Former England left-back, Ashley Cole, has sparked a debate among sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike with his recent comments on the team's strategy for the upcoming Euro 2024 game against Slovenia.
Cole has urged Gareth Southgate, England’s coach, to 'rest' Bukayo Saka in favor of giving Phil Foden an opportunity to excel in his best position. This suggestion comes despite Saka being named England’s player of the year for two consecutive seasons.
Saka, an Arsenal winger known for his exceptional performances on the field, has been instrumental in leading England towards victory. However, Cole believes that a strategic decision needs to be made between him and Manchester City counterpart Phil Foden.
The case for Phil Foden
Foden was a standout player during Manchester City’s fourth consecutive Premier League title-winning campaign but seems lost when playing out on the left flank for his country. According to Cole, shifting him into his preferred position could potentially unlock new levels of performance from this talented player.
Former England left-back, Ashley Cole, said:
‘I would like to see Anthony Gordon play from the left, I would like to see Foden playing on the right because I feel he’s been unfairly dug out.
‘You can still see it as a rest for Saka. I would like Foden to show the world how good he is because we know. I feel he’s been unfairly criticised playing out of position. People might go well he’s a world class player, he should be able to adapt. Fair point I understand that.
‘But what I see of him playing for Man City I would like to see him play there. In terms of midfield or other changes I’d like to see Kobbie or Cole Palmer play in midfield, be more front footed, dominate the ball a bit more they would be my changes.’
England's recent games against Denmark and Serbia have raised questions about their current strategy. Despite securing four points from these two matches and virtually guaranteeing their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024, their disjointed performance against Denmark suggests room for improvement.
Southgate is facing increasing pressure to change his starting XI as fans call for greater coherence on-field if they are going to progress further into the competition.
Implementing Southgate pressing style
Another point raised by Cole is whether fatigue among players might be hindering them from effectively implementing Southgate’s desired pressing style. While he didn't elaborate further on this point during his interview on beIN Sports show; it does raise interesting questions about how squad rotation and player management might impact England's performance in the upcoming games.
Ashley Cole added:
‘I don’t think you can be unfit at this stage of the season. You’ve gone 38 games in the league plus the cup games, plus Champions League. What I would say is choose fresh players, choose players that can run, choose players that haven’t played as many games. That would be the answer to that.’
Ashley Cole's controversial suggestion to rest Bukayo Saka and give Phil Foden a chance in his best position has certainly stirred up discussions among sports fans. Whether Southgate will heed this advice remains to be seen. Regardless, it is clear that England needs to find its rhythm if they are going to make it through the latter stages of Euro 2024.
