McNulty’s Advice: Stick to the Basics During Major Tournaments

BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering readers’ questions on all things England before their final Euro 2024 group match against Slovenia on Tuesday. Terry asked about Trent Alexander-Arnold potentially being dropped, pointing out that the issue may have been the lack of movement and running into space in front of him. Phil responded by acknowledging that Trent was put in a difficult position playing in midfield and that perhaps he isn’t a natural fit for that role. He also highlighted that the responsibility falls on the manager, Gareth Southgate, for not addressing this sooner.

Phil emphasized that major tournaments are not the time for experimentation and that Southgate should have worked out any issues with Trent before Euro 2024. He expressed his belief that any experiments that aren’t working need to be ended quickly, especially in such high-stakes situations. Phil’s response suggests that he believes the manager should have done more preparation and testing before the tournament began.

For more insights from McNulty and the latest football news of the day, be sure to read the full Q&A session.