Alan Sherer has advised England to make two changes to their starting XI against Denmark (Picture: Getty)
Alan Shearer has advised Gareth Southgate to make two changes to the England side for their next Euro 2024 game against Denmark.
The Three Lions got their campaign off to a winning start with a 1-0 win over Serbia last Sunday, with Jude Bellingham’s early goal proving decisive.
Despite recording an important win, Southgate and his team were criticised for failing to build on their early advantage, with their second half display representing cause for concern.
Phil Foden, the PFA Football of the Year, again struggled to reproduce his Manchester City form for his country and was hampered by playing on the left-wing.
Shearer believes dropping Bellingham into a deeper role would free up Foden and allow Southgate to play a more natural wide player on the opposite flank to Bukayo Saka.
‘I wouldn’t call it a big concern, but the more pressing thing is what happened to Trent in midfield, I thought he did alright without being spectacular,’ Shearer told Betfair. ‘Is Phil Foden going to continue to play on the left hand side?
‘I don’t think having a right footed left back in Trippier helps Foden, because every time you’re getting the ball, you are receiving it on the inside. Those are the things I’d be looking at.
How England could line-up against Denmark
Alan Shearer wants to see Phil Foden in the No.10 role against Denmark (Picture: Metro)
Phil Foden struggled against Serbia in England’s narrow 1-0 win (Picture: Getty)
‘The two talking points are who plays alongside Rice and who plays on that left side. Saka on the right in the first half was unplayable, he tied the two left sided players inside out, in the second half he didn’t really have a kick because they came out and did much better.
‘I would play Bellingham alongside Rice and Foden as the 10, which is where he wants to play.
‘ I don’t think that would be a problem at all, you’re playing Bellingham with Rice so you free up that left side for someone who can run in behind, whether that would be Eze or Gordon. That’s what I would have done and that’s what I’d do against Denmark.’
Stressing the importance of England getting the best out of Foden, Shearer added: ‘He wants to have the freedom and I think England have given him that, even after five minutes into the game he was on the right, he has got the freedom to move and go wherever he wants but when Bellingham is playing in a 10 role then it’s difficult for him to go over there and go into a crowded space.
‘When you’re playing against a packed defence, like England were against Serbia then it’s really important to keep your width, with Saka one side and Foden the other, almost getting the chalk on their boots from the touchlines.
‘That’s how you make it difficult for the opposition, but of course Foden doesn’t want to do that, Saka doesn’t mind but that’s not Foden’s game, he wants to roam and he wants to come inside.
‘I’d feel better if he was in the 10 role and I don’t think that would crowd it up, Bellingham would sit alongside Rice and he would then have the freedom to go forward if he wanted to do that.’