Gareth Southgate Agitated by Comments on Harry Maguire After His Own Goal in the 3-1 Win Against Scotland
Although the situation for Harry Maguire went from bad to worse, Gareth Southgate fortunately came to his defence in a rare outburst. Despite his team winning the friendly 3-1, the England manager went off in his post-match conference after the Scottish fans mocked Maguire for his own goal and every move he made on the field. Gareth Southgate felt that the situation seemed eerily similar to when United brought him on against Arsenal just a week ago.
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Gareth Southgate Says Treatment of Harry Maguire Is a Joke
Despite Gareth Southgate and other pundits claiming that Maguire could not do anything else to prevent his own goal, the Scottish fans and social media did not think alike as they mocked Maguire and thanked him for new content for their pages. Thus, Gareth Southgate was livid at the sustained criticism the defender received.
In his press conference, he stated: “We’re now in a situation where, because of people in our own country, the opposition think they can have fun with him. What’s that about? He’s been an incredible player for England in one of the most successful teams we ever had – critical for what we’ve been doing, and we allow him to be open to that. It’s a joke, an absolute joke. It makes me livid.”
Despite Gareth Southgate’s fury, his expression softened when mentioning his players and the England fans. “Thankfully, he’s got the support of the dressing room and the people behind him. I thought the England fans in the stadium tonight were absolutely brilliant. Great credit to them that he managed to show the composure with the ball, keep the ball and put that moment behind him.”
Gareth Southgate Fires Back in Statement Over Foden’s Best Position: “Speak to Pep.”
Before the game against Scotland, Gareth Southgate came under fire again over his supposed lack of knowledge regarding Phil Foden’s best position. In a statement back in March, the talented left-footer told Gareth Southgate that he prefer to move into central midfield over the next few years and has always seen himself playing there.
Despite the reassurance from the player himself, Gareth Southgate felt reluctant to play him in his preferred position, leaving fans and pundits alike frustrated about his supposed lack of managerial prowess.
However, Gareth Southgate retaliated against the critics by stating he had spoken to Pep Guardiola about the 23-year-old. He does not play centrally for his club. “I assume there is a reason for that. It depends on the level of the game. In the middle of the park, everyone wants to talk about the ball, but there is a lot of detail without the ball. You have to be spot-on with pressing angles and responsibilities. If you fail, you cannot get the game flow.”
Furthermore, he also asked doubters to speak to himself about the decision to play Foden away from his favourite player. “You will have to speak to Pep, the best coach in the world, who plays him from wide. He always has the freedom to drift if we play him wide. That is important.”
Is Euro 2024 the Final Chance for Gareth Southgate?
England fans have a phobia of the term ‘Golden generation’. However, that is the precise saying to describe this generation of England players. For example, Jude Bellingham, the player who has scored in all 5 games for Real Madrid; Bukayo Saka, the golden boy of Arsenal; Phil Foden, the best talent Pep Guardiola has seen since Messi.
Thus, it is no excuse for Gareth Southgate if he fails to bring England back to another final after their tragic loss against Italy at Wembley. What do you think? Is Euro 2024 the last chance for Gareth Southgate? Let us know on our site and in the comments below.
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