Rio Ferdinand Criticizes Gareth Southgate for Wasting Talent After England’s Disappointing Display Against Denmark

England entered the 2024 UEFA Euros as one favorite to win the tournament. However, English legend and renowned soccer analyst Rio Ferdinand now thinks the Three Lions can’t dream of winning the title if they continue their lackluster form. Gareth Southgate’s men had already faced flak for registering a narrow win against Serbia on match day one. The English side’s form dipped further after Denmark held them to a 1-1 draw on the second match day. This abysmal outcome has forced Ferdinand to call out Southgate and Co. for not utilizing the team’s elite talent pool.

The former Manchester United center-back took to X and lamented England’s forgetful display against Denmark last night. “Disappointing really of England. Expected so much. The talent we got on the pitch. The talent we got on the bench. Not being utilized outright. It’s disappointing,” Rio Ferdinand said.

He added, “Everything’s just disjointed. I just can’t believe with the talent we’ve got, this generation of players that were just gonna go out there and sit back.” Thereafter, Ferdinand pointed out that it is paramount for Gareth Southgate and Co. to find a proper balance within the English team.

“One of the things is finding a balance in the team. We’ve got a right back playing left back. We’ve got another right-back playing center midfield. So these players playing out of position and it looks just disjointed from back to front,” the Red Devils veteran continued. Similar to Ferdinand’s lament, quite a lot of pundits and fans questioned Southgate’s decision to deploy a traditional full-back like Trent Alexander-Arnold in the midfield.

Besides, the veteran English boss also came under scrutiny for leaving an exceptional bunch of midfielders on the bench.

Gareth Southgate’s midfield moves upset the soccer world after England’s draw

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been improving his midfield trade under Gareth Southgate’s supervision for more than a year. However, he failed to make a mark for England in the two opening games and was called back before the final whistle. Southgate says he depends on the Liverpool star because he sees a potential replacement for Kalvin Phillips in the former.

Anyhow, it is quite surprising that the English boss is looking to replace Phillips with a right-back when he has midfield heavyweights such as Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo on the bench.

It was up to Rio Ferdinand to expose England’s disorganization considering these flaws and lack of care. Even while doing so, Ferdinand revealed that he still hopes the Three Lions will improve and bounce back stronger. Southgate’s men next take on Slovenia in their final group game. England’s gameplay in that game will be crucial to determine how the tournament goes for one of the most-coveted favorites at the European stage.