0 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday night.
Southgate was presented with more questions than answers after his Three Lions side flattered to deceive once again.
For instance, the fact that Joe Hart feels England’s players are still not on Phil Foden’s wavelength three games into the European Championship is alarming. It seems as if Gareth Southgate’s side are sleepwalking towards an early exit from the tournament with how poor they have been so far.
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Gareth Southgate drops Cole Palmer verdict after England draw to Slovenia
While Marc Guehi’s rise has been England’s biggest positive in Germany, Cole Palmer’s impact as a substitute against Slovenia has emerged as a fresh ray of hope amongst a long list of negatives for the Three Lions.
Kobbie Mainoo hailed the former Manchester City attacker’s showing as well, describing him as “electric” as well as one of England’s best players in training on a consistent basis. In a game that raised questions about why some of the world’s best attackers seemed powerless, the 21-year-old looked just like he does when he dons a Chelsea shirt — direct, inventive and skillful.
After England shared the spoils with Slovenia, Gareth Southgate was full of praise for Palmer, who has gone on to becoming a top player since leaving Manchester City in the summer of 2023.
Southgate told ITV Sport: “He did very good. He finds space well, he’s got lovely techniques, I can see he’s calm and you actually really fancy him when he got that chance at the end.”
If Cole Palmer starts in the Round of 16, Phil Foden should play close to him
If Gareth Southgate decides to start Palmer against whichever team England end up meeting in the Round of 16, Phil Foden should play in close proximity to his former teammate at the Etihad Stadium.
Having played with each for years in City’s academy and in the first-team, the English pair have an understanding with each other.
In an England team where it seems like most of the attackers are yet to understand each other’s games, Foden and Palmer could bring a sense of familiarity to the team.
One way of doing that would be for Southgate to deploy the Manchester City talisman as an attacking midfielder and the Chelsea poster-boy as a right-winger.