James Maddison rejects claims that England's Under-21s were arrogant

[davieG]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7439487/James-Maddison-rejects-claims-Englands-21s-arrogant.html

 

 

'It didn't seem like that at the time': James Maddison rejects claims that England's Under-21s were arrogant after early elimination from European Championships in Italy

By ROB DRAPER FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 00:08, 8 September 2019 | UPDATED: 00:08, 8 September 2019

 
James Maddison has insisted that the England Under-21 team he was part of last summer wasn't over confident, despite their terrible showing at the European Championships in Italy, which led to criticism of the players from England manager Gareth Southgate and FA technical director Les Reed.

The Leicester attacking player was one of the senior members of a squad which had huge promise, featuring Phil Foden, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Mason Mount and Ryan Sessegnon and were among the tournament favourites. 

But they failed to win a game and were eliminated after just two games, losing 2-1 to France and 4-2 to Romania.

 

The England Under-21 team, Manager Aidy Bothroyd bore the brunt of criticism for resting Foden in the second game to save him for the latter stages and failing to use Chelsea's Tammy Abraham from the start. Yet it is the players at whom Southgate and Reed have pointed the finger.

Southgate has said that the players involved needed to show more 'humility' after goalkeeper Dean Henderson had said immediately after their exit that they would be capable of beating the eventual winners. 

Reed said that while you wanted teams to be confident, 'it doesn't need to border on arrogance.'

 

It amounted to a very public clipping of fledgling wings though it hasn't stopped Southgate promoting Maddison, Mount and Wan-Bissaka, who has since had to withdraw, to the senior team for the current round of international games.

And while Maddison accepts some of the criticisms, he insists that the team were only driven by an appropriate and deep-seated belief and desire that they could win the tournament. 

'Maybe when we look back we might think we were overconfident,' he said. 'It didn't seem like that at the time. We were so motivated to do well and we worked so hard.

'I can tell you categorically that [over confidence] wasn't the case, because if there was any of that, me and the other senior lads would have pulled people up, because we were so determined to do well.

'Looking back maybe we did think we were one of the best teams in the tournament and with the talent we had I don't think we were stupid saying that. But we lost to Romania in a must-win game. I don't think we took it for granted but it's something we've got to learn from.

'The way I felt after the Romania game was... I've never felt that, to be honest. We were obviously out after two games and we went into the tournament trying to win it. 

'We worked so hard. If you had seen the training camps in the month building up to the Euros, how hard we were working here... and when we got to Italy as well.'

 

Asked what he had learnt from the failure, Maddison said: 'Maybe game management [England had Hamza Choudury sent off in a 2-1 defeat to France and conceded a last-minute own goal]; probably learn how to see the game out, because we conceded two late goals.

'Put in that position again, I think the whole 23-man squad, every player, whether involved or not, will have learned an awful lot about how to deal with certain situations in tournament football. 

'That was my first experience of tournament football. And it's different. If you ask me what I learned, I learned so much that I haven't got time to tell you....'

Maddison, who was called up last autumn to Southgate's senior squad but then not asked back again for the rest of the season, may yet make his England debut against Kosovo on Tuesday.

He concedes that after the summer's showing, it wouldn't have been surprising if Southgate had ignored the Under-21s. Yet fine starts to their club season by Maddison, Mount and Wan-Bissaka prompted the England manager to bring them in.

'If you spoke to me, Mason, Aaron, none of us expected to be called up at all. The feeling you probably get is: "Wow, I'm in" rather than "I expected to be in because of the pathway." 

'It's a massive achievement to get called up and just because we were in the 21s we don't expect to be put in. It would be naive to think that.'

 

Yet, however he summer panned out, the natural exuberance, creativity and personality in Maddison will not be subdued any time soon. He is not shy in engaging with critics, as TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson discovered.

Clarkson, a Chelsea fan, tweeted at Maddison during their clash with Leicester: 'Too long at the barber's. Not enough time practicing football.' 

To which Maddison responded: 'Can count on one hand how many trims you've got left. #Thin.'

'I wasn't narked, to be honest,' said Maddison. 'It was just a light-hearted joke. 'I used to watch Jeremy Clarkson on TV and he made a comment about my hair. I think my hair is alright to be honest.

'It's important to show personality, I think I have a good connection with the Leicester fans and England fans. Everyone's got their own personality, but I'm not going to hide it. People can have opinion or make assumptions about me but everyone does that with everyone in the world. I will just be myself.'

 

His extrovert nature also belies the down-to-earth nature of his development. Raised at local team Coventry, sold to Norwich just as they were getting relegated, he then struggled to find his place, had a loan spell at Aberdeen before shining under Daniel Farke in the Championship, which earned him his move to Leicester.

As for questioning his commitment to practice, Clarkson misfired. Among his youth team coaches at Coventry, Maddison was renowned for doing extra work after training, even as a child. 

'My life is football. I live and breathe football. If anything I sometimes need to take a step away from football. Brendan [Rodgers] still has to come and get me off the training ground as I'm out there till 1pm when training finishes at half eleven. I've done that since a young age and it's stood me in good stead and got me to where I am now.

