"I think he might regret that" - Wayne Rooney slams England manager for comments after EURO 2024 draw against Denmark
England legend Wayne Rooney has criticized Gareth Southgate for saying that he has been experimenting with playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. Rooney said that one cannot be experimenting in a major tournament and that he might regret it.
The Three Lions are unbeaten in their first two games at UEFA Euro 2024 but have been far from their best. They narrowly beat Serbia 1-0 with a goal from Jude Bellingham but were arguably lucky to escape with a win. They were then outplayed by Denmark in the second game and managed to edge out a 1-1 draw.
Manager Gareth Southgate has played Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield in the first two games. It has arguably not worked and the right-back was subbed off in the both games. After the draw against Denmark, Southgate also said that playing Alexander-Arnold in midfield is an experiment.
Wayne Rooney, however, reckons Southgate might regret saying that, as he said (via Metro):
"I don’t think you can come into a major tournament and say you’re ‘experimenting'. That’s a strong word to say and if England don’t go far in this competition I think he might regret that."
Rooney also said that England should've selected Jordan Henderson in the squad for his experience and vocal leadership:
"There is a lack of experience in the team and voices. When you’re going to press, you need to talk. I would have taken Jordan Henderson because he is a voice. Harry Kane is not a big talker."
Henderson missed out on the England squad for Euro 2024 after having a poor season at Al-Ettifaq and Ajax. He made 31 appearances across both clubs, providing eight assists.
What Gareth Southgate said about Trent Alexander-Arnold after England's draw against Denmark?
The Three Lions put in a poor performance against Denmark and were dominated across the pitch, especially in midfield. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham didn't gel well together. Alexander-Arnold was subbed off in the 54th minute for Conor Gallagher.
After the game, Gareth Southgate said that England were missing a profile like Kalvin Phillips and touched upon Alexander-Arnold's performance, saying:
"[Alexander-Arnold] had some moments where he’s delivered what we thought he would. We know it’s an experiment and we know that we don’t have a natural replacement for Kalvin Phillips.
"We’re trying some different things and at the moment we’re not flowing as we’d like, that’s for sure."
The Three Lions currently sit atop Group C with four points. They will next face Slovenia on June 25 and a draw would be enough to take them into the Round of 16.