Jamie Carragher, the renowned football analyst, has expressed his suspicion about why Manchester City's three key players - John Stones, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden - have been unable to replicate their club form with the England national team. Despite having a successful run at Euro 2024 group stage, England’s performances have been underwhelming. This article delves into Carragher’s insights and explores potential reasons behind this discrepancy.
England topped their Euro 2024 group by securing five points from their matches against Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia. However, the team faced criticism for its lackluster performance despite boasting high-quality players. The team managed a narrow victory over Serbia (1-0), followed by draws against Denmark (1-1) and Slovenia (0-0).
The trio from Manchester City – Stones, Walker and Foden – were not necessarily the worst performers but they certainly did not exhibit their usual brilliance seen in club games.
The impact of 'historic success'
Carragher suggests that these players are accustomed to nothing but historic success with Manchester City. Their struggle might be due to adjusting to an international platform where such success is not guaranteed or frequent.
Euro 2024 has been challenging for Three Lions fans who are eager for improved performances as the nation advances into knockout stages. There is ongoing debate about repositioning Foden as number 10 and shifting Walker to play left-back in order to accommodate Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Jamie Carragher, Liverpool manager, said:
“My suspicion is there are many in the England squad who are in unknown territory in having to deal with such levels of criticism playing for their country. This is the first bad tournament of the Southgate era.
“The Manchester City lads have had nothing but historic success throughout their careers.”
Differences between the mentality of managers
According to Carragher, one of the main reasons behind this performance gap could be attributed to managerial differences between Pep Guardiola at Man City and Gareth Southgate with England.
While there is no denying that England boasts an incredible squad filled with talent that should ideally thrive as they do at the Etihad, Carragher believes that the difference lies in the management. The players are not under Guardiola's guidance but are working with Southgate, who is perceived to struggle with problem-solving and often tries to fit square pegs into round holes.
Carragher also hints at a possible mentality difference. Manchester City has cultivated a strong winning culture which may not be as prevalent within the England team. This shift in mindset could potentially affect player performance on an international level.
While England's Manchester City players have shown exceptional form at club level, their performance for England has been less impressive. According to Jamie Carragher, this could be due to differences in managerial style and team culture between Manchester City and England’s national team. As Euro 2024 progresses, it will be interesting to see how these players adapt and perform under different circumstances.
