Jude Bellingham – CaughtOffside

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti on what Kylian Mbappe’s arrival means for Jude Bellingham

CJ — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 09:57:12 +0000

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted ‘nothing changes’ for Jude Bellingham following the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.

A move long in the making, Mbappe finally left Paris Saint-Germain for Los Blancos this summer at the end of his contract.

Bellingham was the catalyst for Madrid last season, notching an incredible 23 goals and 13 assists across all competitions to help the club lift La Liga, Champions League and Supercopa titles.

The 21-year-old primarily played as an attacking midfielder during his Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund days. However, he often played in a more advanced role during 2023/24, even occupying the No.9 spot on numerous occasions.

Mbappe’s arrival leaves Ancelotti with a headache when it comes to fitting the Frenchman into the team alongside Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Bellingham and fellow new signing Endryk.

For Bellingham, at least, Ancelotti insists it’ll be business as usual.

“Nothing changes for him. Nothing changes,” he said (via BBC Sport). “The first season, he surprised a lot, because he showed fantastic quality, a really mature guy.

“The next season will not be different. He is going to be one of the best players that we have, supporting a lot the team with his quality.”

Ancelotti praises Bellingham and England’s Euro 2024 showing

Jude Bellingham pictured celebrating after scoring in England’s 2-1 win over Slovakia

Bellingham scored twice to help England reach the final of Euro 2024 this summer, eventually losing 2-1 to Spain.

His most famous moment was undoubtedly the overhead kick equaliser in the final moments of their round-of-16 tie against Slovakia, sending the game into extra-time, where Harry Kane scored the winner.

However, Bellingham, Gareth Southgate and the England team as a whole came under heavy criticism throughout the tournament from fans and pundits for some poor performances, struggling through games despite boasting immense attacking talent.

But Ancelotti has a very different view, crediting both Bellingham and England for their showing in Germany.

“This is an opinion but Bellingham played really well at the Euros,” said Ancelotti, when asked about criticism of the England midfielder following some of his performances at the European Championship.

“England played really well, they reached the final and were close to winning it.”

The post Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti on what Kylian Mbappe’s arrival means for Jude Bellingham appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Trent situation hasn’t changed, Villa dreaming of Joao Felix and more

Fabrizio Romano — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 18:00:00 +0000

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

—

Absolutely no change in Trent’s current situation despite reports

England’s Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold

As I always repeat, footballers are friends but it means nothing in terms of transfers.

Just because Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham have been seen having dinner together… there’s really nothing more to say.

They are great friends and that’s it.

Real Madrid are monitoring Trent’s situation as reported back in March and the situation has absolutely not changed at all so far.

Villa dreaming of stunning João Félix capture

Aston Villa are dreaming of João Félix.

He’s the ultimate target, especially for Unai Emery who’s a big fan of the player and he’d love to work with him.

It’s still early, nothing advancing now, but one to watch.

Let me clarify guys that it’s a complicated deal because it’s very expensive on fee and salary, but Villa want to try.

Wan-Bissaka prefers Serie A switch, whilst West Ham agree terms with Bayern for Mazraoui

Despite the rumours, I’m not aware of Noussair Mazraoui preferring a move to West Ham over Man United.

Man United still have Aaron Wan-Bissaka and they need him to leave first in order to bring in a new right-back.

The situation whilst I’m writing is that West Ham can make a deal happen now as they have agreed terms with Bayern, but they’re still working on the player side.

It’s also true that Wan-Bissaka would like to move to Italy but at the moment it’s not something advanced or concrete.

An idea offered by intermediaries since April/May was a swap deal with Inter’s Denzel Dumfries, but it’s just agents trying to make a deal for two players out of contract in 2025.

No Barça move for Dani Olmo until Nico Williams story is clarified

Guys, I keep repeating that Barça are focusing at the moment on Nico Williams.

Barça want Nico Williams as their absolute priority and all of their efforts are going into trying to get a deal done.

They’re waiting for Nico’s final approval and for La Liga to give the green light to the deal, so it could be announced at any moment.

Dani Olmo remains very appreciated by Barça, but he will only be discussed after the Nico story is clarified.

Al-Hilal make contact for Vitor Roque

Vitor Roque of FC Barcelona

Sticking with Barça, and this is an important topic; Vitor Roque.

