Soccer
Peter Crouch predicts England starting XI vs. Spain
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
That's the credo behind Peter Crouch's belief that Gareth Southgate will name an unchanged starting lineup for England in Sunday's Euro 2024 final against Spain.
The Three Lions went behind early against the Netherlands in the semi-finals and needed a 90th-minute Ollie Watkins winner to secure their spot in Sunday's final. Watkins started the match from the bench but had as big an impact a substitute can have after being called upon by Southgate in the 81st minute, leading to some calls for Watkins to play a bigger role this weekend.
Additionally, Luke Shaw has recovered from injury and could be a candidate to replace Kieran Trippier, who has been playing out of position throughout the tournament.
However, former England forward Crouch doesn't think Southgate will tinker with his starting XI. Speaking to Paddy Power, Crouch explained why he feels the manager will go with the same lineup on Sunday.
“I can’t see any changes to the starting team," Crouch said. "Luke Shaw, potentially, could come in at left-back for Kieran Trippier, who has done a good job filling in out of position. There is a risk given his injuries general fitness after being out for so long though, so I think it’ll be the same team most likely.
“Also, it’s worth saying about all the negativity surrounding Gareth Southgate – he took Phil Foden and Harry Kane off and brought Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer on and they changed the game. You can’t really argue with that.”
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