I’ll pick my 23-man World Cup squad early to avoid players’ stress and misery... I’m very sensitive to this as I remember what Hoddle’s rejection did to Gazza back in’98
BOSS SOUTHGATE TO MAKE FINAL CALL FOR RUSSIA AFTER LAST PREM WEEKEND
GARETH SOUTHGATE remembers the carnage of Gazza trashing a hotel room after being left out of the France ’98 World Cup squad.
“I was one of the next in – mine didn’t take too long after that!” smiled Southgate yesterday as he recalled Paul Gascoigne’s meltdown at Glenn Hoddle after failing to make the cut.
Former Three Lions boss Hoddle’s assistant John Gorman was left trying to clear up the mess at the squad’s training base, in La Manga, after Gazza had kicked a chair over and punched a lamp, showering the carpet with glass.
Hoddle chose to call the players in one by one to tell them whether they were in or out and, perhaps on the back of Gazza’s rage, Southgate will do things very differently before naming his squad for Russia.
Southgate admits he has “huge choices” to make before trimming his squad from the 31 players he currently has in mind down to the final 23.
But the England boss intends to do it in the week after the final Premier League weekend of the season on Sunday, May 13, to put the players out of their misery and not put them through the pain Gazza suffered.
That is well before the FIFA cut-off date of June 4, but is designed to leave England’s stars knowing exactly where they stand before the final warm-up friendlies with Nigeria and Costa Rica on June 2 and 7 respectively.
Southgate has made up his mind on Jordan Pickford as his No.1 keeper, Harry Kane is set to be his captain, and perhaps the biggest squeeze will be in midfield.
Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be in the squad if he can prove his fitness on loan at Crystal Palace, time has run out for Jack Wilshere, Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling and is running out for Jake Livermore after his poor season with West Brom.
Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier are nailed on, but the big issue for Southgate is whether he can take all of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford.
One might have to be left at home to balance the squad and, because of his injury problems this season, Lallana knows he must prove his fitness between now and the end of the campaign. It is the same for his Liverpool teammate Joe Gomez. Both go if they are fit.
Ashley Young is now in pole position for left-back, his versatility means he can also play on the right and that means either Danny Rose or Ryan Bertrand will go, but probably not both. Kyle Walker could play in the back three or at rightback.
Lewis Cook, Alfie Mawson and Nick Pope were in the squad for Italy and Holland, but are unlikely to make it.
It is too soon for Cook, James Tarkowski jumped ahead of Mawson and Pope’s short distribution is poor, which means Pickford, Jack Butland and Joe Hart are the three keepers.
Southgate admitted he has got major decisions to make to try to find the right balance for his squad – but is determined to get the players in the right frame of mind by getting it done early.
“For any player it’s a huge disappointment,” said Southgate. “I guess it depends on how much they have been involved with us at that point.
“Some of the guys are coming in for their first couple of games so, for them, the scenario is different.
“I’m sensitive to all of that, so I have to deal with it in the best way possible.
“I’d like to (name the squad before the next friendly) because you end up being able to run a performance camp rather than a selection camp. There’s a difference in the feel for everybody.
“If you name 28, they aren’t sure… but if you name 23 and five on standby – which Sven Goran Eriksson did well – then everyone knows where they sit.
“Those on standby have a chance but they come into the camp knowing their role.
“If you have 28 or 30, who think they might have a chance, then there’s a lot of uncertainty and anxiety during the games. For me, it’s much better to have the 23 secured and go from there.”