‘I thought’ - Gareth Southgate looks foolish as ‘dangerous’ Newcastle United star justifies international U-turn
Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon starred for England in their 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland
Lee Carsley singled out Anthony Gordon as “dangerous” following England’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
A game that started off as a bear pit soon became a stroll in the park of the Three Lions. Declan Rice and Jack Grealish, the two players who copped the most flak having previously represented Ireland, both got on the scoresheet.
Newcastle United star Gordon was given licence to roam on the left flank and took former Everton teammate Seamus Coleman apart on several occasions. Carsley ripped up Gareth Southgate’s script to give the 23-year-old a starring role for the Three Lions.
A piercing ball from Trent Alexander-Arnold almost saw Gordon break his international duck but a one-on-one effort was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. Speaking post-match, the interim England boss hailed Gordon for justifying his selection.
"On a really dry sticky pitch, it's not ideal for dribblers but I thought Anthony (Gordon) was a real threat," Carsley told reporters. "He's carried on his form from last season and he looks a really dangerous player.
"I thought it was good in parts. You've seen some of the things we've tried to do. The lads have to take a lot of credit, all of the credit. I think we've shown we've got some real talent and we can be really pleased with the clean sheet as well.
"I think you've got to give Ireland credit as well. They are very resilient, they closed the gaps and our space maybe became a bit wider (in the second half). We found it a little bit more difficult to get through them but at 2-0 we were quite comfortable."