Fringe in danger of the chop
SOUTHGATE MAY BE LOYAL BUT HE IS FACING A BIG DILEMMA
IT’S alright playing Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw for England at the moment – but if they’re still not featuring for Manchester United in November, that is a major worry.
They ultimately need the minutes, so it was always going to be the case that they were involved, otherwise they won’t be playing at all. Especially given the run United are now on.
Yet there’s a big problem on the horizon in two months if they’re still sat on the bench. And it’s a massive concern.
England could get away with playing Maguire but I don’t see the Shaw one happening – he needs rhythm.
That said, the one thing you can say about Gareth Southgate is that he’s very loyal.
We aren’t blessed with a lorry-load of centre-halves – we are blessed with a lorry-load of full-backs. Playing Kyle Walker in a back-three gets England out of jail.
I’m even starting to wonder about Kalvin Phillips after his latest shoulder injury.
Southgate will take him, it’s all about loyalty, but how do you take someone who is not even getting a kick for his club? This is the problem he has got now.
Phillips (left) must have known when he was going to Manchester City that he wasn’t going to play.
The big advantage England have got is they can take 26 players instead of 23.
They can afford to take Maguire and Phillips, even if they aren’t playing. But in the gruelling heat in Qatar, the lack of minutes will definitely take its toll.
Southgate, though, isn’t afraid to make big decisions and I think leaving Jadon Sancho out of the squad was the right call despite his upturn in form.
He’s got two Premier League goals and no assists – he’s hardly ripped it up.
Sancho is very similar to a lot of the players in the squad, but Jarrod Bowen isn’t. I can see him playing in bigger football matches. It’s horses for courses.
If it’s between Sancho (below) or Raheem Sterling, I’m playing Sterling.
Then there are Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford, who I also think get in. Bowen could be the one that misses out and – in that case – there would be no point in picking Sancho either.
I still just think England are missing that Jorginho style of player to knit it all together. We won’t pass anyone to death. Even Germany had more possession than us at Euro 2020 and we’re better than them.
The way you counteract that is by playing 4-3-3 but ultimately, England look far better suited to three at the back.
Gareth, though, found the balance brilliantly at the Euros so we have to have faith.