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The England boss is a divisive figure, with many claiming he’s too cautious
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Blessed with an exciting crop of talent he has over-looked or under-used some
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These five deserve more game-time or bigger roles to play at the World Cup
Though Gareth Southgate has guided England to a World Cup semi and a Euro final during his time as an international manager, and though his team are among the favourites to lift the World Cup in Qatar, he remains a divisive figure, with some insisting his conservative ways hold back an exciting generation of talent.
Certainly, these five players can feel somewhat aggrieved since he took the reins because for differing reasons, and to varying extents, the waistcoated gaffer is not getting the best out of them.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
By a strange quirk of fate, the Three Lions have been blessed with a long litany of well-equipped right-backs who are all flourishing in the same era.
By an equally strange quirk, Gareth Southgate routinely decides to leave the best of them at home, kicking his heels.
Cherished by Liverpool for his attacking forays, the 23-year-old’s sense of adventure and cultured touch resulted in 19 assists for his club in 2021/22, a remarkable figure for a full-back.
Well done to @TrentAA on being named in the @PFA Premier League Team of the Year! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/l58JU4eNLi
— England (@England) June 9, 2022
It’s a return that has impressed even the great Cafu, who recently claimed ‘TAA’ is one of the best in the world at his role.
For England however, the player is too often over-looked, with Southgate distrustful of his defensive capabilities.
Having Alexander-Arnold in England’s opening eleven in Qatar would be a statement, an overt intention to win the competition, not merely avoid defeat. Don’t expect it to happen.
Ben Chilwell
The Chelsea star only has four caps fewer than Luke Shaw yet it’s still strikingly apparent that their international manager prefers the Manchester United left-back, especially for the big occasions.
In a similar vein to Alexander-Arnold, this is presumably because Chilwell’s biggest strengths lie in the offensive third with the former Leicester man contributing to so many of the Blues’ most meaningful attacks last term until injury struck.
Flying down the left flank for any other nation, Chilwell would be lauded to the rafters. For England he is merely a peripheral figure, under-valued and criminally so.
Phil Foden
That this generational talent isn’t a guaranteed starter for the opening game v Iran speaks volumes, those volumes consisting of millions of fans voicing their frustration.
Having sensibly introduced Foden to the international stage in increments, there can be no real complaints about the game-time afforded to the midfield prodigy to this point. Sixteen appearances at the age of 22 is fair, however you view it.
The problem rests on how Foden is deployed, nullified of his ability to glide past opponents and cast in a role that plays second fiddle to Kane and Sterling.
Build your team around him please Gareth. An extraordinary player like this doesn’t come along often.
Jack Grealish
There has always been a terrace favourite annoyingly unfancied by an England gaffer and we can go all the way back to the Seventies for evidence of this, with Stan Bowles and the like deemed to be mavericks by the schoolmasterly bosses of that era.
Fast-forward to the present day and it is Grealish with the catapult in his back pocket while Mason Mount brings a shiny apple in every day for teacher, and if the Manchester City star’s natural flair has been sparingly used by Southgate to this juncture, then so be it. Should it continue however, it may start to look a little personal.
That’s because, after a year’s intensive tuition under Guardiola, Grealish is expected to excel this year, balancing out his extravagant creativity with productivity and discipline.
The Premier League Odds has City down as clear favourites to claim another title and that would make the midfielder a two-time title winner too.
Tammy Abraham
No-one is suggesting that Abraham can directly challenge Harry Kane for a regular starting berth up front. Given the Tottenham forward’s record with England that would be ludicrous.
Yet it is pragmatic to say the least to have an established back-up in place, should injury befall Kane, and in recent times Southgate has oscillated with this aim, going with Calvert-Lewin, then Watkins, then Abraham, his choice usually determined by form.
It is the latter however who should be stuck with, through lean times and good. The football odds price Roma up as fourth favourites to win the Scudetto this season.
A sizable reason for that is down to the 24-year-old’s impact in the Italian capital.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 26th July 2022
