Euro 2024: Michael Owen advises England to play with one Midfielder

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England legend Michael Owen has opined the Three Lions to play with a solitary player in midfield ahead of their Euro 2024 quarterfinal match against Switzerland.

England will take on the Swiss in a crucial encounter and Owen has advised the team to go with just Declan Rice in midfield, which means Trent Alexander-Arnold may have no place in the starting lineup.

Speaking in a press meet, Owen said that he has never been a fan of two midfielders and cited teams like Manchester City and Arsenal who play with one central midfielder in the team.

"I've never been a fan of these two number sixes that England play. I knew Southgate was going to do it because he's always done it. But I just look at the successful teams around the world and even in the Premier League, everybody plays with one player, one number six," Michael Owen said in a media roundtable hosted by Sony LIV, which is the digital platform of Euro 2024 in Indian subcontinent.

"Whether it's Rodri at Manchester City, whether it's Endo at Liverpool, whether it's Declan Rice or somebody else at Arsenal may play Rice, but nobody really plays with two number sixes. You know, when you think you've got a goalkeeper, you've got four defenders and then you have two number sixes, you've got seven defensive players and four attacking players," he added.

The England legend thinks that England can play Decan Rice as the central midfielder and play Jude Bellingham in a more advanced role.

"I think we can have four defenders, one number six, and then we can get an extra player in attack. Bear in mind we've our best players are attacking players. Declan Rice is more than capable of playing that number six on his own. So personally, I would play with Rice as a six and then Foden and Bellingham ahead of Rice. I wouldn't be playing with a player alongside Declan Rice. That's what I envisaged before the tournament and that's what's happening now," Owen concluded.