England’s Euro 2024 performance so far has been lacklustre, but will a ‘leaked’ new line-up change things during the upcoming Slovakia game?
After a goalless draw against Slovenia saw England manager Gareth Southgate facing the wrath of angry fans, it seems as though he’s changing strategies.
It’s England's last-16 game against Slovakia this evening (30 June) after reaching the knockout phase, much to everyone’s surprise.
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But who will feature on the pitch?
According to reports, the new XI line-up is going to feature one change to his top picks on the field.
Let’s hope it can make an impact.
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As per The Mirror, the predicted XI switch is expected to be Kobbie Mainoo coming in for Conor Gallagher, and with no other changes in sight, it has to be the power move to increase the team’s performance somehow.
Mainoo previously spoke to ITV regarding his performance with the team and now he might have the chance to change the course of whether they go through to a knockout with Switzerland.
He said: "I've played with them [England players] a couple of times now. It's feeling better and better every time, so I think it'll only get better from here as well."
England's 'leaked' starting XI
- Jordan Pickford
- Kyle Walker
- John Stones
- Kieran Trippier
- Declan Rice
- Marc Guéhi
- Phil Foden
- Jude Bellingham
- Bukayo Saka
- Harry Kane
- Kobbie Mainoo
Is this the magic selection to improve our chances?
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Considering many social media users are considering selling their Slovakia tickets online, it’s hard to tell.
The Euro matches have been part of British culture for decades, with hundreds of thousands of fans dedicating themselves to the weeks of games and festivities.
Talking about his failures this time around, Southgate told the BBC: "We've had different problems to solve as a team over the last few weeks.
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"And I'm the leader trying to connect all of that and keep the juggernaut that is the England football team on the right path."
Some have also criticised Bellingham’s performance, with England captain Kane claiming it’s all part of his development.
As per The Independent, Kane said: “From Jude’s point of view he just needs to keep doing what he’s doing. In tournament football a lot of things are accelerated really quickly. In the first game he was the best player and man of the match and in the last couple of games none of us have reached the level we really wanted."
He added: "He’s dealt really well with going to Real Madrid for his age. So there’s no worries about Jude. He’s a great guy, he believes in himself 100 percent, and from both of our points of view we want to go out there tomorrow and start stepping up our levels.”
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Let’s just hope things get better and Mainoo’s addition makes an impact.
England vs Slovakia will kick-off 5pm UK time on 30 June.
Britt Jones