"Why don’t you just let your shackles off? Let them play!" - Ian Wright sends strong message of attack to England manager Gareth Southgate ahead of FIFA World Cup

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has sent a strong message to England manager Gareth Southgate ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The biggest competition in world football starts in less than two months' time but England do not seem to be in a comfortable situation.

During the international break, the Three Lions suffered a 1-0 defeat in Italy last Friday (September 23), which relegated them from their UEFA Nations League group.

Southgate's side then locked horns against eternal rivals Germany on Monday (September 26) and showed some signs of improvement as the game finished 3-3.

Ian Wright has urged the England manager to use the wealth of attacking options and depth he has at his disposal. He has also defended Southgate amid the criticism he is getting from fans and pundits.

The former Gunners striker told Wrighty’s House Podcast, as quoted by HITC Sport:

“This is what I said, let them free. Let them cook. Give them some food – Did you see Harry Kane showing pace as well? Gareth’s getting stick and he’s got us to a semi-final of a World Cup and he has got us to a final of the Euros."

Wright has urged the England boss to take a more attack-minded approach instead of playing passive football. He added:

"And we have got there and he’s still getting hammered. Then you think to yourself ‘why don’t you just let your shackles off?’ Let them play! Why are we passing backwards and sideways, when we can pass it into them?!”

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Gareth Southgate is under a lot of pressure from fans and the media

Southgate has been subject to plenty of criticism from England fans as well as the media for a number of reasons. His tactical setup and team selection have all been scrutinized of late.

The England manager recently made the decision to snub Liverpool full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold from his matchday squad against Germany, which caused a stir. He even commented that Kieran Tripper's overall game is better than that of the Liverpool number sixty-six.

Meanwhile, the England boss' tactics have also earned mixed reactions from pundits, with many citing that England's style of play does not suit the talent they have.