The recent 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifiers have provided a great insight into how the European nations are faring ahead of this summer’s delayed Euros.
England manager Gareth Southgate oversaw three wins over San Marino, Albania and Poland but still faced great scrutiny from fans.
The failure of the Under-21 squad and their boss Aidy Boothroyd crashing out at the U21 Euros group stage has added more pressure and expectations to the senior team because another ‘golden generation’ is upon us which is too good to waste.
Here, TIBS News assesses the Three Lions.
Formation worries
Previously England regularly played three centre backs which annoyed many critics because of the staggering amount of attacking talent the squad possesses. It was wide speculation that a 3-4-3 formation would be employed during the Euros but this recent international break saw the return of a back four – leading to great success with three wins out of three.
Southgate’s men played a much more attractive style of football creating several opportunities at goal due to the extra man in midfield.
The mainstays in the squad
John Stones
The three qualifier games served as an indicator of the mainstays in the squad. John Stones was recalled and started all of the games. He was solid throughout, bar the error which led to Poland’s equaliser.
There was a great debate surrounding who would partner Harry Maguire but the re-emergence of Stones has put himself at the top of the pecking order. At club level, he has heavily impressed putting together a great defensive record as Manchester City chase the possibility of a historic Quadruple.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice is another player who has enjoyed great success at club level this season, often captaining West Ham as they battle for European football next term. He started two of England’s three games, only not playing in the 5-0 home win against San Marino. He has quickly become a fan favourite with many picking him to start at the Euros partnering Jordan Henderson in midfield.
Rice’s chances of gaining tournament experience have grown as Southgate this week announced that Liverpool captain Henderson is fighting a race against time to be match fit for the Euros. Rice’s recent performances have also highlighted his quality as a defensive midfielder as he protected the back four well against Albania and Poland.
Mason Mount
Mason Mount has been criticised in an England shirt but he silenced those doubters during a fine international break. He showed a lot of determination and fight and pressed the opposition well. The Chelsea star is instrumental to Southgate’s style of play because of his high work rate on the attacking side being a primary ball carrier, completing intricate passes and making darting runs through defensive lines. He is also great on the defensive side pressing the opposition and working to win the ball back up-field.
What about the players that were not called up?
Trent Alexander-Arnold
The most notable player not included in the squad was Trent Alexander-Arnold. Although Liverpool are currently struggling in the Premier League it must not be forgotten that the right back played a key role in their Champions League and Premier League title-winning seasons.
When questioned about the Liverpool player not being included in the squad Southgate said that he believes Alexander-Arnold ‘has not played at the level that he found in the last couple of years’, which many found confusing as Tottenham’s Eric Dier – who has struggled for form – was called up.
Many have suspected that Alexander-Arnold has fallen victim to Southgate’s change of formation as he no longer uses wing-backs. It is a position which Alexander Arnold would thrive in because of his massive attacking output shown by his quality crosses into the danger area. However, the full-back position requires much more defensive work which arguably better suits the likes of Kyle Walker who is much more experienced.
Unfortunately, it is possible that the 22-year-old may miss the chance to play in his first major international tournament this summer because he doesn’t suit the manager’s game plans.
James Maddison
As mentioned previously England possesses a range of notable attacking talent which it lacked in the 2018 World Cup. Even though it is good for England fans it makes Southgate’s job much harder as he has to leave some great players behind without a call-up their performances deserve. One of those players could be James Maddison who has 21 goal contributions this season with double digits in both goals (11) and assists (10).
Despite the impressive stats the likes of Mount, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish are ahead of the Leicester player in the central-attacking midfield position, as they have also had outstanding seasons. The oversaturation in this position leads to the high probability that Maddison will not be able to add to his one England cap in the near future.
Patrick Bamford
Another position that has heavy competition is at centre forward, with six English players currently having scored 10 or more goals in the Premier League this season. Patrick Bamford is one of those six and has emerged as an unlikely choice in the Three Lions squad considering he was labelled as a striker who couldn’t make the step up to the Championship. However, Bamford – along with the rest of his Leeds team-mates – has been an exciting to watch and is joint-fourth in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot with 14 goals.
Despite some stellar performances, Ollie Watkins was called up ahead of Bamford and the Aston Villa striker capped his England debut with a goal against San Marino.
When Southgate announces his squad for the Euros it will without a doubt spark a lot of debate. The quality at his disposal means that England should be aiming for at least the semi-finals. They have a fair chance of winning the whole tournament, despite the possibility of facing Portugal, France or Germany as early as the last-16.
By Layton Ryan-Parson
