Southgate critics ignore reality

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

The pattern is familiar. An English player has a handful of good games. Fans and local journalists start talking about him. He keeps playing well. The national media begin to write profiles of him. His run of good form continues. The story has to move on a stage. So people start talking about him in terms of an international callup. Why hasn’t Gareth Southgate given him his chance yet?

And to an extent that is reasonable. No international manager can just stick with the