England manager Southgate’s explanation for Palmer call-up over Chelsea star Raheem Sterling rings hollow
England manager Gareth Southgate claims he selected Chelsea star Cole Palmer over club teammate Raheem Sterling due to needing cover for injured number 10s Jude Bellingham and James Maddison.
As reported by the Evening Standard, Southgate revealed he promoted Palmer from the U21s to provide a creative midfield option after injuries ruled out Bellingham and Maddison.
“We wanted somebody who could play as a 10, Cole’s playing wider for his club, but we hadn’t lost a winger.”
On the surface, Southgate’s logic seems sound. Losing two central playmakers created an opening for Palmer’s skill set.
However, his persistence in overlooking Sterling remains baffling, especially after the winger’s superb recent Chelsea displays.
Southgate noted Sterling was “excellent” in Chelsea’s draw with Manchester City. But he still favours untested players like Palmer in the senior squad.
With the Euro 2024 fast approaching, Southgate’s continued omission of in-form Premier League stars like Sterling is perplexing and troubling. Sterling has netted five times and bagged two assists for the Blues so far this season.
Rather than rewarding consistency and reliability, Southgate seems to bet on potential and versatility when selecting his squads.
Southgate’s endless tinkering and vague explanations have created unnecessary confusion regarding his best XI. His muddled logic for favouring Palmer hardly clarifies matters.
If injuries required a number 10, Mason Mount would have been the obvious solution given his defined England role( though Mount has been under-performing for United as of late). Shoehorning versatile Palmer into this scenario over pure wingers like Sterling seems a stretch.
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At this point, Southgate deserves scepticism when justifying his perplexing squad choices and Sterling snubs. His rationale simply does not compute.
