If anyone can sympathise with Steve Holland, it’s Gary Neville.
Holland, England’s assistant manager, was pictured earlier this week with training notes that were subsequently published by several outlets.
It was claimed that Holland had let slip Gareth Southgate’s starting XI for Sunday’s World Cup group game with Panama.
Only a few days earlier, the Daily Mail had revealed the team for England’s group opener against Tunisia in advance of the official announcement and it’s an issue that has since been addressed by Southgate, who suggested that reporters were putting his players at a disadvantage in Russia.
“There is a squad of 23 names on the sheet,” Southgate told talkSPORT. “The next sheet has different players in different positions because we swap people in and swap people out.
Great spot from @SnapperStenning
Gareth Southgate's notes suggest Raheem Sterling will be dropped for England's World Cup 2018 clash against Panamahttps://t.co/7I8RKsntCL
— Johnny Goldsmith (@MirrorJohnny) June 21, 2018
“The stories are then run as they are. For me, it’s no drama.
“Obviously any time, if we were to give the opposition the opportunity of having our team it’s a disadvantage to us so of course our media has to decide whether they want to help the team or not. But given that it was just a squad list, it doesn’t really make any difference to us really.”
The relationship between the England camp and the media has understandably become strained and defender Kyle Walker has since come out and urged reporters to keep keep schtum about any information they might stumble upon.
Former England No. 2 Gary Neville might be a pundit nowadays but he’s definitely not on the media’s side of the debate.
Neville, who was photographed with detailed training notes four years ago, has claimed that journalists are wrong for leaking team news and insists he will always be on the side of footballers and coaches, rather than the media.
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