Al-Hilal have made contact with Barcelona and with the camp of the player, and they are prepared to start the negotiation with Barça.

It’s not correct to say that there is already an agreement between Al-Hilal and Barça, but there are contacts ongoing between the clubs, and Al-Hilal are really interested in Vitor Roque.

The new regulation in Saudi Arabia allows the club to have two players under 21 and it’s really important to have young talent in the squad.

Now Al-Hilal are trying and it could be important for Barça and Financial Fair Play, because obviously it will help Barcelona a lot for their movements – but it depends on the player.

Vitor Roque had the possibility one year ago to go to Man United, to go to Italian clubs, he had many possibilities – and he decided to go to Barcelona. Now, one year later, he has to decide whether he wants to go to Saudi Arabia or not.

It depends on the player, depends on his agent, depends on his staff, but the interest of Al-Hilal is there so let’s see if it’s going to become something close or concrete.

Chelsea waiting on Villarreal and Osimhen wants PSG

Chelsea want Villarreal’s Filip Jorgensen

I’m not aware of anything fresh between Chelsea and Victor Osimhen.

What I wanted to say is that Victor Osimhen, first of all, wants to leave Napoli, and the intention of Napoli remains to sign Romelu Lukaku, so this is the plan.

What’s happening with Osimhen at the moment? Paris Saint-Germain have no intention to accept the first two conditions that Napoli discussed with them last week.

Almost seven days ago, Napoli asked for Kang-in Lee to be part of the deal and PSG said no. Then Napoli asked PSG to pay the release clause, and PSG said no.

So if the price drops, we can still consider PSG as an option, because Victor Osimhen would love to go to PSG and gave the green light to them 10 days ago.

More Stories / Latest News

Chelsea in shock talks for former player to return after €40m transfer collapsed

Aug 11 2024, 23:38

Chelsea’s €40m transfer falls through after major problem finalising contract

Aug 11 2024, 22:54

Enzo Maresca explains what excites him most about Chelsea’s new €60m man

Aug 11 2024, 22:00

I can also tell you that there is still no business between Chelsea and Villarreal for Filip Jörgensen.

From what I’m told, the goalkeeper wants to go to Chelsea and Chelsea are working on it.

They offered €20m but Villarreal want €25m, so it’s a really small gap.

The negotiation will probably go to next week, but there’s a big chance to get the deal done.

Newcastle appreciate Marc Pubill but nothing close yet

There have been rumours linking Almería’s Marc Pubill with Newcastle, and whilst he is appreciated, at the moment there are no negotiations ongoing for him.

He’s been scouted for months, same with Italian clubs like Roma who have also been monitoring him.

At the moment, still nothing close or advanced.

The post Exclusive: Trent situation hasn’t changed, Villa dreaming of Joao Felix and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano’s specific Trent update after Liverpool ace spotted with Bellingham

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The rumours that Trent Alexander-Arnold could be on his way to Real Madrid just won’t subside, and it hasn’t helped that the Liverpool man has been spotted dining with Jude Bellingham.

This time last year, Bellingham was being unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu, and it’s fair to say that in the space of a year, he has cemented himself as a fulcrum of the current Los Blancos side.

Having already won La Liga and the Champions League in his debut campaign in Spain, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine the 21-year-old espousing the virtues of his employers to anyone that wants to listen.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham have been spotted dining together

With Liverpool now in a transitional period under Arne Slot, there are cogent reasons why certain first team stars might be considering their futures.

After all, it’s never going to be the same as it was under Jurgen Klopp, though Slot really does need to be given a chance to be able to get his feet under the table before players make any decisions on what happens next.

As Fabrizio Romano reports, anyone believing Trent is any closer to Real at this point is wide of the mark.

No change in Trent’s situation – Romano

“As I always repeat, footballers are friends but it means nothing in terms of transfers,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing.

“Just because Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham have been seen having dinner together… there’s really nothing more to say.

“They are great friends and that’s it.

“Real Madrid are monitoring Trent’s situation as reported back in March and the situation has absolutely not changed at all so far.”

As transfermarkt note, Trent’s contract ends in June 2025, so he may well give Slot until January before making a final decision.

