James Maddison will go to Euro 2024 with England despite his dip in form for Tottenham, says Chris Sutton… as he backs ‘thick-skinned’ Ange Postecoglou to ‘bulldoze’ through the reviews on It’s All Kicking Off.

Chris Sutton believes James Maddison should not be worried about England’s place at Euro 2024 despite his poor form with Tottenham – and has thrown his support behind Ange Postecgolou after suffering four straight defeats.

Maddison has started the season in fine form under the Australian manager following his £42 million move from Leicester as he contributed three goals and five assists in his first 12 games of the season – before to suffer a long-term injury in November.

The 27-year-old returned in January but hasn’t been the same player since, recording just one goal and two assists – with no contributions since March. As a result, Postecoglou benched him in the last two games against Chelsea and Liverpool.

But despite fears that Maddison’s poor form could see him miss out on a place at Euro 2024 this summer, Sutton believes he still has enough quality to be included following the announcement that manager Gareth Southgate will be able to select 26 players instead of 23.

Speaking on Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast, Sutton says the player shouldn’t “sweat” at the thought of his inclusion, insisting he’s given a “good answer” since he was abandoned by his manager.

James Maddison shouldn’t worry about his Euro 2024 place despite his poor form, says Chris Sutton

Sutton praised Maddison’s response since being dropped by boss Ange Postecoglou

His podcast co-host Ian Ladyman said: “He’ll sweat a bit on his home turf in England, I think. And he could be one of those who will benefit from UEFA’s support. Last week it was ruled that there would be squads of 26 players for the Euros instead of 23, as he might need to be one of those bottom three places.

Sutton added: “That’s why he won’t sweat. I think you’re right about its shape.

“I don’t necessarily think many Spurs fans would have been surprised that he was dropped. Nobody has a divine right to play if his form dips. His form has dipped. And he actually came on and that was a good response from him.

“He didn’t sulk and throw his toys out of the pram and just trotted along. He made the difference and that’s what you have to do as a player. But he will go to Germany, I am absolutely sure of it.

He believes Maddison will benefit from Gareth Southgate (right) picking a bigger squad.

Ladyman also asked Sutton what he thought of the recent pressure placed on Postecoglou after presiding over four successive defeats, with questions being asked about the manager’s tactics after seeing his team split on the counter-attack – as well than appearing vulnerable on set pieces. .

But the former Celtic striker – who has been a staunch supporter of Postecoglou – said the manager should be judged “fairly” throughout the season, given he found himself in a difficult situation l ‘last summer.

“I always thought there would be bumps in the road,” he said. “I thought it was natural. In many ways, they have surpassed their early performance under his leadership. And then, as is the norm, everyone just kind of jumped on the bandwagon and got carried away. They’ve had a rough patch lately, but I think it needs to be judged fairly over the course of the season.

“Tottenham played negative football. He came in and played an expansive role. They had Jeffrey Boycott before and now they have Ian Botham with Postecoglou. And with that and with that comes its risks.

Sutton also defended ‘thick-skinned’ Postecoglou after receiving criticism over his poor results

“They have been mercilessly exposed of late, but over the whole season I think Tottenham fans should be happy with what they have seen.”

When asked what Postecoglou might think after fans and pundits questioned his set-piece set-up and lack of a plan B, Sutton insisted he would “switch to bulldoze” all the skeptics.

“I think he has thick skin,” Sutton added. “I think he’s just going to bulldoze all of that. The only thing that interests him is the performance of his team. Performance is essential. Some of the comments he made have been echoed by many people about the Champions League comments, as they are not the be-all and end-all.

“His whole coaching career was about if the team performed well, then the results would follow. And that’s his kind of mantra. So when it came to set pieces, what he meant , it was about the bigger picture. It wasn’t just about set pieces. It was about improvement in all areas.

He backed the Australian to work his way through criticism over tactics and set pieces.

Sutton said Spurs fans should be “cautious” before questioning Postecoglou after enduring poor football under his predecessors.

“I think he kind of cuts the waffle. It can’t bother him. He knows where he wants to go.

“If you take everything away, this season at Tottenham has been a success. Tottenham are not a team that wins trophies. So we know what the Tottenham fans wanted. He gave them that.

“We are at a stage where I think Tottenham fans need to be a little bit careful because what would be the alternative?

“It’s about rebuilding now and they’ve got someone who wants to rebuild and do it in a particular way and he’s not going to change – and Tottenham fans know he’s not going to change – so if I were them, I would enjoy the ride and keep going.