A-spurning we will go!

 

I had thought that the England squad in the run-up to this summer's World Cup couldn't hold many - any?! - surprises. Thomas Tuchel and I seemed to be on pretty much exactly the same page in relation to the general approach and the particular selections. Heck, it had started to seem that, for once, maybe the whole country was on pretty much the same page: it looked as though the squad was essentially going to pick itself.

But where would be the fun in being the manager of England if you couldn't mess with people's heads just a little bit, stir up a bit of a kerfuffle among the punditry with a few.... surprising (baffling, irritating) choices of player??  And he's certainly done that with the current squad for the two warm-up friendlies against Uruguay and Japan over the next few days - effectively a 'long list' of 35 players, which will be whittled down into the 26 to go forward to the USA this summer. A few big names have been mercilessly spurned; while a few others have been given a slightly unexpected lifeline.

Nothing really too earth-shattering, but deserving of some brief comment, nevertheless.

And this is somewhat of a specialist topic of mine. Spurning, that is. Last month, atter being turned out of my current home with barely two-and-a-half weeks' notice by a bonkers landlady, I was left desperately scrabbling to find a new roof over my head in a matter of days. And the first four places I set my heart on... all spurned me. The nicest of them, in fact, initially accepted me; only 24 hours later was I sheepishly informed that the husband of the lady I'd spoken with had supposedly let the place to someone else behind her back on the same morning I'd gone for my viewing... With employment, it's become even worse: I have been turned down for every single job I've applied for in the last five years - must be several dozens of them now. At the end of last year, I somehow managed to get turned down for a trio of jobs in Myanmar; and, you know, it can't be easy to find folks who are willing to work in Myanmar at the moment, let alone who are able to relocate there at a moment's notice from a neighbouring country. (In fact, it's even worse than that: four quickfire spurnings for Myanmar jobs!! One of those employers actually invited me to reapply, and then blew me off again...)  And, my oh my, I've lost count of the number of women over the years who've told me something like, "Oh, I wish you'd asked me out sooner - but I've just started seeing someone else."

So,.... the spurned and I have... an affinity.

Here, then, a quick review of Herr Tuchel's latest spurnings (and non-spurnings)....

Goalkeepers

Unexpected inclusions: Aaron Ramsdale, Jason Steele

Obviously the three for the actual World Cup squad does 'pick itself' in this position: Jordan Pickford is an unassailable first choice, Dean Henderson is by some margin the 'best of the rest', and Jamie Trafford is the promising young pretender. I have no gripe with these additional two per se. In fact, I'm really pleased to see Steele getting some recognition at last (there is talk that he's being lined up to go to America as a member of the coaching staff or practice partner on the goalkeeping team, rather than a member of the playing squad); he's a player I've long admired; but, you know, he hasn't really been a regular first team starter in a dozen years or so! And Ramsdale, for me, is a nearly-not-quite kind of player: many excellent qualities, but somehow seems to lack the 'star power' to make that final step up in rank; and, given that he has only very recently - and perhaps temporarily - displaced Nick Pope as the starter at Newcastle, he's not bringing a lot of top-flight experience with him. I would have preferred to give a vote of confidence to Pope, or to give a first taste of senior squad involvement to one of the young up-and-comers like Matthew Young or James Beadle.

Unexpected spurnings:  Nich Pope

He has had a number of injury problems over the past few years. And he had made a few bad mistakes in recent games. But I suspect there's some other issue going on behind the scenes at St James's, some deeper injury issue or perhaps some kind of personal problem, because his performance level really didn't seem problematic enough to warrant dropping him - on the eve of a penultimate World Cup training camp. And Tuchel has included plenty of other players who are not current starters; so, that can't be the only reason poor Pepe didn't make the cut here. On ability and past experience, I feel Pepe deserved to remain a part of our squad - if only as a fringe selection who's never likely to get near a start (nor, with the rise of Trafford, even to make the final squad, in all probability); I fear there must be some other factor behind his exclusion.

Defenders

Unexpected inclusions: Harry Maguire, John Stones, Fikayo Tomori, Jarrell Quansah,... and Ben White!

I wouldn't dispute Maguire's inclusion on simple merit: he has been a giant of the England team for several years now; and he finally seems to be rediscovering something like his best form with Carrick's suddenly rejuvenated Manchester United. However,... I feel his time with England is past. Guehi and Konsa are now clearly, rightly, our default starting pair in central defence. And, after so many years of being the 'main man', I can't see Harry adapting to a peripheral 'cheerleader' role in the dressing room, in the manner of the extraordinarily selfless Conor Coady. Maybe it can be useful to have him involved at this training and preparation stage; and maybe it's a smart idea to keep him sweet, to keep him onboard, just in case we might need him as a starter in America because of injuries elsewhere. But I really can't see taking Maguire to the World Cup.... 