If the Dutchman hits the ground running, there’s no reason for the full-back-cum-midfielder to leave Anfield, but if he’s not overly impressed, then Trent will likely leave for free in a year’s time.

The post Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano’s specific Trent update after Liverpool ace spotted with Bellingham appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore: England have a massive inferiority complex that’s stopping them winning tournaments

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:39:37 +0000

When England qualified for the final of Euro 2024, given the way in which they’d play to reach the showpiece, there was enough of a reason for supporters to believe that the Three Lions had their name on the cup.

Gareth Southgate’s side were far from their best throughout the tournament, and yet somehow dragged themselves to Berlin where they’d eventually be undone by a brilliant Spain side.

England did have their moments, but Stan Collymore believes their failure to get over the line in major tournaments is down to a massive inferiority complex that they have.

England’s inferiority complex is continuing to hurt them

“It’s always been the same for England for over 50 years. I think that there is this feeling of inferiority at international level because of our record and because of the hype. “It’s coming home, 60 years of hurt….,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“People say that English players play well at their clubs because they’ve got foreigners around. That’s rubbish. Phil Foden’s performances and Jude Bellingham’s performances were because of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, not because they have foreigners around them. Likewise, Harry Kane.

“I can certainly say, thanks to my own brief foray with England, that you feel that you have to play this mythical thing called international football that is more cerebral, that is more intelligent, so you end up doing things you normally wouldn’t, and that’s where the passing along the back comes from.

England have a massive inferiority complex says Stan Collymore

“[…] I think we’ve got to have a look at what are the hallmarks of English football. One is tempo, two is intensity, three is aggression, and four is attacking, and I think we actually need to have those as cornerstones.

“A lot of the guys that play for England now, they have seen the Barcelona of 2011 and the Spanish sides of 2008-2012, and gone “we need to keep possession and slow the tempo,” but that’s the antithesis of what the very best of English football is about.

“If you want proof, every time that we went behind in the Euros, we upped the tempo, upped the aggression and got back in the game.”

Although one never had a feeling that England were a team that sometimes played like a ‘frightened rabbit in the headlights,’ there was very much a feeling, particularly against Spain, that the Three Lions were always going for the safety first option.

That things were a little cagey and no one really wanted to put their head above the parapet and grab the game by the scruff of the neck like the Turkish or Georgian sides were doing in their games, for example.

If England are consistently making it to the business end of tournaments, then the players need to puff out their chests and play brave, front foot, attacking football.

They deserve to be in such esteemed company, so it’s about time that English football and England footballers believed it.

The post Collymore: England have a massive inferiority complex that’s stopping them winning tournaments appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore: Kane needed rest and Bellingham was too keen at Euro 2024

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:02:19 +0000

So near and yet so far. The usual story for England at international tournaments.

Whilst the Three Lions have come the closest they ever have to adding to their 1966 World Cup win under Gareth Southgate’s stewardship, the plain fact of the matter is that the national team still haven’t got over the line.

Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham were particularly underwhelming, and when you consider the calibre of player that has pulled on the shirt over the years, that’s nothing less than a disgrace.

But how can it be changed?

Kane and Bellingham were disappointing for England

Stan Collymore believes it’s time that the big names fall in line with the rest of the squad.

“In terms of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s individual performances, I’m not so worried about Jude because I think that this was his first tournament on the back of the elation of winning La Liga and the Champions League and being the best player for Real Madrid,” he said to CaughtOffside for his exclusive column.

“I think that he came flying out of the blocks in in the first half of the first game at the Euros, but then the drop off in the second half of the first game was was noticeable. He’s got to manage his minutes, his emotional state and his physical state much better.

“Harry had an excuse of already playing year in and year out, whether it be for club or country, in the Premier League, Bundesliga, at World Cups, pre and post-season tournaments, and I think he was genuinely knackered.

“We’ve had this sort of problem before of course, going right the way back to Jimmy Greaves. He got injured before the World Cup in 66, Geoff Hurst comes in and scores a hat-trick in the final, and then stays in the side forever. It happened with Gary Lineker too, and Alan Shearer.

“We had at least 10 strikers waiting to step into Shearer’s shoes at international level, but no one could get a look in even when he went 12 England games without scoring, which would be unthinkable now for any striker.

