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Ledley on Dire and others..

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Ledley King column: I’m surprised Dier missed out when we need more leaders like Maguire
The Tottenham coach, and former England player, has joined Standard Sport as our Euro 2020 columnist, providing expert analysis throughout the tournament...

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Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images
By
Ledley King
27 minutes ago

For me, the only real surprise from England's Euro 2020 squad was Eric Dier being left out, at least of the provisional 33.

Eric's a leader, he enjoys responsibility and he has got the experience of previous tournaments. I know Gareth Southgate said it was his most difficult decision and, having worked with Eric this season at Tottenham, for the majority he was excellent, especially at the beginning.

It was the first year he committed to playing just one position but I think the team's dip in form played a part in him not making the squad. It doesn't help when you don't have a consistent partner and there are a lot of changes around the back four.

I haven't spoken to him since the last day of the season, but we obviously had discussions throughout.

Even when the team was performing well and we weren't conceding many, there still seemed to be a negative narrative around the defenders. There were individual mistakes from Eric and others — and that's what people remember.

Even without Eric, Harry Maguire was worth taking. I don't know the full extent of Maguire's injury, but Gareth's got the cushion of the bigger 26-man squad.
Lack of leadership or experience in central defence is an issue and an extra centre-half is one way to shore it up and plug the gaps.​
There will be players who won't play — you see that at every tournament. If England progress to the latter stages, he's someone you could look to. He's a strong character, I don't think the lack of game-time will faze him. It's the right call.

That said, one thing I know is that it's not enjoyable going into big games lacking fitness. When I played, there was no such thing as 100 per cent for a very long time.

I remember going to the 2010 World Cup in a strange situation. Everyone at Spurs knew I didn't train, but I'm not sure England fully realised that. It took Fabio Capello a while to understand that for me to have the best chance of playing, I had to stick to the routine I had at Spurs.


It just so happens that before the tournament I went on a really good run of games as we qualified for the Champions League. For the first time in a while I felt confident I'd be able to play some extra games, so I decided to go. I wouldn't have put myself in that situation if I didn't believe I could get through the tournament.

I felt completely fine, played two warm-up games and then, five minutes into the first group game, against the USA, I felt my groin. That was it, really.

Obviously, my situation was very different to Maguire's. He's already on the training pitch, building up confidence and fitness, which I never had a chance to do. I was always straight into a match-day.

Countdown to Euro 2020: 0 days to go
Everyone has different bodies, different methods for coping, but the most important thing can be the mind. You have to know how to handle yourself coming back from injury, and Maguire strikes me as that kind of character.

He's not massively reliant on speed or going to ground. He plays in control of himself, in control of his body and he has that ability to guide himself through a game, provided there's no recurrence of the same injury.
Gareth obviously has a decision to make for Sunday without him, but I don't necessarily think England need a back-three against Croatia. We still have enough quality to dictate games and cause them more problems than they cause us. We're a much better possession team than when I was in the squad.
But that lack of leadership or experience in central defence is an issue and an extra centre-half is one way to shore it up and plug the gaps.
PA
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I know France have got a difficult group, but I feel with their strength in depth you have to put them as favourites to win it.
 
The biggest miss in this Euro's squad is Joe Gomez by a country mile. Him and Stones should have been the best England partnership we could have, and we wouldn't be taking a stack of RB's.

As for Maguire, a good centre half but one of the most overrated players in world football. My advice to him would be to focus on being a defender first. Every time he pulls on an England shirt he is up in midfield getting in the way of far more technically gifted players. Then he's caught the wrong side of the ball chasing back and exposing his fellow defenders. That is also why he took the recent red card. He is immense on set pieces though.

As for Dier, the only argument I can find for including him is Mings. I have no clue what goes through Southgate's head when he watches Mings. A disaster waiting to happen. Both aren't internationals.
 
Dire a leader....I about spit up my coffee when I read that. Come on Leds... you know better. Dire is average at best...he isn't even my first choice at Spurs for any position. He can play multiple positions..yes..but he really isn't that great at any of them. Just ... meh. Second team depth in my opinion at best.

Never a fan...sorry.
 
Dire a leader....I about spit up my coffee when I read that. Come on Leds... you know better. Dire is average at best...he isn't even my first choice at Spurs for any position. He can play multiple positions..yes..but he really isn't that great at any of them. Just ... meh. Second team depth in my opinion at best.

Never a fan...sorry.
There is/was just too much lovey dovey amongst players and coaches. Mason was just as guilty as Ledders is now.
 
There is/was just too much lovey dovey amongst players and coaches. Mason was just as guilty as Ledders is now.

I agree...no leadership on...and not much off the pitch. Nobody holding players accountable for lackluster play. (The same group picked no matter what regardless of form...just POOR)

For a team that likes to say we want to win things...we lack the needed discipline and leadership to do it...always have. Yeah we have been close...but who hasn't. We still are not a team that has a mature winning mentality.
 
Dier is and has always been a leader.

Perspective. Moussa Sissoko had a dressing room following. That is a bigger WTF than Dier by far.

Nah Dier isn't a leader. He may have more character than some, but definitely isn't a leader. (at least not the way I define leadership...I feel like I have pretty good idea of what it entails...and yeah I know that it comes in various shapes and forms, but fundementally at it's core...leadership is the same across the board and he lacks those traits...in my opinion)

I will agree that there are a lot of other 'WTF' issues as well.
 
Dier is and has always been a leader.

Perspective. Moussa Sissoko had a dressing room following. That is a bigger WTF than Dier by far.

Pointless being a leader if you are shit. :ROFLMAO:

Pointing and shouting at others doesn't mean you are a leader.

A leader must be pretty much faultless and very good at their job.

He is neither.
 
He seems more to be saying that he is surprised that Dier wasn't in the provisional squad which to me looks like he is accepting that he hasn't be good enough really but can't say so publicly

I wouldn't even have him in the B team.

Stones, Maguire, White, Gomez, Godfrey, Dunk, Tarkowski, Mings, Smalling and Mee are all ahead of him.
 
I wouldn't even have him in the B team.

Stones, Maguire, White, Gomez, Godfrey, Dunk, Tarkowski, Mings, Smalling and Mee are all ahead of him.
It's sad to see. The Dier of 2 years ago would easily be ahead of most of them. He's just so so slow and cumbersome now
 
Pointless being a leader if you are shit. :ROFLMAO:

Pointing and shouting at others doesn't mean you are a leader.

A leader must be pretty much faultless and very good at their job.

He is neither.
Not sure I agree with that. There's different way of being a leader. You can be a leader of a team but not be the best of the team. Your skillset is getting the best out of everyone around you.