Gareth Southgate claims Kalvin Phillips is irreplaceable
June 21, 2024
Kalvin Phillips. England’s attempt to take the lead in Group C of the 2024 European Championship encountered a roadblock when they were stopped to a 1-1 tie in Frankfurt by Denmark. Harry Kane gave the Three Lions an early lead, but Morten Hjulmand’s incredible long-range goal erased it, making it difficult for them to sustain momentum.
After a lackluster display against Serbia, Alexander-Arnold was given another chance to silence his detractors, but ten minutes into the second half, the Liverpool star was replaced by Conor Gallagher due to his continued inability to perform up to par. Naturally, Southgate was barraged with inquiries about Alexander-Arnold’s position in the squad, and the England manager could come up with nothing but an absurd response.
Asked about this substitution, the Three Lions boss said that:- “I wanted to get Conor on; we needed some energy and to press better. He’s (Alexander-Arnold) had some moments where he’s delivered what we thought he would. We know it’s an experiment. We know we don’t have a natural replacement for Kalvin Philips. We’re trying different things and at the moment we’re not flowing as we’d like.”
After a failed loan spell at West Ham, Phillips missed the tournament, leaving a hole in the midfield that Southgate has had trouble filling. Due to the lack of a comparable replacement for Phillips, tactical changes have been made, like as Alexander-Arnold‘s contentious move from his natural position at right-back to midfield.
Going into their last group game against Slovenia on June 25, England leads Group C despite the draw. Securing victory over Slovenia would guarantee them top spot in the group, preventing them from facing Germany in the round of 16.