“From my perspective, I’d like to think that the next coach would look at Harry Kane and say, ‘ok, you’re the number nine, you’ve scored a load of goals over the last decade, but if you’re not doing the business, we’re going to take you off at 60 minutes’ etc.

“Gareth Southgate, to his credit, has smashed the glass ceiling now, and although subbing Kane or leaving him out entirely could have been done sooner, the precedent has been set.

“In future, no matter the name, if you’re playing poorly, the national team coach has to have the bravery to make those big calls for the good of everyone, including themselves.”

It’s hard to disagree with Collymore’s opinion. If it’s all about winning games and winning tournaments for a manager, than outside pressures need to take a back seat.

Managers do have to be brave in making what might ostensibly be considered as bold decisions, whilst players themselves have a duty to hold their hands up if they’re not at it.

Bellingham’s ‘who else’ statement after putting away that last minute overhead kick came back to bite him later in the tournament, because there were a number of players on the bench that could’ve arguably given more to the cause than the 21-year-old.

The post Collymore: Kane needed rest and Bellingham was too keen at Euro 2024 appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Collymore’s column: England – six out of 10 at Euro 2024, a massive inferiority complex and why Emma Hayes should be manager

Stan Collymore — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 09:33:55 +0000

In his exclusive column for CaughtOffside, former Aston Villa attacker Stan Collymore discusses some of football’s biggest talking points, including why England were only a six out of 10 at Euro 2024, why big name players must be subbed if they’re not playing well, and why Lee Carsley will be the new England coach despite Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman both deserving to be in the conversation.

—

I’d give England a six out of 10… players such as Kane and Bellingham can’t be above being subbed

I’d give the overall England performance at Euro 2024 a six out of 10, because we got to a final which only two teams can ever do, but the performances to get there, and the side of the draw that we had… I think a six out of 10 is fair enough.

In terms of Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s individual performances, I’m not so worried about Jude because I think that this was his first tournament on the back of the elation of winning La Liga and the Champions League and being the best player for Real Madrid.

I think that he came flying out of the blocks in in the first half of the first game at the Euros, but then the drop off in the second half of the first game was was noticeable. He’s got to manage his minutes, his emotional state and his physical state much better.

Harry Kane was knackered during Euro 2024

Harry had an excuse of already playing year in and year out, whether it be for club or country, in the Premier League, Bundesliga, at World Cups, pre and post-season tournaments, and I think he was genuinely knackered.

We’ve had this sort of problem before of course, going right the way back to Jimmy Greaves. He got injured before the World Cup in 66, Geoff Hurst comes in and scores a hat-trick in the final, and then stays in the side forever. It happened with Gary Lineker too, and Alan Shearer.

We had at least 10 strikers waiting to step into Shearer’s shoes at international level, but no one could get a look in even when he went 12 England games without scoring, which would be unthinkable now for any striker.

From my perspective, I’d like to think that the next coach would look at Harry Kane and say, ‘ok, you’re the number nine, you’ve scored a load of goals over the last decade, but if you’re not doing the business, we’re going to take you off at 60 minutes’ etc.

Gareth Southgate, to his credit, has smashed the glass ceiling now, and although subbing Kane or leaving him out entirely could have been done sooner, the precedent has been set.

In future, no matter the name, if you’re playing poorly, the national team coach has to have the bravery to make those big calls for the good of everyone, including themselves.

England have a massive inferiority complex

English football has a massive inferiority complex.

It’s always been the same for England for over 50 years. I think that there is this feeling of inferiority at international level because of our record and because of the hype. “It’s coming home, 60 years of hurt….”

People say that English players play well at their clubs because they’ve got foreigners around. That’s boll**ks. Phil Foden’s performances and Jude Bellingham’s performances were because of Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, not because they have foreigners around them. Likewise, Harry Kane.

I can certainly say, thanks to my own brief foray with England, that you feel that you have to play this mythical thing called international football that is more cerebral, that is more intelligent, so you end up doing things you normally wouldn’t, and that’s where the passing along the back comes from.

Foden was out-shone by Bellingham in England’s win over Serbia

It’s like you watch the Spanish, you watch the Italians, you watch the great Germans and they all pass it along the back, but English football doesn’t realise that there’s method to the madness. Spain will pop it very quickly into midfield and then their players, already waiting on the half-turn, are off on the run.