'I want to get the most out of what I've got. I like to think I've got quite a solid head screwed on, with the decision I've made in terms of transfers in the past. I played in League One, Scotland, the Championship, the Premier League, so I've worked my way up. 

'And my ability will get me to where I want to be and that's the top level. I'm playing in the best league in the world at the minute so I'm not going to take that for granted. I'm at fantastic club at Leicester City. [I want to go] wherever my ability will take me and hopefully that's as high as possible.'

[st albans fox]

Game management eh ?

 

thats Boothroyds fault then with his dodgy late changes to bring on two strikers when one up with ten men ! 

[turkish14]

42 minutes ago, davieG said:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7439487/James-Maddison-rejects-claims-Englands-21s-arrogant.html

 

 

'It didn't seem like that at the time': James Maddison rejects claims that England's Under-21s were arrogant after early elimination from European Championships in Italy

By ROB DRAPER FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 00:08, 8 September 2019 | UPDATED: 00:08, 8 September 2019

 
James Maddison has insisted that the England Under-21 team he was part of last summer wasn't over confident, despite their terrible showing at the European Championships in Italy, which led to criticism of the players from England manager Gareth Southgate and FA technical director Les Reed.

The Leicester attacking player was one of the senior members of a squad which had huge promise, featuring Phil Foden, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Mason Mount and Ryan Sessegnon and were among the tournament favourites. 

But they failed to win a game and were eliminated after just two games, losing 2-1 to France and 4-2 to Romania.

 

The England Under-21 team, Manager Aidy Bothroyd bore the brunt of criticism for resting Foden in the second game to save him for the latter stages and failing to use Chelsea's Tammy Abraham from the start. Yet it is the players at whom Southgate and Reed have pointed the finger.

Southgate has said that the players involved needed to show more 'humility' after goalkeeper Dean Henderson had said immediately after their exit that they would be capable of beating the eventual winners. 

Reed said that while you wanted teams to be confident, 'it doesn't need to border on arrogance.'

 

It amounted to a very public clipping of fledgling wings though it hasn't stopped Southgate promoting Maddison, Mount and Wan-Bissaka, who has since had to withdraw, to the senior team for the current round of international games.

And while Maddison accepts some of the criticisms, he insists that the team were only driven by an appropriate and deep-seated belief and desire that they could win the tournament. 

'Maybe when we look back we might think we were overconfident,' he said. 'It didn't seem like that at the time. We were so motivated to do well and we worked so hard.

'I can tell you categorically that [over confidence] wasn't the case, because if there was any of that, me and the other senior lads would have pulled people up, because we were so determined to do well.

'Looking back maybe we did think we were one of the best teams in the tournament and with the talent we had I don't think we were stupid saying that. But we lost to Romania in a must-win game. I don't think we took it for granted but it's something we've got to learn from.

'The way I felt after the Romania game was... I've never felt that, to be honest. We were obviously out after two games and we went into the tournament trying to win it. 

'We worked so hard. If you had seen the training camps in the month building up to the Euros, how hard we were working here... and when we got to Italy as well.'

 

Asked what he had learnt from the failure, Maddison said: 'Maybe game management [England had Hamza Choudury sent off in a 2-1 defeat to France and conceded a last-minute own goal]; probably learn how to see the game out, because we conceded two late goals.

'Put in that position again, I think the whole 23-man squad, every player, whether involved or not, will have learned an awful lot about how to deal with certain situations in tournament football. 

'That was my first experience of tournament football. And it's different. If you ask me what I learned, I learned so much that I haven't got time to tell you....'

Maddison, who was called up last autumn to Southgate's senior squad but then not asked back again for the rest of the season, may yet make his England debut against Kosovo on Tuesday.

He concedes that after the summer's showing, it wouldn't have been surprising if Southgate had ignored the Under-21s. Yet fine starts to their club season by Maddison, Mount and Wan-Bissaka prompted the England manager to bring them in.

'If you spoke to me, Mason, Aaron, none of us expected to be called up at all. The feeling you probably get is: "Wow, I'm in" rather than "I expected to be in because of the pathway." 

'It's a massive achievement to get called up and just because we were in the 21s we don't expect to be put in. It would be naive to think that.'

 

Yet, however he summer panned out, the natural exuberance, creativity and personality in Maddison will not be subdued any time soon. He is not shy in engaging with critics, as TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson discovered.

Clarkson, a Chelsea fan, tweeted at Maddison during their clash with Leicester: 'Too long at the barber's. Not enough time practicing football.' 

To which Maddison responded: 'Can count on one hand how many trims you've got left. #Thin.'

'I wasn't narked, to be honest,' said Maddison. 'It was just a light-hearted joke. 'I used to watch Jeremy Clarkson on TV and he made a comment about my hair. I think my hair is alright to be honest.

