Peter Crouch says Gareth Southgate’s potential decision to leave Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the England squad for Euro 2021 would “remind” him of the time Sven Goran-Eriksson snubbed Jermain Defoe.
The Liverpool defender has been in poor form for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season, although he has produced better displays over the last month.
His mixed displays have led to Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker being called up ahead of him for England’s World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.
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Southgate’s decision to drop the Liverpool full-back gives him less opportunities to impress the England boss before the European Championship in the summer.
And Crouch thinks Southgate has “to find a place” for Alexander-Arnold in his squad for the Euros.
“The selection – or should that be ‘no-selection’ – that surprised me most of all involved Trent Alexander-Arnold,” Crouch told the Daily Mail. “It feels now like Reece James will be going to the Euros ahead of him, provided he stays fit.
“I like James, he’s had an outstanding season but if Trent doesn’t go to the tournament it will remind me of the time Sven Goran Eriksson overlooked Jermain Defoe for Theo Walcott in 2006. Trent is a top player and surely you have to find a place for him in the squad?”
On a different subject, Crouch was asked if lying down behind a wall is the ‘most stupid thing we are seeing on the pitch right now’, to which he replied: “Yes, yes, yes! When I was in a wall, I never jumped.
“It wasn’t because I was conscious of a ball going under my feet but more because I knew if we all jumped, the wall would fall apart and you end up with a situation like what happened between Juventus and Porto.
“People have said to me a player lying down behind the wall that night would have kept Juventus in the Champions League — no. It wouldn’t. Porto scored that free-kick because the wall was a shambles, plain and simple.
“Walls should stand still, like a strong unit. If the ball gets past, it’s up to the keeper to deal with it, whether it is over, under or around.
“There are a few fads that annoy me at the moment but none more so than this.”
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