The talk was that Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher would be added to the team, an idea Scholes didn't seem to like.

"Why are we obsessed with energy when we should be obsessed with the brain," he wrote.

The ex-Manchester United star seemed to be annoyed that Kobbie Mainoo had been overlooked and he was far from the only one with such an opinion.

"The idea of Gallagher being the fix however shows Southgate doesn't even begin to understand the problems he's trying to fix. He needs a Busquets, not a Scott Parker," raged an editorial on the website Football 365.

"Will happily eat my hat if I'm wrong but Italy, Spain, France etc will run rings around Gallagher if we get to play them, and the fact that he is 'busy' will just create massive gaps for Rice to try and fill."

As fate would have it the Gallagher-sceptics didn't even have to put up with a full 90 minutes of the Chelsea player, he was removed at half time and the much-praised Mainoo installed in his place.

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Although he was reportedly very supportive of him behind closed doors in his explanation for the switch manager Gareth Southgate inadvertently threw more shade on the midfielder.

"[Mainoo] used the ball really well and we know that's the way he plays and he'll help us get through their high pressure and he's looked really comfortable in an England shirt," he told reporters.

"[He's] definitely [embraced the big occasion], he's played some huge games already for his club and he looks totally at ease in our environment and you saw when he came into the game the other night exactly the impact he can have."

England has a habit of demonizing individual players as the 'problem' or 'cause' of a bad performance.

Those who lack the reputation of bigger stars are often the fall guys and, much like Mason Mount was derided at the 2021 edition of the competition, Gallagher had his reputation shredded based on a few disjointed displays.

Often left to cover the ground vacated by the considerably more expensive and far less effective duo of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caciedo the question was often asked; why manager Mauricio Pochettino placed so much trust in him?

It was more pointed because Gallagher, unlike the vast majority of his Chelsea teammates, had a contract that was nearing its expiry and there appeared to be little desire from the powers that be to renew.

This was despite him being in the eyes of Pochettino essential.

"I think he is a player with a great commitment to the team," the Chelsea manager said after he scored a brace in February.

"He is always trying to compensate in every situation, in offensive and defensive situations. It's priceless to have a player like him."

In a Chelsea side that changed often Gallagher was one of the few players Pochettino trusted not only as a starter but as captain.

If the side was dysfunctional it was not his fault, yet as a summer exit became more likely the sneers about his ability continued.

When he was linked with a move to Aston Villa, pundit Alan McInally savagely declared he was not of a high enough standard to wear the claret and blue shirt.

"I don't think he's good enough to play for Aston Villa," he said.

"He's a good player, he's done alright but I can't for the life of me understand how he got in the England squad and plays in front of some other players. Then again, that is the choice of Gareth Southgate. He has to stand by that.

"I don't see Conor Gallagher making Aston Villa any better and I want players to come to my football club that are exceptionally better than Conor Gallagher and that's just the way I feel.

"He's a good player, he's done very well for himself but I don't see him being an Aston Villa player. I don't know how much he's going to cost but at the same time I don't see the fit there."

Aston Villa's loss appears to be Atletico Madrid's gain with transfer guru journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming negotiations for a move are well under way.

He claimed in a post on the social media platform X that the Chelsea man had been "top" of the Spanish giant's list since May.

This endorsement by Atletico's tactical expert coach Diego Simeone should be the final nail in the coffin that Gallagher is some sort of workhorse with no "brains."

Players who cannot adapt to the strict and complex structures the Argentinian insists upon are simply not recruited by Atletico.

Perhaps in the same way Kieran Trippier is now appreciated more for his spell in the Spanish capital Gallagher might finally get the respect he deserves after proving himself abroad.