England manager Gareth Southgate has started Euro 2024's clash against Denmark making a clear switch in his thinking with Phil Foden.
The Manchester City star came under massive criticism at the weekend for his perceived poor performance, as he looked to take up similar areas to fellow attacking midfielder, Jude Bellingham. There was talk of whether Foden would even start for England with Anthony Gordon an option to bring in – but Southgate was vehement that the Three Lions would “not have won” their opening game of Euro 2024 without the No.11's off-ball work.
In the opening exchanges against Denmark, however, Foden was clearly hugging the touchline in a way he hadn't at the tournament so far – before coming narrower than before. This was noted by BBC commentator Guy Mowbray and echoed by co-commentator Alan Shearer, who noted his “free role” in England's team.
Southgate went for the same line-up that started against Serbia, opting for the attacking XI that included Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham in the midfield five behind Harry Kane – though hinted pre-match that his substitutes would play a key role later on against the Danes.
“We had lots of elements of our game that were good, some that could be better, now it’s about doing it for 90 minutes,” Southgate told ITV before kick-off. “We’re gonna need fresh legs at some point for sure. We’re going to need that squad, definitely.”
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