Ally McCoist has disagreed with the suggestion that one of Newcastle United’s players should have been called up to the England side for the upcoming international break.
England were defeated by Brazil at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night in a disappointing display, with the defence appearing particularly weak at times.
A caller on talkSPORT believed that including one of Newcastle’s defenders would help to address Gareth Southgate’s problem, but McCoist strongly disagreed.
McCoist not a fan of Newcastle man playing for England
Newcastle already had one debutant on the pitch, with Anthony Gordon making his first appearance for England’s first squad against teammate Bruno Guimaraes over the weekend.
However, one Newcastle fan felt there weren’t enough players on the pitch and said that Southgate should have called up Dan Burn to help coordinate the defence.
Given England’s lack of depth at left-back, Burn may have been on Southgate’s mind last season, when he was a member of one of the league’s top defences and played a key role in Newcastle’s Champions League qualification.
This season, however, has been a stark difference, with the £13 million signing facing widespread criticism after being targeted by a number of Premier League clubs for his lack of pace.
McCoist also does not believe Burn is the answer following his Newcastle form, despite being an admirer of the player.
McCoist responded to Burn’s suggestion to improve England’s defense, saying, “To fix the defense? No. I like the three words. Big Dan Burns. But I don’t think they’ll be able to repair England’s defending.”
Newcastle likely to replace Burn this summer
Burn would struggle to break into this Newcastle side, let alone be called up for England, based on his performances this season.
Of course, he can’t help it with his lack of pace; it’s up to Eddie Howe to recognise the defence’s weakness and stop leaving him so exposed on the left side.
Despite calls to dismiss him, the 46-year-old head coach has remained loyal to the former Brighton player, with Lewis Hall fighting for playing time.
With a major summer window approaching, now is the time to find Burn’s replacement in the meantime if Hall isn’t quite ready, and Newcastle are already looking at several prospects, with Lloyd Kelly’s name popping up a few times.