Similar qualms might apply to John Stones. But I'd be happier taking him along in the summer, because of his versatility as an all-around 'utility player', able to fill in at full-back or even as a holding midfield player, if we get hit by some awkward injuries. Moreover, I don't think he's such a 'big personality' in the dressing-room as Maguire, and after being on the sidelines so much at City in recent years, he's more likely to be able to accept a peripheral role in the squad with quiet good grace, and even perhaps with gratitude. It's just a pity that he's had so few first-team minutes this season.

It's nice to see Quansah and Tomori getting a look-in; proof that going to play on the continent, although it might remove you from the consciousness of the English sporting press and the public, need not exclude you from the England manager's thoughts (although Tomori hasn't got much of a look-in since he moved to Milan five years ago...). Quansah, in particular; I've always felt that he showed a lot of promise; and I think Slot's abrupt rejection of him may prove to have been one of his biggest blunders (along with spurning Harvey Elltiott, and pissing Mo Salah off; and buying Isak straight after buying Ekitike; and buying Frimpong and Kerkez when there was no obvious place for them in the squad or the style of play; and...); it's been great to see him blossoming since his move to Leverkusen this year. However, you suspect they might only be getting this chance because of the recent injuries to Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah; and probably neither will actually go to the World Cup. [And poor Quansah has apprently been denied his chance now, owing to a thigh-strain.]

I'm glad to see Ben White involved again at last - even if it is only after a long list of injury withdrwals. After such a long, self-imposed exile, it may be impossible for him to fully integrate himself again and regain the trust of teammates and fans. But, frankly. if Reece James isn't fit, he'd be starting for me! Diminiutive, injury-prone Livramento doesn't yet quite have the experience for the biggest stage, I don't think; Djed Spence neither; and we're short of other options in that position.

Justified spurning: Trent Alexander-Arnold

I went into some detail around 18 months ago why I felt Trent was not enough of an all-round player to fit in most teams, including the England one. Unfortunately, my view still hasn't changed. And a difficult first season at Real Madrid hasn't been the best platform to recommend himself to Tuchel. This is the decision which is going to most inflame the punditry, no doubt; but I think our manager is spot on. Not all great players have a place in the national team; they need to be a good tactical fit with the rest of the talents around them - and I don't think Trent can be that.

Unfortunate spurnings: Jarrad Branthwaite, Myles Lewis-Skelly

Branthwaite, I suppose, just hasn't had many minutes so far this season. But unless he's actually got a current injury problem, I would have included him here. He is the most promising young left-sided centre-back in the country (the best, really; since Guehi isn't naturally left-sided, has just fashioned himself a quirky niche role playing in that position off his wrong foot), and so needs to be developed as a potential starter, regular first-back up in that position. Lewis-Skelly just hasn't been given any minutes by Arteta this season; but he made such a promising start to his England career last year, I think there should be a case for keeping him involved as much as possible - even if he's doubtful for inclusion in the final squad.

Midfielders

Unexpected inclusions: Jordan Henderson, Phil Foden, Anthony Gordon

Henderson, I suppose, is still useful to have around as an elder statesman, involved for his experience and leadership presence, in this expanded, 'training camp' squad; but it would be a bit of a travesty if he went to the World Cup as well, when he clearly seems to be incapable of playing regular top-level football in closely back-to-back games any more.

I suppose I'm glad enough to see some loyalty being shown to Foden and Gordon, despite their thus-far very underwhelming seasons. However, I do worry that there is some serious underlying problem with Foden that causes Pep to keep dropping him; and, if there isn't, I fear this lack of confidence from his manager may have broken him. He has consistently failed to make an impact on the international stage for some years; and I can't see him deserving another chance now, in a World Cup, when he's obviously not likely to get near a start ahead of Palmer and Bellingham and Eze. Although I like Gordon's pace and attitude, he's had such a lacklustre season so far that he probably ought to lose out to Madueke, and even perhaps his clubmate Harvey Barnes, in the final squad - unless he finishes really hot over the remaining seven games.

Unfortunate spurnings:  Alex Scott, Rico Lewis, Lewis Miley

I'm glad, at least, to see Adam Wharton get another call-up - although I rather fear that he'll be cut from the final 26-man squad. However, I think Alex Scott has been playing more than well enough for Bournemouth to merit inclusion again as well (he acquitted himself well enough in November's squad). Miley and Lewis, I suppose, haven't been getting enough first-team football with their clubs this year; but they are such outstanding talents that I would have liked to see them included in an expanded squad like this, to encourage their development for the future. If they can find a manager who will play them regularly, they should be in contention for the 2028 Euros, both terrific young players.