'It's important to show personality, I think I have a good connection with the Leicester fans and England fans. Everyone's got their own personality, but I'm not going to hide it. People can have opinion or make assumptions about me but everyone does that with everyone in the world. I will just be myself.'

 

His extrovert nature also belies the down-to-earth nature of his development. Raised at local team Coventry, sold to Norwich just as they were getting relegated, he then struggled to find his place, had a loan spell at Aberdeen before shining under Daniel Farke in the Championship, which earned him his move to Leicester.

As for questioning his commitment to practice, Clarkson misfired. Among his youth team coaches at Coventry, Maddison was renowned for doing extra work after training, even as a child. 

'My life is football. I live and breathe football. If anything I sometimes need to take a step away from football. Brendan [Rodgers] still has to come and get me off the training ground as I'm out there till 1pm when training finishes at half eleven. I've done that since a young age and it's stood me in good stead and got me to where I am now.

'I want to get the most out of what I've got. I like to think I've got quite a solid head screwed on, with the decision I've made in terms of transfers in the past. I played in League One, Scotland, the Championship, the Premier League, so I've worked my way up. 

'And my ability will get me to where I want to be and that's the top level. I'm playing in the best league in the world at the minute so I'm not going to take that for granted. I'm at fantastic club at Leicester City. [I want to go] wherever my ability will take me and hopefully that's as high as possible.'

Always love the last sentences like the one here...

 

im sure maguire said the same last summer, a year later he was gone 

[fox_up_north]

At the end of the day, that's the danger when you get younger players working towards their peak. Hopefully it means that the profits made can become purchases for peak players

[Dan]

Didn't help either having an inept manager. At least we've got ri..... oh wait no we haven't.

 

Don't half feel like the FA are reverting to type a bit.

[moseeds]

This is entirely the manager's fault, especially in relation to the u-21 team. All the FA have done by blaming the players is absolve future managers of their own failings as an international manager. There's two main roles for international managers: tactical training and psychological conditioning. They're not expected to develop players or juggle resources. Pathetic.

[m4DD0gg]

2 hours ago, turkish14 said:

Always love the last sentences like the one here...

 

im sure maguire said the same last summer, a year later he was gone 

More than likely he will be. Quite a clear statement right there of his ambitious intent. 

[LCFC FOX]

Southgate and Bothroyd both shite managers

[HybridFox]

10 minutes ago, LCFC FOX said:

Southgate and Bothroyd both shite managers

Boothroyd isn't even Championship standard.

And Southgate wouldn't last in the prem. Could you imagine him at Chelsea? He'd be worse than Lampard 

[Ashley]

I agree they wernt arrogant. As soon as Hamza got sent off the flood gates opened. Absolutely criminal to take 1 CDM to a tournament. 

 

Game management as well, what the actual **** was Boothroyd doing? Why did we need to bring two strikers on? Then the games after we conceed what 6 or 7? Just shows how important Hamza was. 

 

Aidy needs to go and fast. 

[Guest]

Isn't it funny that Madderz throw away remark about wanting to play at the top level has got so many Manure fans thinking that means he wants to go there.

 

Will Manure ever be a team of the top level again?

[m4DD0gg]

2 hours ago, LCFC FOX said:

Southgate and Bothroyd both shite managers

Yup both absolutely atrocious. 

[Wolfox]

3 hours ago, LCFC FOX said:

Southgate and Bothroyd both shite managers

Bit harsh on Southgate…. He got a lot a limited team to the semis and looks to be coasting the early qualifiers 

 

has us set up well enough and appears to have the trust of the players

[Guest Cujek]

The standard of coaching we allow near the national teams, at all levels, astounds me. 

 

It struck me yesterday watching us vs Bulgaria, the commentator going on about it being a great performance and the lot. 

 

I was like no, we should be beating these 4 nil, if we put 10 or 11 past them I might have been acting a bit like they were

[Ashley]

1 hour ago, Cujek said:

The standard of coaching we allow near the national teams, at all levels, astounds me. 

 

It struck me yesterday watching us vs Bulgaria, the commentator going on about it being a great performance and the lot. 

 

I was like no, we should be beating these 4 nil, if we put 10 or 11 past them I might have been acting a bit like they were

Yep. Imagine having a double pivot at home to Bulgaria. Why we didnt go with a single and have Maddison or Mount alongside Barkley I'll never know. 

 

Rose and Trippier too? Like seriously play our strongest side ffs.

 

This coming from someone who follows England home and away 🤦‍♂️

 

We done enough to win that's it.

[Dan]

I think Southgate did well in the last World Cup, better than any have done in a while (with admittedly a very low bar) but something tells me that's as good as it gets under him now. I've not got loads of confidence for Euro 2020 sadly.

[Out Foxed]

3 hours ago, Wolfox said:

Bit harsh on Southgate…. He got a lot a limited team to the semis and looks to be coasting the early qualifiers 

 

has us set up well enough and appears to have the trust of the players

the teams we played against were either shit or average. doesn't say a lot.

[coolhandfox]

Isn't it the job of the management team to ensure they stay ground and not arrogant?