MyBettingSites had the pleasure of sitting down with former Manchester United and England defender Paul Parker to discuss a range of issues pertaining to England and their current struggles at Euro 2024. Parker as always doesn’t hold back on his views and he speaks exclusively to MyBettingSites.
In this article:
- Southgate is trying to play all of his best players at once
- Anthony Gordon should be in the England team
- Southgate is bowing to media pressure to play best players
Southgate is trying to play all of his best players at once
England have been bad. They have not impressed. Imagine saying that two weeks ago when England’s campaign kicked off. When you saw Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham as a front four ready to spearhead England’s pursuit of glory in Germany. Phil Foden’s light has flickered but hasn’t burned as brightly as it did just a month ago. Bukayo Saka is the ever reliable and trustworthy starlet of the team but we know he’s still in gear three. He hasn’t hit the heights, the speed and the freedom of the 23/24 season. According to Parker, Southgate is trying to fit all of his best players into one team and it’s doing more harm than good.
“He’s trying to play his best players and some of them play in the same position, but he wants them all out on the pitch. And as we know that doesn’t work. Sometimes teams aren’t made up of the ten best outfield players in the country. It doesn’t work that way. “
“You look at Spain and you look at some players who are sitting on the bench and you go, really? But there’s players in front of them who actually fit the system that they want to play. And it’s as simple as that. But at this moment in time we’re trying to fit Phil Foden in who is not a wide player and doesn’t play as a wide player. He goes wide, but then he steps back inside and he’s inside sometimes and he goes outside. He moves about.”
Anthony Gordon should be in the England team
Harry Kane, despite his two goals, looks sluggish and slow. A step behind. Passes dont’ have the normal zip. His touch is bouncing away from him rather than sticking to his boot like a magnet. And then there’s Jude. The saviour. The man with arrogance. To dare. To attempt an overhead kick in the 95th minute. And to actually pull it off. Yet Bellingham has also looked tired, heavy at times and you could argue is trying to do a bit too much on the ball when he doesn’t need to. Yet England are through to the quarter finals. So why all the negativity? And more importantly, what’s the solution? Parker says he would like to see Anthony Gordon brought into the side for the Switzerland clash this Saturday.
“If we’re looking for something a little bit more disciplined, you would play Anthony Gordon without a shadow of a doubt, because you know that he’d be happy to stay wide and create space and if England had Anthony Gordon playing against Slovakia, I don’t think they would have had as many problems as they were getting because they were getting hurt in wide areas.”
“Kyle Walker is struggling a bit because he hasn’t got so many in front of him to organise and to shield him so that he can stay and protect his centre half next to him, stop balls going in or threatening balls that go in behind.”
Southgate is bowing to media pressure to play best players
Interestingly, Parker believes media clamour for the likes of Foden, Saka, Bellingham and Kane to all start for the side has led to Southgate feeling pressured to play them all.
“Sometimes you have to go with natural players rather than going with the best players. It’s square pegs in round holes. So we’re a little bit disjointed and trying too hard to get in what the press says are the best players.”
“And when you become an England manager and you leave out a big name player, the press are then waiting for the team to fail. That’s the problem. Some managers wouldn’t care about it, but it seems like in the current climate, our press seems to be sitting there waiting. One minute they’re calling for something and then it happens and they don’t get a result or don’t get a performance and then the manager is questioned about it.’
Southgate should quit if he wins Euro 2024
As things stand England are a world away from winning the tournament but in the same breath they are ninety minutes away from the semi-finals. Football remains a funny old game. Whilst Southgate’s critics have continued to grow in his tenure, statistically he can’t be argued with and winning the Euro 2024 Championship would be a crowning achievement for the former Middlesbrough manager.
“If he was to go and win it, then I would say that the best thing he could ever do in his life is to step down. And what anyone’s got to say, he’s got an answer. He doesn’t have to say anything. He just has to smile and let people know he’s enjoying his life. I think he should be allowed to do that as well, because you look at what he’s achieved tournament wise and no other England manager has done it.”
Interestingly, Parker is of the belief that after 8 years in charge it’s now time for a change at the top of the England national team. This is partly due to the weighty expectations of being England manager calling the job a “poisoned chalice”.
“If he was to go and win it as well. The history and what he’s got behind him would come more into fruition because of that fact of him winning a tournament.”
