We are 24 minutes into the Euro 2024 final between England and France. England are playing well. They look comfortable. They’re dominating possession and making all the running. They’re building from the back, almost toying with France, but then the ball comes to Harry Maguire. His driven crossfield pass, meant for Luke Shaw, goes straight to Antoine Griezmann and suddenly England are exposed. They’re over-committed and Griezmann has time to find Kylian Mbappé, who proceeds to burst past Maguire, shoot past Jordan Pickford and put France on their way to victory.
The level of journalism to start the article is … amazing
A yes, football fan fiction
And so the inquest begins. Why did Gareth Southgate stick with Maguire? Why was he so loyal? Couldn’t he see it coming? Because everyone can see it coming.
Everyone saw it coming in the last 2 tournaments but he still delivered massively then which is the key part keeping him in contention.
Having said that Stones is the universally agreed starter, and for me the spot next to him should be a fight between Dunk and Guehi (I’m a lot lower than most on rating Tomori). Maguire would definitely be my 4th choice though because his experience at that level invaluable, especially for someone who would only be thrown in in a ‘everyone else is injured’ acenario
Regardless of the brain Dead mistakes he makes every game… the real harm he does to the squad is he simply cannot play out of the back effectively. He’s so slow and labored on the ball, makes poor decisions, doesn’t make the passes he should and doesn’t split lines. It really has to be Stones and Guehi or Stones and dunk.
i think gareth is doubling down in opposition to how the hate for maguire developed a life of its own. we desperately need to move on though, nothing agaisnt maguire hes a good player who hasnt been active and is prone to a blunder. gareth has to put the quality of the team ahead of his grievances about the way maguire has been treated by the public. i respect that he backs his players in this way but in this instance its to the detriment of the team