England deserve a Sterling effort
GARETH Southgate had just made a joke about World Cup bingo on his office wall. It was, he said, all the things he could expect to happen during the build-up to a major tournament, based principally on his experience as a former England player.
But whatever boxes he thought he might have to tick, and tournament build-ups are often peppered with slightly hysterical stories about unfinished training grounds and noisy nightclubs next to team hotels, the England manager probably did not anticipate the storm of controversy around a tattoo of a gun. Or a member of his squad reporting a day late for duty.
As Southgate acknowledged, these things always get out and yesterday he had to answer questions about Raheem Sterling’s failure to turn up on time at St George’s Park last week.
Sensitive, no doubt, to the fact that the same player who chose to have a rifle inked on his right leg was now in bother for something rather more serious, Southgate was reluctant to reveal too much. ‘We have dealt with it internally,’ he said.
But he did confirm that Sterling was indeed late, that he had made his feelings known to the Manchester City forward on a stroll around St George’s Park and that the 23-year-old had subsequently apologised to his international team-mates.
Southgate is not a soft touch. Wayne Rooney stepped out of line when he decided to have a boozy night with wedding guests in the same Watford hotel the national team have occupied this week — and he was never seen in an England shirt again.
So Sterling should perhaps consider himself a little fortunate that he remains on the plane to Russia when he has acted so unprofessionally.
The reason given for arriving on Wednesday morning rather than Tuesday night was a problem with a connecting flight in Miami on his return from Jamaica. And if you assume he missed his connection on the Monday night, he would indeed have been forced to wait until the following evening for a flight back to London that then landed on Wednesday morning.
But after being given an extension by Southgate that allowed him to report late on the Tuesday — when he should have been at the national football centre the previous day — why cut it so fine? Why, when this is a World Cup, take the risk?
Adam Lallana is not even in the squad but he reported three days early for training — the Liverpool players are not due to show up until today — in the hope of proving to Southgate that he is ready to go Russia should a player in his 23-man party sustain an injury.
When Sterling called to say he was stuck in the United States, some managers might have been tempted to replace him with Lallana there and then.
Of course, it helps Sterling’s case that he is among the most gifted players in the squad. ‘A super talent,’ Southgate called him yesterday. And the manager is a pragmatist however bold he might have been with his squad selection and his changes in formation.
Even so, one imagines he was less than impressed. Not to mention mindful of the fact that the two problems he has had to deal with since naming his squad last month have both concerned Sterling.
If he was fairly dismissive about the tattoo story, he recognised that Sterling’s late return demanded an explanation.
‘We haven’t hidden anything on that,’ he said, which is true. And he explained that he ‘had a discussion with the player’ and they had ‘come to an agreement’.
Southgate added: ‘He wanted to apologise to the group, explain his commitment to the team. It’s done. We move on.’
The England boss handled the situation well but it would help him this evening if Sterling now delivers a committed, confident performance at Wembley, assuming he gets the nod against Nigeria in the first of two World Cup warm-up games.
More specifically, he needs to prove himself the perfect foil for Harry Kane, England’s captain, principal goalscorer and someone who made it back from the Bahamas without being late.
The Champions League final denies Southgate the opportunity to pick his strongest team. But it may well be close to the side he has in mind for England’s World Cup opener against Tunisia on June 18.
The selection of Jesse Lingard, which he confirmed yesterday after asking the Manchester United midfielder to join him at the press conference, is interesting and suggests he might well remain ahead of Dele Alli in the pecking order.
But perhaps more intriguing still is the likely inclusion of Ruben Loftus-Cheek in the absence of Jordan Henderson.
After impressing in the autumn, in particular against Germany, the towering Chelsea player is pushing hard for a place in the starting line-up.
Southgate continued: ‘I don’t think these are trial matches in that a bad performance rules someone out necessarily.
‘But there are opportunities for players to really stake a claim in areas of the pitch where there is huge competition for places.’
Sterling certainly needs to deliver for Southgate tonight.