The general feeling amongst the English is that international football is some higher form of the game, and it’s not. Georgia proved that. Turkey proved that. You can go out and play in a way that is on the fruitful and exciting side, utilising your assets and getting results beyond your your ranking.

So from that perspective, I think we’ve got to have a look at what are the hallmarks of English football. One is tempo, two is intensity, three is aggression, and four is attacking, and I think we actually need to have those as cornerstones.

A lot of the guys that play for England now, they have seen the Barcelona of 2011 and the Spanish sides of 2008-2012, and gone “we need to keep possession and slow the tempo,” but that’s the antithesis of what the very best of English football is about.

If you want proof, every time that we went behind in the Euros, we upped the tempo, upped the aggression and got back in the game.

There’s a lot of talk about winning tournaments with 60-70% possession, but you can win a tournament with 40% possession. You can win a tournament with equal possession.

Ideally, if you’re Pep Guardiola, you win a tournament with 70-80% possession, and with exciting attacking play, but don’t forget that when Pep gets to sign the players that he wants, they are specific players to do specific jobs in specific areas of the pitch. The England national team is a markedly different proposition.

England should consider a woman to replace Southgate but Carsley will be the FA’s man

Emma Hayes

Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman should definitely be in the conversation to be the new England men’s first-team manager because they’re successful football managers in their own right, they know the FA system and the inner workings of it.

The reasons that they won’t be are because I think there will be a feeling inside the Football Association that ‘we’ve got the best group of players ever, and we don’t need experiments.’

How will a group of men react to a woman manager? Would they subconsciously think ‘no she can’t do the job, she’s only managed Chelsea Women’ for example, and that’s the reality.

Only one step above that would be Lee Carsley and I’ve got a sneaky feeling it’s going to be him. Why?

The FA’s St George’s Park system was designed to produce players and coaches for the elite level, and with Lee Carsley, they’ve done that from scratch. They’ve invested a lot of money in him to get to this point, and his England U21 team is, pound for pound, the best England team that I’ve ever seen.

They’re solid at the back, they pop it around everywhere, and play front foot, attacking, inventive and creative football. So, the FA system is shown to be working.

As importantly, it’s the antithesis of spending £17m on somebody (Pep Guardiola?) to come in at the last minute, grab a group of players and try and get them over the line at a major tournament.

The reality for England fans is that they don’t care that St George’s Park creates players and managers but they should, because all of the other European nations had managers that came through their respective systems. It should matter if we want to be a self sustaining football association.

Lee Carsley is a very good coach but the level of risk is that he’s never managed anybody significant and isn’t the big name – Steven Gerrard/Frank Lampard/Pep Guardiola – that people want to see. ’Lee who?’ some might say, as well as reminding everyone that he played for Ireland. Not very God save the King is it.

So, if the FA are going to appoint Lee Carsley, the England PR machine needs to get him out there. They need to put out an urgent, positively worded, press release, and get him on as many TV and radio shows, and in as many newspaper columns as possible in order to give him a fully rounded personality who England fans can get behind.

If England then spank Finland in their first Nations League game and then beat Greece away, all of a sudden we’re rocking and rolling and you create a personality that can start to walk alongside those aforementioned big names.

The post Collymore’s column: England – six out of 10 at Euro 2024, a massive inferiority complex and why Emma Hayes should be manager appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Players believe Liverpool star’s ‘strong friendship’ with compatriot could lead to shock transfer

Andrew Walker — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 13:43:20 +0000

Trent Alexander-Arnold is reportedly considering his options ahead of his contract expiring at Liverpool this time next year.

The defender’s deal is set to enter into its final 12 months, and with the Reds yet to offer the full-back a renewal, speculation over his future is beginning to mount.

Rumoured to be an emerging transfer target for Real Madrid, for the first time in his Liverpool career, Alexander-Arnold, 25, is seeing his long-term future questioned.

England players believe Jude Bellingham could influence Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold pursuit

And according to a recent report from the Independent, one aspect of the impending transfer saga that could push things in Los Blancos’ favour is Alexander-Arnold’s ‘strong friendship’ with midfielder and compatriot Jude Bellingham.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (left) and Jude Bellingham (right) have formed a ‘strong friendship’ while away on international duty with England.

