Gareth Southgate told dropping Harry Kane could solve England's creativity woes

Gareth Southgate has been told to drop Harry Kane for England’s Euro 2024 group stage decider against Slovenia. The Three Lions are in desperate need of some tactical tweaks ahead of Tuesday’s clash following their two dismal showings so far in Germany

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has seen enough of England’s stodgy attack, which became increasingly evident during the 1-1 draw against Denmark. Kane scored in the 18th minute to take the lead – but the Bayern Munich star was ineffective for the remainder of the game and even gave the ball away near his own box in the lead-up to the equaliser.

His display – along with others’ such as Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold – was widely blamed for England’s offensive woes. And Brown believes it’s time to mix up the front line by starting Aston Villa sensation Ollie Watkins instead.

Speaking on Saturday’s new episode of Euro Thrash, which you can find on Apple, Spotify and YouTube, Brown said: “I honestly believe Watkins will start the next game. I know Harry Kane is the captain, and when we get through I think he gets back into the team, but I think it’s good to give the team something else with a player that can run in behind.

“Unfortunately, Harry came short too many times. When we have such great ability in that midfield, he doesn’t necessarily have to.”

Kane was also criticised by BBC presenter and England legend Gary Lineker for coming short too often, and accused of ambling up the pitch. He urged the striker to remain high instead for the good of the team.

Brown agreed, adding: “We need someone to keep the centre-backs pushed back which creates the space. It didn’t work when he kept on doing that, or the players didn’t know exactly when to run and make it difficult for their defenders.

“There are options on the bench. Watkins comes on, straight away he’s down the side, they are all sprinting back and he is causing big problems for Denmark.”

Watkins is coming off the back of a career-best campaign with Villa. He scored 19 Premier League goals over the course of the season, finishing fourth in the golden boot race.

He replaced the England skipper in the 70th minute as Southgate threw the kitchen sink with a triple change. Watkins immediately made an impact during his cameo, using his pace to run behind the Danish defence and getting shots away.

That was rarely seen from Kane across either of the two games, sparking discussions about the creativity and balance of this England team, and what Southgate can do to fix the issue. If Watkins’ cameo was anything to go by, the England manager is well within his rights to drop his captain for the final group fixture and experiment with the Villa man.