Gareth Southgate ignores Jurgen Klopp advice yet again with bizarre Euro 2024 decision

It’s safe to say Liverpool fans have found England boss Gareth Southgate’s tactical preferences this summer maddening.

The Three Lions made it to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 on Sunday with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over Slovakia. A goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time from Jude Bellingham, coupled with a header from skipper Harry Kane just a minute into the first half of extra-time helped Southgate and co past Slovakia, setting up a clash with Switzerland this weekend.

But, despite advancing to the next round of the tournament in Germany, England looked, once again, awful. Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo was a welcome addition in the middle of the park alongside Declan Rice, but too often, the Three Lions lacked a cutting edge and were carved open by Slovakia at times.

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With England looking for a route back into the game, Southgate shifted England to a back three, which saw Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze moved to wing-back roles.

However, this decision likely left Reds supporters pulling their hair out, especially with Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold sitting on the bench. Neither came on against Slovakia. Through four games at Euro 2024, England have started Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker at left-back and right-back respectively.

Given Gomez, a versatile defender who played left-back a lot this past season, was taken to the Euros as cover for Luke Shaw, the decision to not utilise the Liverpool star by Southgate is frankly astonishing.

When Trippier went off injured, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer came on, with Saka moving to left-back. Saka has previously played for Arsenal as a wing-back, but clearly, he is not a defender. Spare a thought for former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who must have also been tearing his hair out watching England fail to utilize Gomez.

“I am not standing here telling Gareth who he should pick but you can get one player and have four positions covered," Klopp said following Gomez’s stellar performance at left-back against Man City earlier this year.

"Wonderful. If you play football at this level, there is (big) difference between centre-half, full-back, right, left, to the No 6 – and he is capable of that transition in his mind.

"He is one of those stories. What a wonderful player he is and I am so happy he can show that again. In midfield, the game is coming from all angles. Everything changes and he has dealt with it so well, it's crazy. Really good and super-important."

Then there’s the case of Alexander-Arnold. Parachuted into midfield for the first two group stage games, the Liverpool star has found himself on the periphery for England’s ties against Slovenia and Slovakia, playing just six minutes.

The 25-year-old is not a midfielder, and playing him there is a misuse of his talent. Additionally, while Walker seems to have been picked ahead of the Liverpool star for his ‘defensive quality’, it was the City defender who played Slovakia’s Ivan Schranz on-side for their goal.

However, with Marc Guehi set to miss the quarterfinal clash with Switzerland, both Gomez and Alexander-Arnold might be set for a starting berth. Switzerland play with a back three. If Southgate wants to match up with Switzerland man for man, the best way to do so would be to bring in Alexander-Arnold and Gomez.

Southgate could opt for a back three, left-to-right, of Gomez, John Stones and Walker. That would allow Bukayo Saka, or even Luke Shaw to come in at left-wing back, with Alexander-Arnold starting at right-wing back, which would give England much greater balance going forward.