Gary Neville unveils his vision for the ideal lineup of England’s Golden Generation with a new formation, excluding himself

Introduction to the article:
This article discusses former England defender Gary Neville’s belief that the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of English football should have adopted a different formation and dropped himself from the team.

The Disappointing Performance of England’s Golden Generation

The article highlights the underwhelming performance of England’s ‘Golden Generation’ during the early 2000s, despite having a talented pool of players. They were unable to progress beyond the quarter-finals of major tournaments, leading to disappointment and criticism.

Neville’s Suggested Formation Change

Neville suggests that England should have switched to a 3-5-2 formation instead of rigidly sticking to a 4-4-2, which he believes would have been more effective for the team. He even named a starting XI with Beckham replacing himself at right wing-back.

Neville’s Proposed Lineup and Formation

The article details Neville’s proposed lineup and formation, which includes players like David James, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney, and Michael Owen. The article also notes that 10 of the 11 players Neville named started three of England’s four games at Euro 2004.

The Significance of the Formation Switch

The article discusses how the suggested formation switch by Neville represents a departure from the traditional 4-4-2 formation that was associated with England during that time, and how subsequent managers like Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate have also moved away from it.