Gareth Southgate’s eagerly anticipated World cup squad announcement was released last week, and his squad seems to have been relatively well received.
The big headline was James Maddison’s inclusion and Southgate, who earned his place for his mesmerising form over the last year, where he was involved in the most goals of any Englishman besides Harry Kane. I, amongst others, was pleased to see James Maddison and two other key names omitted from his last squad; Marcus Rashford and Ben White. Primarily because of the variety of profiles between them and the range of positions they can cover. Maddison is perhaps the only player in England’s squad who would be completely comfortable playing the number 10 role, White can cover both full-back and centre-back, and Rashford can play both off the left and through the middle.
England will face a variety of challenges at this World Cup, which will require a variety of solutions. The flexibility of Southgate’s squad will mean they’re well prepared for the tournament, whether they need creativity to break down a deep block or to sit tight themselves when facing a more fearsome opposition.
Some players, such as Conor Gallagher and Conor Coady, might count themselves lucky to be in Gareth Southgate’s squad. Other players such as Ivan Toney, Fikayo Tomori and James Ward-Prowse could feel gutted to have missed out. However, a lot of the debate over these names is slightly trivial. The Euros in 2021 saw just 21 out of the 26 players get minutes on the pitch. Many of these names might have ended up seeing no minutes at all.
Sheffield can feel proud to have produced two players in the squad, Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire. However, the inclusion of both of these players was a contentious issue itself. The inclusion of Kyle Walker would have been a no-brainer for Southgate if not for his fitness issues of late, which have seen him off the pitch since the Manchester derby in October. This was a risk worth taking as Walker is one of England’s most experienced and decorated footballers. While his pace is something which no other English defender can compete with, making him an invaluable member of the squad. Harry Maguire has also been a pillar of Gareth Southgate’s side, key to the success enjoyed by England at the last two tournaments. However, his form over the last year has been poor, seeing him ousted from Erik Ten Hag’s new Manchester United side. Despite this, I would suggest his inclusion was also the correct decision. Maguire has the experience needed to perform if called upon by Southgate, something alternative players such as Tomori and Dan Burn don’t have in comparison.