Ian Wright slams Trent Alexander-Arnold problem Anthony Gordon would solve amid Roy Keane criticism

As England laboured to a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their second group game at EURO 2024, Newcastle fans were left exasperated as Anthony Gordon was once again an unused substitute.

After complaints about Phil Foden, a natural number 10 playing out wide, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, a right-back shoehorned into midfield, playing out of position in Sunday's 1-0 win over Serbia, Gareth Southgate ignored the criticism and stuck to an unchanged starting XI.

At first, Southgate's decision seemed to be justified as Harry Kane fired the Three Lions into a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. But England retreated after the goal and conceded an equaliser just 16 minutes later.

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With the Three Lions struggling for inspiration, Southgate made changes but they proved to be ineffective. The Alexander-Arnold experiment in midfield hasn't paid off and Foden, who was the Premier League's Player of the Year, continued to struggle on the left-wing.

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane was deeply unimpressed with Alexander-Arnold's performance and believes Declan Rice's performances in midfield have suffered as a result of 'babysitting' his team-mate.

"When you have been taken off in the two games it is clearly not a good sign. I thought it was a huge gamble when he doesn't play there week in, week out, for his club," Keane told ITV Sport.

"I know he drifts in a bit for Liverpool but drifting into a position and starting there is totally different. I have played in midfield and it is a difficult position.

"Physically, getting your distances, he has come up short in the two games. Now it is not all down to him, you would have to put this probably on Gareth.

"If you put a full-back in the middle of the park and this is not against the French or the Spanish and they obviously have tougher tests ahead, it was against teams where you would expect England to have lots of possession and he wasn't up to it.

"It is really important what you do against the big teams out of possession. That is why he has been thrown into the deep end. Of course he is going to be comfortable on the ball, he can see a pass. There is no doubting that. It is the other bits of his game."

"Rice feels like he is almost babysitting him in there and you can't do that at this level. You are going to be found out and he has been."

Alexander-Arnold was replaced by Conor Gallagher but for all his workmanlike qualities, Kobbie Mainoo or Adam Wharton would have offered more creative spark from the bench.

Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins replaced Bukayo Saka and Kane but the decision to bring on Eberechi Eze, instead of Gordon, for Foden left many fans scratching their heads.

The Crystal Palace star is talented but essentially performed the same role as Foden, drifting infield and not affecting the game. With Kieran Trippier playing in an unnatural left-back role, England's threat from the left-hand side has been virtually non-existent.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher bemoaned the fact Gordon wasn't one of Southgate's four changes, while former Newcastle and England captain Alan Shearer outlined his view that in order for Kane to thrive up front, he needs runners on the wings and that is why Gordon must be brought into the team for Tuesday's match against Slovenia.

Week in, week out, Gordon's energy at both ends of the pitch for Newcastle have made him one of the Premier League's biggest attacking threats on the left-wing and his return of 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions proves he has the end product to back it up too.

And while Keane was scathing in his criticism of Alexander-Arnold, Arsenal legend Ian Wright bemoaned the lack of movement in wide areas as a cause of the Liverpool man's downfall in the first two games of the tournament.

"If you are going to bring Trent in, and we have seen his capabilities on the ball at Liverpool and what he can do, he is going to need movement up front. There is no movement up front, there is nothing happening for him," Wright told ITV Sport.

"Of course he is not going to go into midfield and do what he has done at right-back. It is going to be more disciplined for him but there is no movement so he is taking too long to make his decision.

"I don't think there was enough movement from Phil Foden, who was coming inside, Harry Kane was coming deep. We have too many players coming deep when we need him to stretch the play. Saka is the only one who is going that way."

Whether it is Alexander-Arnold who makes way and Foden moves infield to allow Gordon to play wide left, or Gordon replaces Foden in a like-for-like switch, Gordon's introduction is the change Southgate simply must make for the Slovenia game.