BBC football pundits Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have revealed their England starting XI’s for Euro 2024.
And the three of them have clearly been influencing each other considering the striking similarity of their teams.
However, while Lineker and Shearer named identical teams, Richards threw a spanner in the works by naming one star in a new position.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the trio universally named Everton star Jordan Pickford in goal, with Newcastle icon Shearer saying he had had a “great season” with the Toffees.
Kyle Walker was an easy choice at right-back, with Kieran Trippier selected at left-back both due to the fitness concerns surrounding Luke Shaw.
All three bemoaned the absence of Harry Maguire at the heart of defence after he was axed from the squad through injury, but backed Marc Guehi to deputise next to John Stones.
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Lineker and Shearer both opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation, while Richards went for an attacking 4-3-3 shape.
This being said, the three centre-midfielders all remained the same, with Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden picked.
Captain Harry Kane and England’s 2022 and 2023 Player of the Year Bukayo Saka were the next picks up front and on the right wing respectively.
However, it was the left wing position where The Rest Is Football trio had differing opinions.
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Lineker and Shearer both opted for Anthony Gordon as their left-winger, while Richards selected Premier League Young Player of the Season Cole Palmer there.
But he caveated the selection by saying Gordon would have been his main pick if not to his co-hosts selections.
Explaining his pick, Richards said: “I mean we can’t all pick the same team.
“I’ve been talking about Gordon all season and in fairness to him, since he won the 21s tournament, was playing as like a false 9 at times, I would play him on the left.
“I just think he brings balance to the team.
“But I’m not going to pick him because it’s going to be boring, so I’m going to put Cole Palmer on the left. Rotation.
“Gordon would have been in my XI but to change things up I’m going with Palmer on the left.”
Today the team are travelling to their five-star Golfresort Weimarer Land base camp, near to east-German town of Blankenhain, which the FA have reportedly paid £800,000 for.
BBC and ITV’s Euro 2024 line up in full
Here’s how each channel will line-up:
BBC presenters:
Gary Lineker, Alex Scott, Gabby Logan and Mark Chapman
ITV presenters:
Mark Pougatch and Laura Woods
BBC pundits:
Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand, Ellen White, Frank Lampard, Ashley Williams, Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart, Cesc Fabregas, Thomas Frank, David Moyes, Rachel Corsie and James McFadden
ITV pundits:
Ian Wright, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Karen Carney, Graeme Souness, Eni Aluko, Ange Postecoglou, Danny Rohl and Christina Unkel
BBC commentators:
Guy Mowbray, Robyn Cowen, Vicki Sparks, Steve Wilson, Steve Bower and Jonathan Pearce
ITV commentators:
Sam Matterface, Clive Tyldesley, Seb Hutchinson, Pien Meulensteen and Joe Speight
BBC co-commentators:
Danny Murphy, Martin Keown, Jermaine Jenas and James McFadden
ITV co-commentators:
Lee Dixon, Ally McCoist and Andros Townsend
After acclimatising to their surroundings, the first training session the team will then have will commence on Tuesday June 11.
England kick off their tournament on Sunday June 16 against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen.
The Three Lions will then play Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20 before the final group game against Slovenia in Cologne on June 25.
Since a strong qualifying campaign ending in November, England have not been in ideal form going into the tournament.
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March saw England lose 1-0 to Brazil and draw 2-2 to Belgium.
England then landed their first win of 2024 against Bosnia Herzegovina on June 3 with a 3-0 victory, before being stunned 1-0 by Iceland last Friday.
Gareth Southgate will take the handbrake off at Euro 2024… because he has no choice
By Charlie Wyett
GARETH SOUTHGATE will have no choice but to take the handbrake off his England team at Euro 2024.
The defensive crisis gripping the Three Lions means the only option in Germany, within reason, will be outright attack.
Southgate has often been lambasted for his safety-first approach — even if he points out you must go back to Walter Winterbottom’s sides in the 1950s to find an England manager with a better scoring record.
But with the crocked Harry Maguire left out, Luke Shaw not fit enough to start the tournament and John Stones having made just 12 Premier League starts this season, this is not a defence you would stake your life on.
The last time England went to a major tournament in Germany — the 2006 World Cup — the four centre-backs selected were Sol Campbell (68 caps), Rio Ferdinand (47), Jamie Carragher (25) and John Terry (24).
This time, when England fly out on Monday, the quartet will be Lewis Dunk (six), Joe Gomez (14), Marc Guehi (ten) and Ezri Konsa (three).
It makes Southgate’s decision not to recall the 49-cap Eric Dier for his provisional squad even stranger — especially considering his strong end to the season with Bayern Munich.
The elder statesman in his defence — and the one who absolutely has to stay fit — is 71-cap Stones.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
