English winger Bukayo Saka needs more help from Kyle Walker if he is to shine for England at right wing during Euro 2024, according to a former defender who won 78 caps for the Three Lions.
England are through to the quarter-finals of the Euros, having finished top of Group C with five points before beating Slovakia 2-1 in the round of 16.
Gareth Southgate’s men are due to face Switzerland on Saturday, but many supporters feel disappointed even though their country has progressed in the tournament thus far.
England has one of the best squads at the international level in the world and remains one of the favourites to win the Euros in Germany.
But Southgate has left fans bored with a defensive and lacklustre style of play which has also given opposition teams confidence.
Southgate and England appeared to be heading towards an embarrassing last-16 defeat to Slovakia on Sunday before Jude Bellingham stepped up with a last-minute wondergoal and Harry Kane headed home the winner in extra time.
Arsenal star Saka is among the players who is struggling under Southgate’s frustrating tactics, but ex-England man Stuart Pearce thinks Walker is partly to blame for the winger not being at his brilliant best.
During a recent radio appearance, Pearce said: “I feel sorry for Saka. Because – and I’ve mentioned it many times on commentary – Kyle Walker as a full-back is not helping this boy out.
“He’s got to do more for him. He really has. Because I like Saka, I think he’s an outstanding player.
“But unless you’ve got a distraction run from your full-back, your work is that much harder to try and get turned and face the opposition up.”
Saka notched 20 goals and 14 assists in 47 games for Arsenal last term, but he has yet to register a single-goal contribution for England at Euro 2024.
The 22-year-old remains an almost guaranteed starter for England, as Southgate is a huge admirer of his, though there are calls for the manager to change things up and select Cole Palmer on the right.
Palmer enjoyed a record-breaking debut season at Chelsea and made a good impact for England when he came on during the goalless group-stage draw with Slovenia. Arsenal hero Ian Wright has even suggested that Saka be moved to left-back to accommodate for Palmer at right wing.
That is unlikely to happen against Switzerland, though it is clear that Walker needs to help Saka out more, and the latter needs to improve his performances if he is to keep the likes of Palmer, Jarrod Bowen, and Ebere Eze at bay.
England are the ‘easiest team left’ at Euro 2024 as Scholes mocks Arsenal icon over Saka positional swap
The Three Lions have been branded the "easiest team left to play" at Euro 2024, while Scholes is angry at claims about a change of position for Saka ahead of the clash with Slovakia.