Football News: England’s Kane Faces Crucial Decision Ahead of Euro 2024 Semi-Final Clash with Netherlands
As England gear up for their highly anticipated semi-final showdown against the Netherlands at the Euro 2024 tournament in Dortmund, manager Gareth Southgate faces a crucial decision regarding striker Harry Kane‘s role in the team.
Despite netting two goals so far in the competition, the England captain has been less than convincing in his performances, leading former Three Lions forward Ian Wright to suggest that Southgate may need to consider making changes to his starting lineup.
“When you look at the way that Harry Kane has played in the tournament up until this point, you can’t not watch him and say there’s something not right with him,” Wright said on the Stick to Football podcast. “He’s not sharp; he’s not in the box – and now we know Ivan Toney can go to that level and take a penalty [Toney scored in the quarter-final shootout win over Switzerland].”
With England now just one game away from a potential spot in the Euro 2024 final, Wright believes the time has come for Southgate to carefully evaluate his options up front.
“We need somebody who is going to be up there, linking and holding and causing problems for their defenders. At some stage, we’re going to need to make that decision about what’s going on – we can’t just wait for that Harry Kane finish; at some stage, we might run out of time in that respect.”
While the former Arsenal striker remains optimistic about England’s chances against the Dutch, he expects a tough test from Ronald Koeman‘s side, who have impressed with their attacking prowess in the tournament so far.
“I feel like they [the Netherlands] can score, especially with their second half performance [in their quarter-final win against Turkey]. I’d probably go 2-1 England – most popular score in football. What I saw of them, the way they played in the first half – if they start with Memphis [Depay] and [Cody] Gakpo, [they will score].”
As the Three Lions prepare for their semi-final showdown, all eyes will be on Southgate’s team selection and whether he decides to shake things up in the attacking line-up, potentially handing a starting role to the in-form Toney to help bring the best out of the struggling Kane.
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