Ivan Toney left ‘disgusted’ by Gareth Southgate substitution decision in Slovakia win
Ivan Toney was very upset with Gareth Southgate's choice to only put him in the game during the last minute against Slovakia, as stated by the England manager.
Southgate held off on bringing in Toney until the very end of extra time, but the Brentford player certainly made his presence known. Thanks to his contribution, England narrowly avoided disaster and secured a spot in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
Toney created trouble with a long throw that led to Jude Bellingham scoring the equalizer in the 95th minute. He also assisted Harry Kane in scoring the winning goal in extra time.
Following England's 2-1 victory in Gelsenkirchen, Southgate expressed to ITV that he had a peculiar feeling that this game would not mark the conclusion of their tournament.
Despite the lengthy throw, there was still a sense of optimism that we could create some confusion and possibly score. I wasn't expecting the finish to be as unexpected as it turned out to be.
Ivan Toney was not happy when I brought him in with only a minute remaining in the game. I believe we have since reconciled. He made a significant contribution to our second goal.
"If you substitute a player at that moment, it is like a final chance and he might not even get involved in the game, so I completely understand the decision. I don't enjoy putting a player in that situation, but I had a feeling he could create some disruption on the field."
England struggled once more in their match against Slovakia, and it was only a flash of genius from Bellingham that prevented a shameful elimination.
Southgate stated that it was a typical England evening where they tested everyone's endurance.
"They are a skilled team. It took us a while to figure out how to navigate their strong defense, and you need to have patience to succeed. The crowd was nervous when we were losing. In the second half, we improved and maintained our patience."
"At the final moments of the game, we put our hopes on a lengthy throw to make a difference. After putting in so much effort and seeing our opponents exhausted, those crucial moments can occur. It's important to maintain faith and confidence in ourselves."
In the blog post, Southgate commented on Bellingham's goal, saying that despite being tired with 15 minutes left in the game, the decision was made to keep him on the field due to his ability to make a difference. These crucial moments are the reason why he continued to believe in him.
The best players make a difference in important games when you need them most. It's all about their mindset.
