Gareth Southgate has been a busy man of late. The plethora of English talent in the PL is envious but hardly has ever come a manager who managed to put a well-functioning unit on the field. English teams have always been devoid of cohesion, but Southgate has somewhat succeeded in forming a squad that can better their performances from the previous competitions. They brushed aside the Netherlands in a friendly match a couple of days ago and drew against Italy yesterday. Here, we look at the best playing XI that the manager can field provided every player remains fit.
Formation: 3-5-2 (Southgate has revealed this as his preferred formation for the showpiece event)
Defence:
Jordan Pickford looks well poised to take over the goalkeeping mantle from Joe Hart in Russia. Hart has been in terrible form since the last two seasons and Jack Butland has failed to settle in properly after his long injury layoff. Butland has made some critical individual errors and hence Pickford is likely to be preferred as the Everton lad is the best choice among the current crop of keepers.
Phil Jones is likely to make it to the starting XI if he maintains his fitness until the World Cup. Jones has put in inspiring, sturdy, strong performances for Manchester United this season, barring a single own goal against Spurs at Wembley. Other than that, Jones has been spot on with his interceptions, clearances whilst leading the backline in difficult situations.
Harry Maguire and John Stones’ ball-playing abilities will help the team build the play from the back. Maguire’s strong physical presence coupled with his incisive runs ahead will add a new dimension to this lineup. Stones on the other side will add some calmness and composure with his astute positioning and passing play.
Midfield:
The left-wingback slot is a difficult one to decide as England have some noteworthy candidates for that position. However, the often-preferred Danny Rose has hardly played this season, hence lack of playing time would be a concern for the player and the management, and Rose might have to settle for a spot on the bench. Ashley Young has earned his national call-up due to some praiseworthy performances for United in important games.
It would be a choice between him and Ryan Bertrand, and Bertrand might pip the senior pro to the starting XI. His consistency along with the fact that the Southampton man has been preferred earlier strengthens his case. Kyle Walker looks set to play as the right wing-back. Walker has improved immensely ever since joining Manchester City as his searing pace and constant attacking contributions will help the English forwards a great deal.
Now, the three-man central midfield will be interesting. Southgate will probably go with Eric Dier as his holding midfielder, expecting him to break attacks and initiate counter-attacks by keeping the play simple. Jack Wilshere should surely play provided that the Arsenal man remains fit. The signs are bleak though, as Wilshere has missed both the friendly matches against Holland and Italy because of a tendon injury.
However, when fit, Wilshere has been promising this season as his tendency to link up the midfield to attack with his incredible vision and dribbling skills will be important for the Three Lions. There will be a toss-up between Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard for the third midfielder’s position. Both these players have been very impressive this season, but Alli’s interlinking with Harry Kane and their established chemistry might push the Tottenham man’s case.
Attack:
Harry Kane will be a sure-shot starter for England and the team will be reliant on him to score the goals whilst providing that moment of brilliance that the team has missed on the International stage. Either Marcus Rashford or Raheem Sterling will play as the second forward along with Kane with Jamie Vardy also firmly in the equation.
Southgate has a certain fondness for Rashford and Sterling’s form has been better than ever too. Therefore, it provides a good selection headache for the manager, though both of them equally deserve to start games for their country.
