Jose Mourinho told talkSPORT (07/07/21 at 8:15 am) that he thinks Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka will start ahead of Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish for England today.
The former Premier League boss stated that he wants the Villa playmaker to start during the semi-final showdown against Denmark and backed Gareth Southgate to make another correct call.
Even though there have been calls all tournament long for Grealish to start a lot more, as well as somebody like Saka and Jadon Sancho, the man making the decisions has always been right.
And in that regard, Mourinho thinks ‘we are wrong’ and that will especially be the case if England wins Euro 2020.
“The one that I would play, he won’t play and everyone knows that I am a very, very Grealish,” said Mourinho. “Everybody knows that I like the guy because he never hides.
“He creates very unbalanced situations for the opposition. He is very, very brave. He breaks the routine of the game. I believe when a team is so solid, like England is, then I think the team always need a player like that one.
“But it doesn’t look like he is an option to start with Gareth and Gareth is right, especially if he wins the Euros. He is right and we are wrong.
“I would always say, Grealish. But I don’t think it’s going to be Grealish. I think it’s going to be Saka. He did very well. The kid did very well. I like very much a left-footed player coming from the right.”
At the start of the tournament, and even when the knockout games started, it was understandable that there was a clamour to hand Grealish a start.
But every call Southgate has made has been proven to be correct, so there’s no reason to question him if Grealish is benched again tonight.
Plus, as he did against the German’s, he knows he can come off the bench and turn the game on its head.
That’s the attacking luxury Southgate has at his disposal, plus with Harry Kane returning to form, there’s no reason why football shouldn’t come home.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
