Liverpool captain criticised by Martin Keown after England performance which saw Tottenham’s Dier net.
Eric Dier showed what he is capable of last night as he scored an impressive goal in a 2-1 victory for England.
The strike helped England win the crucial World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, and pundit Martin Keown has told The Mail that he still believes the team’s midfield pairing is not quite right.
Keown believes Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson is the wrong partner for Eric Dier, and wants to see Gareth Southgate axe the Reds’ captain from England’s starting XI.
He said: “We are short in midfield. There is no world class playmaker who can hurt teams with his range of passing.
“Jordan Henderson looks out of his depth, Eric Dier needs a better player alongside him.
“Patrick Vieira used to tell me that midfielders never go back with the ball, but Henderson does that far too often.”
Keown is correct that Dier and Henderson combine for a duo which is just too static, and England need to try and find a different solution.
Dier may have scored last night, but Henderson could have an edge over Dier for selection if it comes down to a straight choice between the two.
Henderson is a regular for Liverpool while Dier has been struggling to earn a regular starting place in Tottenham’s team.
His goal last night could be a timely reminder for Mauricio Pochettino as to what he is capable of.
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