Football News: Russia 2018 - The England Squad

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Goalkeepers:
Jack Butland (Stoke), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley).

Defenders:
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jones, Ashley Young (both Manchester United), Harry Maguire (Leicester), Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier (both Tottenham Hotspur), John Stones, Kyle Walker (both Manchester City).

Midfielders:
Dele Alli, Eric Dier (both Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Fabian Delph (Manchester City), Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea).

Forwards:
Harry Kane (Tottenham), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jamie Vardy (Leicester), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).

Standby:
Lewis Cook (Bournemouth), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Jake Livermore (West Brom), James Tarkowski (Burnley)

For anyone who loves the World Cup, this has been an eagerly anticipated announcement. I, personally, am one of those people who pretends they're not interested for 4 years and then ends up watching Japan vs Nigeria at 3:00am!

So we know the squad Gareth Southgate has picked, but we don't know who is likely to be in his starting XI. It will be much clearer after the two upcoming friendlies, but I'm impatient and thought I'd try and predict his preferred system at least! I do expect tinkering throughout the 4 games. Okay, okay... I'll try to be more optimistic!

In goal, we are most likely to see either Butland or Pickford. Pope has had a better season, but recent friendlies suggest that Southgate will try and play out from the back. Pope doesn't fit that philosophy despite being a great shot stopper.

In terms of ability on the ball, Butland has the best distribution of the bunch, but he does favour throwing the ball. He can kick with both feet under pressure though which is a bonus. He's also a much better shot stopper than Pickford.

Pickford is definitely more composed under pressure, but his kicking is erratic and he relies heavily on his left peg. Sometimes he can hit a driven pass that looks like something from Steven Gerrard's locker, and then his next kick will decapitate your Nan who was sat it row Z... at a different stadium.

Verdict: Butland

Now playing out from the back is not easy when you have players as clumsy on the ball as Maguire, Jones and Cahill! None of England's centre back options, even you Stones(!) are good under pressure. So the easiest way to counter that, is to spread the play, making it harder to press every option and cut off every passing lane; a back 3.

With Joe Gomez missing out due to injury, a back 3 would pick itself (which shows a worrying lack of quality). There are 3 right backs in the squad, so that would indicate that Walker is going to play as a centre back to me. He did in the recent friendlies so this should be no surprise if it happens.

The middle man will almost definitely be Stones. Though he is prone to a mistake when he is pressed, he is the best passer of all the centre back options, and will be the man tasked with kick starting every England move from deep. No Cruyff turns in the 6 yard box though, please!

Finally, the left sided centre back role will probably belong to Maguire. He is the man who looks like he will profit from the injury to Gomez, as he would definitely have been the preferred option due to his superior... well... everything. Maguire is a slightly better passer than Jones and Cahill so he should get the nod.

Verdict: Walker, Stones, Maguire

A back 3 makes another part of the side pretty obvious. That is of course, the use of wing backs. It would make sense entirely because all 4 who have been selected are much better going towards the opposition penalty area.

On the right side we have a straight shoot-out between Tripper and Arnold. On current form, you have to say that Arnold fully deserves to be starting, but his age and lack of caps will go against him. The friendlies though, give Arnold the chance to show Southgate exactly why he should be starting in Russia.

On the left side, Rose and Young will battle it out for the starting berth. If he is fit, Rose is comfortably the better option. However, he has struggled badly this year for game time so Young has a fighters chance. You can't rule out a man who has learned a new position to make it to his first World Cup finals at 32 years old.

Verdict: Trippier, Rose

Midfield is an area which really shows up a lack of quality in depth in this England squad. Henderson is the only player on the list who is even a natural midfielder, currently playing there at club level. So you can guarantee he will be in the starting line up.

Dier started in defence, Delph currently plays left back, Alli and Lingard are more often forwards, and Loftus-Cheek (a totally random inclusion considering his average and injury plagued season) is best behind a striker. Cook and Lallana can count themselves very unlucky to miss out looking at who was selected.

In the last friendlies, Southgate gave a clear indication as to how he plans on utilising his midfield options. Henderson will likely be the central figure of a midfield 3, with 2 more attacking player either side of him.

Lingard should definitely keep his place in this system because he has been a revelation this season for club and country. In fact I, am backing him to star in anything good England may do this summer.

With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ruled out with injury though, the other position to Henderson's right has opened up nicely for the return of Alli, who has finally found form. Alli and Lingard have to click into gear if England want to achieve anything. They will also need to work harder defensively than they have to at club level.

I do expect Dier and Henderson to rotate in the deeper role, because Henderson's plantar fasciitis condition prevents him from playing twice in 4 days for a sustained period. Having said that, England might not sustain for a very long period! (Sorry, sorry... positive!)

I also want to praise Southgate for not bowing to public/media pressure and picking either of Jack Wilshere or Jonjo Shelvey. Neither player have the quality or the temperament required to play for England. They are both rash in every single aspect of their games. Unlike Alli, they don't make up for it with consistent brilliance.

Verdict: Alli, Henderson, Lingard

Anybody paying attention will have realised that this only leaves 2 positions in the team. I fully expect Southgate to go with 2 forwards, but not the duo the masses are shouting about. Simply put, Kane and Vardy are too selfish to play with one another. It should be one or the other.

In my opinion, Vardy is the better option because he is more clinical. In fact, his conversion rate this season was twice as good as Kane's and you don't get many chances at this level. However, Kane is the FA's poster boy and has a decent shout at wearing the armband, so unfortunately Vardy will not be starting ahead of Kane, injury forbidding.

As a side note, Welbeck's selection is beyond me. The place in the squad should've gone to someone like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ademola Lookman, Dominic Solanke or Tammy Abraham. Someone who has a role in England's future basically, because odds are Welbeck won't kick a ball, as the 5th choice forward.

The last starting position has to go to someone who will be unselfish and creative in the final third. That brings us to Rashford and Sterling. Looking at their individual seasons though, it is not even up for debate. Sterling is the better option by far and will arguably play in whatever system is deployed.

Verdict: Sterling, Kane

So that concludes my predictions. To summarise, I expect a 3-5-2 formation will be the primary tactic deployed. The only areas I think Southgate hasn't fully made up his mind is the goal keeper position, and both wing back positions.

As regards to the captaincy, Henderson and Kane are probably the obvious options and I expect it will be one of them. An outside bet though, is Walker. He is one of the most experienced players, and also one of the few players in the squad who starts in any system, without debate.

With a bit of luck, and everyone pulling in the same direction, I think England can go to Russia this summer and shock the world by earning a draw against Panama! Well... maybe a Quarter final if we get a few decisions.

Written By Adam Jones

Written by Adam Jones May 20 2018 21:28:39