NASSER HUSSAIN’S SCATHING VERDICT
ENGLAND appear to be huffing and puffing towards this summer’s World Cup and not just because their players have been subjected to asthma tests this week.
There are some all too familiar problems. The absence of key players. What feel like last-minute experiments. A sense that the manager needs more time.
In fairness to Gareth Southgate, he has been in charge for only 14 matches and to his credit he does at least have a vision of how he wants his team to play in Russia.
But it is a plan that he has so far been unable to properly execute and tonight’s friendly will be a further source of frustration.
Jordan Pickford is being given another opportunity to impress and that is significant. Central defenders Southgate considers weak on the ball have been ruthlessly discarded already and England’s manager now seems to be applying the same criteria to his goalkeepers.
Distribution is one of Pickford’s strong points and that seems to be the reason why the young Everton player has been promoted ahead of Joe Hart and Jack Butland for the encounter with Ronald Koeman’s side.
But it remains a potentially daunting test for Pickford when it is only his second cap.
In fact there are echoes of the 2010 World Cup here, even if Southgate claims to know who would start in the No 1 jersey were England playing their opening group game against Tunisia tomorrow.
Fabio Capello settled on Rob Green in South Africa only to dump him after one mistake in the opening game against the USA and turn to 39- year- old David James.
Southgate also has such experience in his squad in Joe Hart who, despite challenges this past 18 months, has kept 43 clean sheets in 75 international games.
Even so, Southgate could do with Pickford giving an assured, confident display that convinces him his idea of deploying a back three with Eric Dier at its heart is still the way to go.
The absence of key midfielders has forced Southgate to select Dier there until now but Southgate wants him to set the tone in Russia and should move him into defence tonight, even if he has now lost Jack Wilshere to injury. As
Sportsmail revealed in November, Southgate sees Dier in the ‘quarter-back’ role in Russia.
And he has made no secret of his admiration for the 24-year- old Tottenham player.
He has said he sees Dier’s future at centre back and ‘he has good tactical understanding on the field’. Southgate also revealed last year that Dier is ‘ a good sounding board’ for him.
With Adam Lallana also struggling with a knock and any plans to take Wilshere to the World Cup probably now abandoned, central midfield is looking a little short of quality — with the exception of Jordan Henderson.
But such issues stopped Southgate deploying Dier at the back against Germany and Brazil last November and if he is going to experiment it needs to be now.
Southgate has other concerns. No Harry Kane means a different shape up front and a lack of firstteam football for players like John Stones is also a worry.
But Southgate is prepared for further disruption, not least with Manchester City and Liverpool progressing in the manner they are in the Champions League. Their quarter-final clash obviously guarantees that one English side reaches the last four.
‘Look, we could end up with players reporting really late if they get to the Champions League final,’ said Southgate. ‘We have to be fluid with that. We have to be able to adapt. What’s more important is knowing who we’d want in eachh positioniti if fit and d available. We’re not in the same state as Brazil, the same state of evolution of the team. We want to find out what’s best for the future of the England team. But it’s not concern. We’re really intrigued to see which players step forward and claim the spots.
‘It’s an exciting period. We’re seeing players, like the defenders we’ve brought in this week, settle in no problem and play out from the back comfortably. Lewis Cook looks totally at ease in the squad. Everyone here has a serious opportunity to go to the World Cup.’
Southgate confirmed last night that he will play three at the back andd againstit a DutchDth sideid lacking l ki quality and shaken by their failure to qualify for a second consecutive tournament, he should be bold.
That is one of the positives; the fact he at least thinks he knows how he wants England to play.
And yet it still feels a bit like those asthma tests. Last night Southgate insisted they were part of a broader pre-tournament health check and not a venture into one of the grey areas of elite sport. But they amounted to new territory for this particular England squad, little more than 80 days before the start of the World Cup.