”It’s an experiment and we know that we don’s natural replacement for a Kalvin Phillips, but at the moment we’re not flowing as we would like, that’s for sure.”

After England’s underwhelming 1-1 tie with Denmark in their second Group C encounter at Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate’s assessment right away

Two matches, and two early replacements later, the Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment might very well be gone.

England’s pretty poor start to this tournament has revived old scars I didn’t know were still present.

The 2002–2006 Sven Goran Eriksson period dogged my early years as an England supporter since players regularly failed to replicate club performance for their nation. Eriksson crammed all of his stars into an XI and hoped it would work, but he never could build a balanced team.

Like these two games have been, it was typically quite agonising to watch.

Eriksson never picked up knowledge. Just because he is world-class right-back, Southgate has at least hinted at admitting his mistake of experimenting with an inexperienced central midfielder – who is ill-equipped to play the role – in a big tournament of all places.

Alexander-Arnold’s inclusion has had the reverse impact of what was intended—that of enabling England to control and exercise more influence on games.

Worse than that, perhaps misled by what he can deliver in moments – no player created more opportunities than he did in England’s hard-fought win over Serbia – playing the Liverpool man has helped make things somewhat erratic.

Previously self-assured in who they were, a team produced perhaps the most drab, messy, lethargic performance during the draw with Denmark.

Gary Lineker, Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards, and outstanding research followed much of which seemed oddly directed on Harry Kane. Unsurprisingly, Brentford manager Thomas Frank was the only panellist to try and explain the team’s setup; not Kane, was probably more of a problem; when he could fit a word in.

England, Gareth Southgate

Previously attacked for excluding Phil Foden and Jack Grealish at separate periods throughout his England career, Gareth Southgate has

Fairly speaking, Southgate has never had trouble excluding top names in favour of squad balance until this summer. Although changing direction to bring Alexander-Arnold into the team has not worked, you cannot really blame him for attempting.

It is not logical not at least try and find a way to fit him in having gone so near to ending England’s wait for a significant tournament victory without employing one of the most gifted players of a generation.

It is definitely encouraging that England remаins top of their group on four points because this has been tried – and failed.

“We have to accept that if you do that, you’ll suffer occasionally like we have tonight; right now, we’re not using the ball sufficiently,” Southgate said.

Fair play Gareth, but just now we have endured enough. Start Conor Gallagher, sometimes known as Kobbie Mainoo, against Slovenia and let’s all get on with our life.