England Euro 2020 squad: Who will make Gareth Southgate’s final squad!?!?!

With the much anticipated 2020 European Championships and Gareth Southgate is preparing  to announce his England squad but he still has some final thinking to do.

The Three Lions enjoyed a successful international break in April, defeating both Albania and Poland, sending them top of their World Cup qualifying group with three wins from three. 

Sitting pretty on nine points, while also scoring nine and conceding just one goal in their three games so far, you’d think things are looking pretty good for Southgate’s men right now. 

Is this the case? Yes. But delve deeper and there are certainly a few issues – not all of them bad – that Gareth Southgate will have in the back of his mind heading into the Euros and beyond. We’re going to go ahead and take a further look at these issues now.

Rags to Riches

The run to the semi-finals of the World Cup almost three years ago was a fairy-tale in itself, but you could make just as much of a fairy-tale story out of the rags-to-riches tale in England’s squad depth.

Looking at the previous two major tournaments prior to Southgate’s reign – Brazil 2014 and Euro 2016 – the outright quality of the England side has remarkably transformed from embarrassment, to an embarrassment of riches.

Ironically, the sheer depth of talent Southgate now has to pick from for his final Euros squad is arguably his biggest issue. Furthermore, it is actually the quite incredible young talent (especially in attack) coming through the ranks, that is going to cause him the biggest issue.

How has this happened in a space of just two years? Nobody can say for sure. Credit must go to the FA along with clubs up and down the country for producing and nurturing such talent through their youth system. 

But credit must also go to the players themselves. Some of our brightest young talents (the likes of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham) have chosen to move abroad – in particular to Germany – to play every week, instead of sitting on the bench at one of the Premier League big boys.

If we take a look at the defence and in particular the full/wing back positions. Just two years ago in Russia, Southgate’s first choices were Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young, with little if any variation. Yet going into this tournament he has Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, Reece James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Kieran Trippier to choose from on the right, along with either Luke Shaw or Ben Chilwell on the left.

Two completely different starting 11’s could be made out of those Southgate regularly picks, both sides would comfortably beat the one picked in Russia two years ago, the ultimate yet astonishing sign of improvement in this front.

Full back is just one example of the many positions we could look at where there is several players, all genuinely talented and top tier, fighting for positions. Is there now the argument – further strengthened by what we are about to look at – that this bunch is the best England squad since the stars of 2006? Most definitely.

Back three or not back three? That is the question…

A back three (or five if you include wing-backs) has been a staple of Southgate’s side since he took over from predecessor Roy Hodgson, however that may all have to change come summer.

Southgate was praised for his use of the system two years ago, it was seen as one of the reasons The Three Lions made it so far in the competition. So why drop it now?

Quite simply the system worked then because it suited the players, or lack of, available for selection, and for extra defensive stability. However, Southgate’s lack of versatility and flexibility to move away from this formation has brought him some criticism. 

Southgate haters also like to point out the lack of ‘big teams’ faced in that famous run to the semi-finals and poor results when we do. That is an argument for another day, but it is a theory that he must disprove if he wants it to go anytime soon.

Now however, his preferred system simply doesn’t suit England’s best players, and cannot be seen as the right way forward to get the best out of them. 

Southgate was criticised for his persistent use of seven, yes seven, of his 10 outfield players often being defensive minded. Simply put, you’d have to be rather foolish to only leave three attacking spaces to fill with the likes of Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish, Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho all trying to get in. 

A back four in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation has been the choice in the two aforementioned qualifiers last week and has worked with relative success.

The above formations allow England to have two solid defensive midfielders, which will without doubt be the ever-improving Declan Rice alongside one other, whilst still having 4 attacking players ahead of them to go and do the job up top.

Those mentioned in the attacking positions are only a problem in terms of who to possibly leave out from that elusive list, however there are still lingering doubts at the other end of the field.

Defensive issues

As previously mentioned, reverting to the back four does however bring issues as well as solutions. Who does Southgate pick to go in his back four, and more importantly who does he trust?

Wolves’ Conor Coady is an example of one who was brought into the England set up over the past 12 months to try and improve things and is one of the country’s best defenders. However, Coady is at his best when in a back three, and as West Ham’s 3-2 victory over Wolves’ proved on Monday night can be easily exposed in a back four.

This ultimately leaves the manager to pick two of either Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings and John Stones to fill the centre of defence. 

A major tournament may be one step too far for Mings just yet, leaving Maguire and Stones as the most likely preferred pairing. However, both present food for thought.

The United captain’s lack of pace has always been a problem, the possibility of the likes of Kylian Mbappe running at him in the latter stages of a tournament doesn’t make for easy reading. 

Stones has been in exceptional form this season, reviving his career in the heart of defence for champions elect Manchester City. However, the kind of mistake and poor judgement as seen against Poland is exactly what caused him so many issues before. 

Left back is secure however, with two top young talents in Shaw and Chilwell fighting it out for top spot. What will happen on the other side of defence however, with Alexander-Arnold not even making the most recent squad, could be anyone’s guess.

Nick Pope seems to be England’s go to number one at present between the sticks, something that will most likely stick come June.

Going Forward

As previously mentioned, a back four, either as a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 seems to be the best bet for The Three Lions in the short-term future.

With the sheer volume of attackers and attack minded midfielders available to pick from, playing a back three – with just three attacking positions to fill – just wouldn’t make sense.

Declan Rice next to Jordan Henderson is most likely the preferred defensive midfield pairing if the latter can get fit. But the likes of Kalvin Phillips, James Ward-Prowse or even teen sensation Jude Bellingham will be knocking on the door if that’s not possible.

Up top Harry Kane brings guaranteed goals, and his form this season means more than ever he is most likely the first name on the team sheet. But most certainly won’t envy Southgate for having to be the one who makes the decision on what three fill the other forward positions.

Experienced Sterling would most likely fill one of the two wide positions, with Foden, Sancho, Rashford and Grealish fighting it out for the opposite side.

Mason Mount is in the form of his life at the moment and is a firm favourite of Southgate’s so will most likely fill the attacking midfield role. However, the resurgent Jesse Lingard is in quite simply unbelievable form on loan at West Ham, and his numbers could prove impossible to resist if they persist until the summer.

Against lesser opponents The three Lions could go with an even less defensive approach. A 4-3-3 with either Rice or Henderson as a singular pivot at the base of midfield could work well. This then effectively gives Southgate five attacking positions to fill, with the two midfielders ahead of the pivot being attack minded.

The thought of Foden and Mount ahead of Rice in midfield, creating countless chances to a front three of Sterling, Kane and Sancho or Grealish is quite frankly mouth-watering. A front six that would put England right up there with the top attacking forces in Europe.

The raw unexposed youngsters, experienced talent and previously unimaginable strength in depth gives England fans something to look forward to heading into the summer, a summer of unprecedented hope and optimism, all of which almost solely provided by youth.

Southgate’s build up to the Euros won’t be without problems, but mostly these are problems that are ultimately caused by positives. This may be the best squad since the ill-fated 2006 side, can Southgate’s youngsters fare any better?

By George Venn