Menebak Apa yang Ada di Benak Southgate: Keputusan Aneh Bikin Inggris Kalah?

Nexify - Gareth Southgate harus menjawab sejumlah pertanyaan terkait kegagalan Inggris di final Euro 2020. Ada beberapa keputusan aneh Southgate yang patut dipertanyakan.

Senin (12/7/2021), Inggris harus mengakui ketangguhan Italia di final Euro 2020. Skor 1-1 terkunci selama 120 menit, Inggris takluk 2-3 di babak adu penalti.

Kekalahan ini begitu pahit sebab Inggris sebenarnya sempat unggul 1-0 terlebih dahulu. Fans dan media Inggris juga begitu yakin dengan meramaikan slogan it's coming home.

Fans Inggris lantas beramai-ramai mengkritik Gareth Southgate. Keputusan Southgate di extra time dan babak adu penalti memang mengundang tanda tanya besar.

Pergantian pemain panik?

Keputusan pertama Southgate yang meragukan adalah ketika dia menurunkan Marcus Rashford dan Jadon Sancho di menit ke-120.

Rashford masuk menggantikan Jordan Henderson, yang baru turun di babak kedua, dan Sancho menggantikan Kyle Walker.

Kedua pemain ini hanya beberapa menit menginjak lapangan, mereka bahkan belum panas dan pertandingan sudah berakhir untuk dilanjutkan ke babak adu penalti.

Anehnya, Rashford dan Sancho terpilih sebagai algojo. Jadi Southgate sepertinya sengaja menurunkan dua pemain tersebut untuk jadi eksekutor.

Keputusan itu salah besar. Penalti Rashford dan Sancho gagal tapi mereka tidak bisa sepenuhnya disalahkan karena baru masuk beberapa menit, belum panas, belum menyesuaikan diri dengan ritme pertandingan, tapi sudah harus jadi eksekutor penalti.

Penalti kelima diambil pemain muda

Berikutnya, yang tak kalah aneh adalah keputusan Southgate mengizinkan Bukayo Saka jadi eksekutor kelima dalam adu penalti. Sejak awal sejarah adu penalti, penendang keempat dan penendang kelima harus diisi oleh eksekutor terbaik karena beban mental yang luar biasa.

Anehnya, justru Saka yang maju sebagai eksekutor kelima, padahal ada Jack Grealish dan Raheem Sterling yang sudah lebih biasa jadi eksekutor penalti.

Entah bagaimana proses pemilihan eksekutor penalti, biasanya sih para pemain mengajukan diri. Saka mungkin mengajukan diri jadi eksekutor kelima, tapi keputusan tetap ada di tangan Southgate.

Sebagai pelatih, Southgate berhak menolak permintaan Saka dan memilih pemain lain yang lebih berpengalaman. Sayangnya nasih sudah menjadi bubur, keputusan-keputusan aneh Southgate menjelang akhir pertandingan harus dibayar mahal.

Enrique saja tahu caranya bertindak

Luis Enrique took Pedri off before their shoot-out to protect him. That’s the best young midfielder in the world, who starts for Barcelona with Messi every week. Giving Saka the fifth penalty is really, really poor imo. So many experienced players who didn’t step up.

— elliot ross (@elliot__ross)

Saka bakal bangkit kok

Bukayo Saka is a titan. He's 19, carries Arsenal on his back for nine months a year and then puts himself forward to take the fifth penalty in a shootout of a final. He's a strong lad, he'll be more than okay.

— Mark White (@markwhlte)

Jadi sasaran pelecehan rasial

Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho have all been subjected to racial abuse following England’s loss in the final.

If you see racial abuse, report it. We are all in this together. pic.twitter.com/L1KBf7lXKc

— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict)

Rashford dan Sancho tertekan?

You can see the pressure all over their faces . They should have NEVER been put into that situation 2 minutes before penalties in the biggest game of their life's . Southgate killed them with that sort of pressure. You could at least gave them time needed to settle first !!!! pic.twitter.com/ek2f6KiEiS

— Misy (@Misy_utd)

Kritikan Keane

Roy Keane “If you're Sterling or Grealish, you cannot sit there and have a young kid (Saka) go up for a penalty ahead of you."

— Osman 🎗 (@OsmanZtheGooner)

Lindungi ketiganya!

Protect Saka, Rashford and Sancho at all costs. The racist abuse has already started and god knows what they’ll face in the media. They’re all here to stay and they’re the future of the national team whether racist scumbags like it or not

— RiZzy🔴 (@RiZzyUTD)

Tiga singa!

Rashford, Saka and Sancho.

Three Lions. 🦁🦁🦁

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan)

Dukung terus

I stand with and this and every day.

— DAVID JONES (@DavidJonesSky)

Pujian untuk ketiga pemain

Thank you England for a great Tournament
Never seen you go all the way to a Final before.

To and -would love to have your guts. Would love to have had your talent.
You are 3 players I love to see playing. You will have great careers

— Jan Aage Fjortoft 🏳️‍🌈 🇳🇴 (@JanAageFjortoft)

Dukungan untuk Saka!

Saka is a special talent, get behind him fans. He’s going to do massive things for you. Massive. pic.twitter.com/H4V2crHCcK

— Callum Scott Howells (@callumshowells)

Southgate lindungi pemain?

Southgate is a very nice man. But don’t be fooled, he’s just trying to take the heat off the players who refused to take a pen. Not a chance in the world he had Bukayo Saka 19 years old as his fifth penalty taker. The players bottled it and Gareth is shielding them.

— chief 🇵🇸 (@chief_afc)

Ada masalah seleksi pemain Southgate sih

The main issues of Southgate's team selection persisted throughout the entire tournament — particularly regarding getting the best out of Harry Kane.

Mason Mount & Phil Foden playing more minutes on the wing than Jadon Sancho & Marcus Rashford tells you all you need to know.

— ً (@utdrobbo)

Berkat Southgate juga Saka jadi seperti ini

You can criticise Southgate all you want for letting a 19 year old Saka take the 5th penalty. But for me, Southgate has made Saka unstoppable. Saka is now 19 with experience of a 27 year old. He’s gonna reach new levels. Short term pain for long term gain ❤️ pic.twitter.com/fQefaGZ5ah

— Sebastian Pedersen🇳🇴 (@sebpedersen01)

Saka si Superboy!

Southgate calls Saka "a super boy" is "going to continue to be a star" and said he will not be on his own.

— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans)

Sumber: Bola, Twitter