Micah Richards raised questions about England manager Gareth Southgate’s decision to start Jordan Henderson against Ukraine. Thus, suggesting that Manchester City’s Phil Foden should have been given the opportunity instead.
England secured a 1-1 draw on Saturday evening in their most recent Euro 2024 qualifier. The Three Lions conceded the opening goal, which was because of Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Kyle Walker managed to equalize for England, capping off an impressive individual performance. Jill Scott praised him as England’s best performer in the game. Following the match, there has been notable criticism of manager Gareth Southgate.
A significant portion of the criticism directed at Gareth Southgate centers on his perceived conservative approach, with scrutiny falling on his choices regarding team selection.
What did Micah Richards say?
Micah Richards expressed his frustrations with Gareth Southgate and England’s recent result while appearing on The Rest Is Football podcast. He specifically voiced his displeasure with Southgate’s choice to start Jordan Henderson in midfield instead of Phil Foden.
Richards said: “I just thought… we know what Henderson can do. We know that, we’ve seen it for so many years. It was crying out for someone like Phil Foden to start. Get on the half-turn and make something happen. We knew how Ukraine were going to play. They’re going to drop deep. Even the manager said before the game that they had a plan for how the game’s going to go. Let’s just experiment a little bit more! It’s just frustrating. I’m frustrated, Gary.”
The irregularity of Phil Foden’s starting role for the England team is perplexing. It’s reached a point where this situation can no longer be overlooked.
Despite being one of the most promising English talents at the age of 23, Phil Foden often finds himself overlooked in favor of players like Jordan Henderson.
Micah Richards frustrations are likely shared not only by Manchester City fans but also by many neutrals. Phil Foden is a unique and dynamic player, and many believe he would have been a superior choice in Saturday’s match.
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