England will have to make at least one change for their Euro 2024 quarter-final against Switzerland but Alan Shearer wants a handful of tweaks to take place for the tie
Former England and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer wants Gareth Southgate to shuffle the pack for the Euro 2024 quarter-final, with Magpies winger Anthony Gordon joining club team-mate Kieran Trippier in the line-up.
England will be forced into at least one change for Saturday’s match. Marc Guehi’s yellow card in the round of 16 victory over Slovakia was his second of the tournament, so he will miss out through suspension.
There have been suggestions manager Southgate could move to a back three against an undefeated Swiss side, but Shearer has other tweaks in mind. Neither Cole Palmer nor Anthony Gordon has started in the tournament so far, but the pundit wants both brought in at the expense of Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden.
“When you are losing one of your best players that has to be a concern, but it’s another decision the manager is going to have to make,” Shearer told Betfair on the subject of Guehi, who he expects to be replaced by Ezri Konsa. “Whether that is the only change, I suspect not, and suspect there may be one or two other changes.
“I think Gareth will go with a pretty similar line-up,” he added. “I don’t think he’ll go away from what he’s used in the past, albeit he’ll be looking for a big improvement in the performance.
“This is the time where you have to step up. The Netherlands did it in their last-16 game, Turkey were absolutely outstanding as well. There are some huge games coming up in the quarter-finals, so it’s something to look forward to.”
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England left it late against Slovakia in the last round, with Jude Bellingham scoring a last-gasp equaliser before Harry Kane won the game for Southgate’s team in extra-time. Manchester City winger Foden is still waiting for his first goal of the tournament, though, and the 24-year-old – who had one chalked off for offside – owned up to his frustrations.
“I don’t know for the others you have mentioned but I have been a little frustrated. I am not going to lie,” Foden said. “I want to try and score, do better things for England and like I said it has not worked out but it is about keeping a good mentality.
“I have not been the best player in the Premier League to come here and not show it. I feel like every game I am moving forward and hopefully I can put on some good performances and that has always been my aim for England.”
He also suggested the manner of victory in the last round can be a benefit, saying: “Yeah, the way we won the Slovakia game, it’s helped us in a way, I feel like it’s given us so much more belief now, going into the next games, to win it in the way we did, a lot of emotions.”
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