GARETH SOUTHGATE has responded to Gary Lineker’s “we told you so” comments about his England squad selection.
The former Three Lions coach has resigned following a heartbreaking defeat to Spain at Euro 2024.
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Gareth Southgate has responded to Gary Lineker’s commentsCredit: Alamy
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Lineker pointed to criticism of Southgate’s team selection Credit: Getty
Southgate, 54, was criticized for his team selection during the tournament.
Lineker dropped him due to the omission of Jack Grealish from the squad and the limited use of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Anthony Gordon.
The BBC presenter pointed to the changes made by caretaker boss Lee Carsely during the Nations League victory over the Republic of Ireland.
Lineker insisted Southgate’s critics will say “we told you so” after the success of the changes.
Southgate responded to those comments by saying there was “no point” in him getting involved.
He told Sky: “I’ve disconnected from everything.
“It makes no sense for me to talk about the team now.
“It’s up to me to let other people take over, to give them space to go and lead the team to the next challenges.
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– There is no point in me getting involved in something like that.
Southgate also insisted he was in “no rush” to make a decision on his next managerial job.
England v Finland player ratings
Southgate’s England record
Here’s a look at Gareth Southgate’s record as England manager.
Overall record
- Games: 102
- Victory: 61
- Draws: 24
- Losses: 17
- Goals scored: 213
- Goals conceded: 72
What Lineker said about Southgate
Here’s what Gary Lineker had to say about Lee Carsley’s changes since replacing Gareth Southgate…
Speaking on The Rest of Football, he said: “It’s also interesting, isn’t it, that maybe some of the things fans were most disappointed about at the Euros – well, probably three things, maybe more.
“But everyone wanted Anthony Gordon to play on the left because we all saw the weakness and the imbalance on that side.
“Also to be able to run behind players because Kane likes to be short and you have to have a threat behind so he did that.
“The other thing was him [Southgate] he left Jack Grealish out of the squad, which surprised a lot of people, and he came on and played really well.
“And obviously, he never really trusted Trent Alexander-Arnold. In the first game, Carsley came up with all these things and a lot of us said ‘see? We told you so’.”
He added: “I have a lot of opportunities, I’m very open to what comes next.
“It could be in football, it could be outside of football. I’m just going to take some time, refresh myself, recharge and move on.
“I think at this point people know I need to get my energy back.”
Southgate’s successor, Carsely, has had a perfect start since taking over the senior team.
He oversaw 2-0 wins over Ireland and Finland in the Nations League.
In the victory over Finland, Harry Kane marked his 100th game for England with a deadly double.
England Euro 2024 quarrel with experts
Tom Barclay, football reporter
Historically, newspapers have been where the English team directed their frustration when they didn’t play well in a major tournament.
But at this summer’s Euros, pundits rather than the traditional press were on the touchline as Gareth Southgate’s side struggled to get out of their dream group.
In the opening half hour of the 1-0 win over Serbia, Southgate has struggled badly in his first three matches, including poor draws against Denmark and Slovenia.
In particular, it caused fierce criticism from English legends Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker.
Shearer hit out at the team’s 1-1 draw with the Danes on BBC commentary, claiming there was “no excuse” for the lackluster performance.
Lineker was also unimpressed, commenting on his Rest is Football podcast: “I mean, you can come up with some words and swear words if you want, but that was s***”.
Captain Harry Kane held a press conference a few days later ahead of the match against Slovenia where he was asked about Lineker’s X-rating ruling.
The Bayern star said: “What former players who are now experts have to understand is that now it’s very difficult not to listen to it, especially for some players who are not used to it or are new to the environment. I always feel they have a responsibility as a former England player that a lot of players look up to.”
Social media was also predictably awash with criticism of the team, and this spilled over into the stadium after the 0-0 draw with Slovenia, when the hosts threw three empty beer mugs at Southgate as he went to applaud the fans at full-time.
Southgate claimed he was “unaware” of the expert stick he was getting – including from former team-mates – but pointedly labeled the atmosphere he was working in as a “strange environment”.
England were Jude Bellingham’s latest overhead kick away from a humiliating exit in Slovakia in the last 16, continuing their unconvincing run of form before turning it around in extra time.
An annoyed Bellingham threw some “negativity” around the team in his postgame press conference.
While Southgate also opened up about the personal nature of the attacks on him, saying: “I can’t deny some of them are personal, you know… This is a job where you’re ridiculed and your professional abilities are questioned beyond belief, and I don’t think normally they don’t even throw beer at you.”
Southgate then led England to the final, where the team lost 2-1 to Spain thanks to a heartbreaking late strike from Mikel Oyarzabal, before stepping down the following week.
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