View
comments
Gareth Southgate may have been on to something with his obsession with right-backs after all. The England manager has used four different full-backs in this tournament, with two of them playing in different positions and all of them being used in different formations, so it was fitting that Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw should combine to give England the lead in such a sudden, spectacular style.
In those almost forgotten days pre-Euro days when Atomic Kitten were struggling to book enough gigs for a summer tour, and Sweet Caroline's claims to be a sporting anthem began and ended with the Castleford Tigers, Southgate's insistence on packing his squad was the subject of some ridicule.
'I know people feel I have an obsession with right-backs, but I just see four good footballers,' Southgate said after naming a 33-man squad that included six full-backs in May, before Trent Alexander-Arnold's thigh injury left him with a mere five. No-one was quibbling with Southgates judgement at 8:03pm on Sunday night.
England's Luke Shaw celebrates scoring the opening goal with Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier
Both Trippier and Shaw have long been Southgate favourites since the time when the latter disappointed him by withdrawing from his squad for the under 21 European Championship six years ago, and both have needed the manager's patronage during at times troubled careers.
Shaw's struggles to make the most of his huge potential at Manchester United have been well documented, with the fact that his 16 England caps have been spread across seven years telling its own story, but Southgate recalled him as soon as he began performing consistently for his club. Trippier has also benefitted from Southgate's faith when banned by the FA for breaching betting rules last season, but there was never any question that he would lose his England place as a result.
Even Alexander-Arnold would have made the final squad if fit despite being dropped for England's World Cup qualifiers last March as Southgate valued his versatility and pace, vital characteristics that run through the heart of his team.
Whereas previous managers have had favoured systems
