They both agreed his decision-making was wrong.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer have today spoken for the first time following England’s disappointing 0-0 draw against Slovenia and both agreed a key decision made was wrong.
“Trying to put a positive spin” on the latest showing, we can confirm there was no use of the word “s**t” to describe the Three Lions’ performance in their final game.
Speaking on the second half however firstly, Lineker noticed improvements:
“In the second half, I thought you could see that if this team continue to play a high press, chances will come. And we may have been playing that way because Slovenia knew that a draw would get them through. So, they were cautious and sat back a little bit. I understand that. But I saw enough to suggest that England are improving slightly.
“Now, I think there were downsides but I think there were real positives, particularly, I thought, when Cole Palmer came on.
“We were still unbalanced on the left, no question about that, and I thought it was a little baffling that he waited so long for Anthony Gordon to come on, because I think (Phil) Foden was playing there but then he was switching with (Jude) Bellingham and I don’t think that really helped either of them in a way, because they were neither here nor there.
“I’m trying to put a positive spin on it. What I did see in the second half was energy and I haven’t seen energy, apart from the first half an hour of the first game, in the other performances.
On the other hand, the first-half was described as “really dreadful” and that Southgate doesn’t have it “in him” to approach the game with the “right set-up” with a last 16 tie rapidly approaching.
Southgate got “selection wrong” says Shearer
Speaking on the team selection, Alan Shearer stated Southgate got it “wrong” and explained as to why Conor Gallagher shouldn’t have started:
“By his own admission, you can tell that. He took him off (Conor Gallagher) at half-time. That didn’t work, I thought (Kobbie) Mainoo coming on was a positive. He did well. I thought he made his substitutions too late giving Palmer, what, 20 minutes-ish?
“What’s Gordon done against him? Because, giving him two or three minutes?
“I think Gordon did more in two or three minutes on the left-hand side then we’ve shown in two-and-a-half games, I think, with forward passing, with a bit of energy, with a bit of class, bit of knowhow.”
England will play Slovakia in the last-16 on Sunday.
