England are scheduled to take on Croatia in the second semi-final of the 2018 World Cup on Wednesday evening and Gareth Southgate’s side are the favourites to come out on top – atleast on paper.
The England manager is expected to name a very similar side to the one that beat Sweden in the quarterfinal but some fans want Southgate to make one particular chance.
After the quarterfinal victory, Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling has come under heavy criticism from a large section of the fans particularly for his inability to finish off chances.
Some people have even gone on to claim that Gareth Southgate should think of playing Jamie Vardy ahead of Sterling given the Leicester man’s potency infront of goal.
And one such person is former Chelsea midfielder Vinnie Jones who chosen some rather harsh words to define Raheem Sterling and his performances during the World Cup.
Talking to Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Vinnie Jones said: “I know there’s been a lot of criticism for Sterling.
“He is getting in all the right positions, but sometimes you look at Sterling and you think, if he didn’t have that pace he’d be playing for Exeter or someone.
“It’s a bit of a worry. For me, Vardy would have scored. He would have knocked that one in over the top, he’s got a great touch. I’m a big Vardy fan, I think he would have scored a couple against Sweden.”
Raheem Sterling has been guilty of missing some superb chances infront of goal during the Sweden game which could have helped England seal an even more comfortable victory.
But there is no chance that Gareth Southgate will push him to the bench primarily because the England manager will not want to break up his winning combination for such a crucial match.
And secondly, despite all the criticism that Raheem Sterling has faced, Southgate, as well as a couple of former English players, have stood beside him claiming that the Man City man has earned his position in the first eleven.
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Read: How will Southgate’s England line up vs Croatia?
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