FIFA World Cup: Gareth Southgate allow us to down along with his substitutions, says Rio Ferdinand after England’s exit

Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has mentioned that Gareth Southgate let the staff down along with his substitutions. The Three Lions succumbed to a slim 2-1 defeat by the hands of defending champions France within the quarter-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 11, 2022 23:37 IST

Ferdinand says Southgate let England down along with his substitutions (AP)

By India Today Web Desk: Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has mentioned that Gareth Southgate let the staff down along with his substitutions. The Three Lions succumbed to a slim 2-1 defeat by the hands of defending champions France within the quarter-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking on his Youtube channel, Vibe with Five, Ferdinand mentioned Southgate let the staff down along with his substitutions however was good until that time.

“Our substitutions are where I think Gareth Southgate let us down. I think he’s been pitch-perfect, touch-perfect in almost every decision he’s made up to this point, but you get into a game like yesterday where this is really where it matters now, and I think Gareth Southgate came up short in the tactical element in terms of substitutions,” mentioned Ferdinand.

The former Manchester United and Leeds centre-back mentioned Southgate was reactive and never proactive along with his substitutions towards France.

“That’s part of tactics, making substitutions, and in-game management and deciding games with substitutions at the business end of a tournament; I think he would hold his hands up maybe in retrospect. I threw a text in the group, and I stand by this: Gareth, in the moment, wasn’t proactive with his substitutions, he was reactive,” Ferdinand added.

He added that Southgate may have taken the sport by the horns and thrown in attackers like Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish on sooner than he did.

“It hit 1-1 and we’re sitting there going take the bull by the horns, make a substitution, get us on the front foot. You’ve got Rashford, you’ve got Grealish who can go on, get us on the front foot and change this game. You’re sitting there going ‘It’s too late, man’. You’ve got to do this when we’ve got the chance of still winning this game and taking the game from them,” mentioned Ferdinand.

Edited By:

Rounaq Sehrawat

Published On:

Dec 11, 2022