Kris Boyd has teased the Auld Enemy as he continues to be the Sky Sports Scottish voice in the build up to England’s massive World Cup quarter final showdown against France in the Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday.
The former Rangers and Scotland striker is a regular on the World Cup Breakfast Show and the popular programme has been dominated by talk of the last eight clash in Al Khor and in particular how the Three Lions can stop Les Bleus megastar Kylian Mbappe.
Gareth Southgate’s assistant Steve Holland revealed during his media briefing how England have been analysing the strengths of France and Mbappe for the last TWO YEARS as they look to come up with the best plan to stop the PSG man. Boyd was on the show with former Nottingham Forest man David Prutton and the pair enjoy some on-screen banter. The Scot said: “He (Mbappe) can go outside but he wants to come inside and we’ve seen it before the way he unleashes that right foot and bends it right in the far corner. It’s a joy to watch… and I hope it happens.
“It’s easy to say at this moment in time it’s Kylian Mbappe. If it was another nation they’d say it was a two-year plan to stop him. What it tells us is that it will probably be a three/five but if you allow good players space they will hurt you. It’s about not giving him that freedom.
“From England’s point of view you have to stop it and sometimes you have to stop it at source. Stop the ball getting to him and if you can crowd an area that doesn't allow the ball to get to Mbappe then that could be the plan.”
Prutton then said: “That’s a good point. Our midfield could dominate their midfield,” before Boyd interjected: “Our midfield? I’m not ‘our,’ pal.”
Boyd continued: “You’re setting yourself up if you don’t stop him after working on it for two years. You could change to a three/five or four to accommodate Kylian Mbappe but England have to look at themselves and implement their gameplan on France. They can’t forget about Mbappe but at the top end of the pitch they have Phil Foden, Saka, Rashford and Bellingham gets forward. They have to focus that and England will fancy themselves.”
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