Euro 2024

Euro 2024: Mills urges Southgate to abandon England Alexander-Arnold experiment

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 21 June 2024

Ex-Three Lions RB Danny Mills delivers verdict on England's start to Euro 2024

Sports Mole speaks exclusively to former England defender Danny Mills about the Euro 2024 performance against Denmark, and his views on the displays of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane.

Former England defender Danny Mills has insisted that the Three Lions must show major improvements if they are to advance deep into this summer's European Championship.

Gareth Southgate's side have picked up four points from their two Group C matches, which has left them in a commanding position to reach the last-16 stage of the competition ahead of their final game in the section against Slovenia on Tuesday night.

However, England have faced heavy criticism for their 1-1 draw with Denmark on Thursday evening, and Mills has now had his say on the fixture, in addition to Euro 2024 as a whole, during a wide-ranging discussion.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was again selected in central midfield against Denmark, but the Liverpool defender was replaced early in the second period, and his experiment in that area of the field could now be over.

"He [Alexander-Arnold] has done okay, but I think it hasn't worked maybe as well as people hoped. That's not necessarily just down to Trent's ability, or his performances. Trent is exceptional at crossing the ball, delivery, passing, range of passing, finding people in space," Mills, who made 19 appearances for England, told Sports Mole.

Former England defender Danny Mills on May 8, 2014 © Reuters

Southgate has a big decision to make on Alexander-Arnold

"To be able to do that, people have to also make runs as well. I think the way that England played last night was too much in front of the Denmark defence. No one was really looking to run in behind. That negates a lot of Trent's arsenal, his ability to deliver long passes, balls over the top.

"If he's got no one to pass the ball to, there's no point in doing that, he's just kicking the ball out of play. So, again, when somebody new comes into this position, and players aren't used to it, you have to build that understanding, build that chemistry.

"I just don't think it's working at the moment. I think we looked nervous last night, a little bit scared at times, which is unusual for an England team."

Mills said that he would bring Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo into the side as Alexander-Arnold's replacement, with the former defender highlighting the difficulties of stepping into central midfield if you are not familiar with the role.

"I think if you are going to play that double pivot and play that role in there, I think I would have to be looking at Kobbie Mainoo. He is the out-and-out holding midfielder. Playing with your back to goal, when you are not used to it, is incredibly difficult," Mills continued.

England's Kobbie Mainoo in action on June 16, 2024 [IMAGO] © Imago

Mainoo backed to replace Alexander-Arnold in central midfield

"I couldn't do it, and if I'm honest, I could play in a charity game now against ordinary people who have never played the game professionally, and I may struggle at times, because if you have never learnt this skill, then you have never learnt it. It is very, very difficult.

"You could maybe get away with it to a certain point at times, but it is very, very hard to do that. You need a specialist in that position who is used to receiving the ball with his back to goal, on the half-turn, so I would be looking at Kobbie Mainoo. He is the out-and-out holder, and that would maybe give Declan Rice a little bit more licence to push forward.

"Then you've got the Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden issue within that. I have said all along, I think you have to play some sort of lopsided triangle in midfield, with a six, an eight and almost a 10, or an eight-and-a-half, within that. Finding that balance is difficult.

"When you look at some of Declan Rice's [best] performances for Arsenal, that has been when Jorginho has been sitting, making the play happen, ticking over, and then allowing Declan to run forward and be more proactive in forward areas. We don't have a Jorginho type of player, so that is where we struggle a little bit in those areas.

"I think we have always known that finding that balance in midfield was always going to be very, very difficult. At the moment, it's not quite right."

England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their first goal on June 20, 2024 © Reuters

Mills defends Kane amid criticism of striker

Kane has faced criticism for his two displays at Euro 2024, but Mills has dismissed suggestions that the Three Lions captain could be dropped, with the centre-forward, who had his injury problems towards the end of last season, needing to work his way back to full fitness.

"I think he obviously missed the last few games of last season. How much of that affected his fitness? Only those inside the camp will know," he added.

"Then maybe he needs to get up to speed, he needs these games to get that sharpness. Strikers, especially of that calibre, you tend to keep playing them, because if they get a couple of chances, they score. Simple as that.

"When you are looking at the chances that Ollie Watkins has had so far in the friendlies leading up to this [Euro 2024]. He has had quite a lot of chances and hasn't scored too many. Kane has one chance and he scores, and when you are talking about knockout football, where you might get one or two chances in a game, you want your most prolific striker in those areas, so I think that is where Kane is at the moment.

"He is just looking for that little bit of sharpness, hopefully that goal helps him. He dropped very deep at times, old habits, which doesn't help sometimes, but I think we lost the game in midfield areas, we got overrun, we got swamped, and you have to start looking at all of those players in there, did they perform to the best of their ability? I don't think there's too many in that midfield last night that can say that they did.

England's Harry Kane scores against Denmark on June 20, 2024 © Reuters

Mills still expecting a semi-final appearance for England

"I have said all along, I think that the depth of the squad, the quality in the squad, they should be making, with a little bit of fortune, the semi-finals. I think we would all expect them to get there, but that depends on the draw.

"They will have to be better than what they have been so far. Hopefully they are getting these bad performances out of the way. No team plays a tournament [and puts in] seven magnificent performances, so let's hope that the bad ones are getting out the way, and that the team starts to settle down a little bit.

"You can't pull the wool over anybody's eyes, last night wasn't good enough, simple as that. Too many players underperformed. There is huge expectations on these players, whether that is weighing on them slightly, only they will be able to tell you that, but it looks a little bit like that, which is unusual because Gareth turned that scenario around when he first came in.

"It now looks like the players maybe are feeling a bit of pressure of the expectations of going on and winning this tournament."

England are bidding to win the European Championship for the first time in their history, with their best performance at the competition coming at Euro 2020, when they were losing finalists to Italy.

Danny Mills was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of BetVictor.