The pair, who were both included in Gareth Southgate’s final 26-man squad for this summer’s EUROs in Germany, are believed to have grown closer prompting ‘many’ of the Three Lions’ squad to ‘talk as if it could swing the Liverpool wing-back to Real Madrid when his contract runs out next year’.

Man City’s Erling Haaland drops Real Madrid bombshell

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 03:29:22 +0000

It isn’t a thought that any Man City fan in their right mind would want to contemplate, however, it does appear that Erling Haaland sees his future away from the club.

The Norwegian remains one of the world’s best marksmen having plundered goal after goal whilst at the Etihad Stadium, though it seems La Liga beckons for the hit man.

Erling Haaland wants to join Real Madrid

According to Fichajes, he has expressed a clear desire to move to Real Madrid in order that he can link up with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham.

The thought of such a front line is likely to strike fear into the heart of all opposition defences, and would surely rival the likes of Cristiano, Bale and Benzema as well as Messi, Suarez and Neymar as the best ever.

Erling Haaland could leave Man City and join Real Madrid

It isn’t clear what needs to happen in order for Los Blancos to be able to afford the player, but it may be that Haaland will see out the remainder of his current contract at the reigning Premier League champions before moving on a free transfer in the same way as Mbappe has.

Tuesday saw ‘Mbappe day’ at the Santiago Bernabeu, where the Frenchman was greeted by a full to capacity stadium to see him in the all white kit, and to hear his first words as a Real Madrid player.

Haaland could expect much the same treatment if he were to sign on in due course.

His apparent desire to leave might well have something to do with Pep Guardiola, as the Catalan is expected to leave the Cityzens at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season.

The post Man City’s Erling Haaland drops Real Madrid bombshell appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“Thank you for everything” – England star with classy tribute to departing Gareth Southgate

Mark Brus — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:53:02 +0000

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has paid a classy tribute to departing Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate after the news from earlier today that he’d be stepping down.

Bellingham became a key player for England under Southgate’s management, and it’s clear the 21-year-old thinks very highly of him as he described him as one of the most successful coaches in the national team’s history.

Bellingham thanked Southgate for everything he’d done for him, with the Real Madrid ace starting out as a fan watching this England team when Southgate first became manager.

Since then, Bellingham has risen to stardom after his breakthrough at Birmingham City, a spell at Borussia Dortmund, and then his big move to Real Madrid last summer, which has already seen him win a La Liga title and the Champions League.

Unfortunately, Bellingham could not get his hands on the European Championship trophy at the weekend, with Spain beating England in the final.

Jude Bellingham with England at Euro 2024

Gareth Southgate steps down as England manager with immediate effect

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 10:15:58 +0000

It isn’t really a surprise to understand that in the aftermath of England’s European Championship final defeat, manager, Gareth Southgate, has decided to step down with immediate effect.

A man that has managed to galvanise the Three Lions to two finals and the latter stages of the World Cup, whilst bringing some sort of harmony to the England dressing room, still hasn’t managed to get them over the line in a major tournament.

Gareth Southgate steps down from the England job

?England have announced that Gareth Southgate will step down from his role as England manager after the Euro 2024 final defeat.

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) July 16, 2024

When push came to shove against Spain, Southgate reverted to type and played defensively for the most part.

He also didn’t appear to possess the courage to drop both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham for the showpiece, despite the fact that both had been well below par in the tournament to that point.

Neither impacted the final in any meaningful way either, and though Cole Palmer came off the bench to great effect, it was too little, too late as far as England’s chances of landing a long-overdue piece of silverware was concerned.

Gareth Southgate has stepped down from the England job

It is perhaps a little unfair that he should be judged on his failures because he has done more for the national team in terms of togetherness and will to win that most realise.

He hands over the reigns to someone new with the England squad in a much better place than when he took over.

If there’s one criticism, which needs to be addressed as soon as the new man in charge is chosen, it’s that they’ve got to stop playing an English brand of football.

The game has moved on incredibly, and therefore the national team also need to move with the times.

Most of the players are used to playing in an attacking, front-foot, system, so booting it long from Jordan Pickford needs to go out with the rubbish.

Time will tell if the FA pick the right man to replace Southgate.

The post Gareth Southgate steps down as England manager with immediate effect appeared first on CaughtOffside.