Salford locals have had a mixed reaction upon Gareth Southgate’s final decision for England’s 26-man squad.
The England manager has been under pressure this week following the announcement of the world cup squads being released, however Southgate took the opportunity to delay his final decision by 24 hours.
The England squad is known for having a strong front-line so this was a strong concern for residents as “without a strong attack, England could be knocked out in the first stage”, Salford resident, Ben Radditch, 39, explained.
Callum Wilson has been selected for the squad even after his injuries and slow to impress start at Newcastle United, yet Southgate has found some confidence in the 30-year-old striker after choosing him over Brantford’s star, Ivan Toney.
Wilson’s selection has been controversial across Salford as he has yet to prove himself to be a strong forward that the fans are looking for, yet one fan claimed: “You just have to go with Southgate’s confidence with Wilson, I would have put Toney”
James Faulkner, 27, said: “It’s Coming Home.”
Southgate fell under fire from the public eye as Maddison’s position in the squad was up for debate.
The Leicester striker has slipped into the team as it was unsure whether or not the Leicester United forward player was fit for the team. Brendan Rodgers, the manager behind Leicester United Football Club, has come out in support of Maddison exclaiming “he has proven himself with consistency, work ethic, and talent” Brendan Rodgers, 49.
Reece James has also been excluded from the squad as Southgate claims that he’s worried about the player’s form and injury preventing him from playing until the knockout stages, which wasn’t a risk worth taking according to the manager. Ultimately leading to the older generation of defenders as the players of choice
With these differences from the euro 2020 squad, the main question on every football fan’s mind is “Do we have what it takes?”. England are starting in Group B along with USA, Iran and Wales, so Salford fans aren’t worried as the confidence in Southgate.
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