Paul Merson slams Gareth Southgate for leaving Raheem Sterling out of England squad

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has slammed England manager Gareth Southgate for leaving Raheem Sterling out of his squad for the upcoming games against Australia and Italy. The Chelsea winger has been a mainstay of the Three Lions teams that have reached the latter stages of the last three major tournaments under Southgate’s leadership.

Sterling’s performances have fluctuated dramatically since his high-profile move from Manchester City, but he appears to be regaining his best form under Mauricio Pochettino. Rested for the win over Fulham on Monday night, Sterling was back in the starting line-up on Saturday and delivered a vintage display in a 4-1 thrashing of Burnley.

Merson Praises Sterling’s Performance

Merson praised the 27-year-old’s ‘outstanding’ contribution and admitted he struggled to comprehend how Southgate could afford to omit him from his plans. He told Sky Sports: ‘I thought Sterling as outstanding. From box to box Chelsea have been alright, it’s just been putting the ball in the back of the net. Today it came off and it was all down to Sterling he was absolutely outstanding.’

‘It beats me (why he isn’t in the England squad) he has his ups and downs but when he has his good games he’s the X-factor. When you want to win World Cup and European Championships you have to have someone out of the ordinary. He scores goals, he’s got pace. Of course he has his bad games but how he’s not in that England squad is beyond me.’

Sterling’s Recent Form

Sterling has been in fine form since joining Chelsea, scoring four goals in his last five Premier League appearances. His performance against Burnley was particularly impressive, as he scored one goal and set up two more in a dominant display. It was a reminder of why Southgate has been so keen to include him in his squads in the past.

The England manager will be hoping that Sterling can maintain this level of performance over the coming weeks and months, as he looks to build a squad capable of competing at next summer’s European Championships. With Sterling in form, England could be a real force to be reckoned with.

Conclusion

Paul Merson has slammed Gareth Southgate for leaving Raheem Sterling out of his England squad for the upcoming games against Australia and Italy. Merson praised the 27-year-old’s ‘outstanding’ contribution and admitted he struggled to comprehend how Southgate could afford to omit him from his plans. Sterling has been in fine form since joining Chelsea, scoring four goals in his last five Premier League appearances and will be hoping to maintain this level of performance over the coming weeks and months.