SOL CAMPBELL Going forward England are very strong but the defence and goalkeeper situation is a massive headache for Southgate
‘NO CONSISTENCY AND LOW ON CONFIDENCE.. IT DOESN’T LOOK GOOD’
SOL CAMPBELL has warned that Gareth Southgate faces a “real headache” over England’s defensive crisis.
As well as the goalkeeping dilemma, he fears England are woefully short of top-quality centre-halves as they approach this summer’s World Cup finals.
Campbell was from a golden era of defenders and battled with Rio Ferdinand and John Terry for a place in England’s starting line-up.
Now, Southgate does not know who to turn to for his back three.
Since taking charge 14 games ago, Southgate has used 44 players, 16 of whom have been defenders.
That will be 18 if Burnley’s James Tarkowski and Swansea’s Alfie Mawson get a game in the upcoming friendlies with Holland and Italy.
More worryingly, only three defenders in the current squad – Kyle Walker, Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand – have played in a major tournament. England’s defensive options, going into 2006, were, at centre-half, Jamie Carragher, Campbell, Terry and Ferdinand, with full-backs Gary Neville, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge, with 271 starts between the seven of them.
Gary Cahill is one of Southgate’s most experienced players with 58 caps, but was axed because of a lack of game time at Chelsea.
Campbell, 43, (below) fears England’s strength in attack will be undermined by defensive issues. He said: “Going forward, midfield and in attack, England are really strong, but the back line and the keeper scenario is a real worry for Southgate.
“You look at midfielders and, with a couple of assists, their confidence is back. Forwards, with goals and assists, are straight back in the groove. But defenders take a little bit longer and a keeper definitely takes longer. You can’t make a couple of saves and think, ‘Yeah, I’m all right’. It doesn’t work like that. You need to get in a groove. “Going forward, we will be excellent and have a chance to trouble teams, however, at the back there’s quality, but there’s no consistency because of a lack of game time and being low on confidence. It doesn’t look good. “John Stones can go from strength to strength, he’s at the right club, right manager, he’s got to learn. Hopefully, it will click together, but it will be tough.” Campbell played alongside Southgate during his England career, which saw him win 73 caps, and he always felt that his former team-mate was made for management. Campbell has been desperate to get into management himself and believes that if he had gone straight in after retiring, it might have been easier, and that being a TV pundit now gives some old team-mates a greater chance.
Campbell, who says he is willing to coach for free after missing out on jobs with Oxford and Grimsby, added: “Gareth always had management in him, got straight into the job at Middlesbrough and did his badges at the same time – and that kickstarted him.
“Maybe I should have been a player-manager for my last years, that might have been an easier way.
“I don’t want to be a TV pundit to get a job, but do you have to be on TV to get one? Will the hierarchy at a club look at a player or a manager more if they’re on TV?
“I am willing to coach unpaid, go in two or three days a week – that’s how much I want it. I am trying to do all sorts and I will just have to keep on knocking on the door.”