Culpable omission:  Morgan Gibbs-White

OK, this is the one selection in this super-sized squad that really gets my blood boiling. There is a strong case that Gibbs-White should be the first back-up to Palmer in the No. 10 role for us - ahead of Morgan Rogers or Phil Foden. He certainly deserves to be given the chance to make that case in this squad.

Forwards

Unexpected inclusions: Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke, Marcus Rashford

Solanke I can see: I like his pace, workrate, and versatility. Even though he's only just back from a long injury, and is having a torrid time with Championship-bound Spurs,... I think he is a profile of player we probably need in the squad. And I suppose it's again nice to show some loyalty to Marcus Rashford, after good service to England over a number of years. But, after a promising start at Barca, things seem to have slowed down for him rather; and he really hasn't been scoring many goals for them. And for me, I'm afraid, he's always going to fall uncomfortably between two stools: he has many of the elements of a great winger and of a great centre-forward... without actually being either one. Calvert-Lewin I just don't get; yes, he's probably having his best season ever - but it's still not quite good enough: he's inconsitent, injury-prone, and just not 'international class'.

Unfortunate spurnings: Ollie Watkins, Danny Welbeck

These two very nearly earned the 'culpable' tag as well! I think the omission of these two - in favour of the far less impressive Dominics - could prove costly to our World Cup campaign. Watkins has had a very subdued season; but I think that's been mainly down to Villa's patchy form and lack of regular service to him. He's still been working hard for the team, and looking sharp on the rare occasions when  a decent chance has presented itself. He's a better complement to Harry Kane as a back-up option than any of the other contenders, I think; and he has a very promising rapport with Morgan Rogers, which could make the pair of them a dangerous substitution option in games where we're struggling to find a breakthrough. Welbeck has had a terrible injury record through the years, and, yes, he's getting a bit long in the tooth for international football now; but he's always been an outstanding striker, and he is having one of the best seasons of his career - he certainly deserved a chance here, over the perennially flakey Calvert-Lewin... or, probably, Rashford too.

So, not a terrible squad, by any means: very solid, and overall much as expected. But there are just a few rather dodgy choices - decisions that fill me with a slight unease about what might happen when it comes to naming the final World Cup squad.

One can't help a little snigger

 

I am English; and thus I inevitably feel a certain sentimental attachment towards English football clubs, and hope for them to do well in the continental competitions. But that's all it is: a weak impulse of sentiment. I have absolutely no time for blind nationalism, and in fact tend to react against any suggestion of it. Ultimately, I love good football more than anything else, and will always celebrate a deserved victory, even when it goes against the team I was at least somewhat rooting for. I won't be obstinately braying for English success at any price in the World Cup this summer; I'll quite happily accept it if - when - we get eliminated by a better team; and, ultimately, I'll probably be investing as much or more hope in the team playing the most attractive game during the tournament, and that's quite likely to be Spain or France or Brazil.

And hence.... while many of my countrymen are dismayed and despondent at this week's results in the First Leg ties of the Chamipions League 'Round of 16', I can't resist a little chortle. The 'junior' European competitions have been so diluted as to become a bit of joke, really - easily dominated even by bottom-of-the-table Premier League sides. But this year, the Champions League has seemed to be going the same way, with the usually major European powers mostly looking well below their best (only Bayern still giving cause for concern...) in the league phase. Even misfiring Liverpool had been able to look fairly dominant in Europe so far; even stuttering Newcastle and increasingy abysmal Spurs had qualified through the first phase with relative ease. It was starting to feel as though we'd surely be guaranteed two or three of the semi-final berths. But, oh boy, did things just change quickly!!

Admittedly, only Newcastle were playing at home in this first batch of games. And our boys did get the rough end of the draw, with opponents of the status of Real, Barca, PSG, and Atleti being pitched against us so early in the knockout phase. (Though at least we were spared Bayern! And, frankly, on these performances, I'm not sure any of our teams would have fared that much better against Bodø/Glimt, Sporting, or Atalanta...)  But three of our six contenders were not just beaten but absolutely spanked, while Liverpool went down to the not-that-daunting Galatasaray, and even the mighty Arsenal barely scraped a draw against Leverkusen (and that only because they were the late beneficiaries of probably the worst penalty decision we've seen in the competition this season!). That is surely one of the worst nights for English football in Europe ever!!

But I am accepting this dreadful set of results calmly, stoically. I actually welcome them as a deserved corrective, a useful rebuke to incipient hubris. It can really do no harm to our clubs, or to the national game, or to English football fans in general.... to be brought back down to earth, to be shocked out of the arrogance and complacency that were starting to grow in us in regard to the European competitions.

And all is not yet lost. I'd still fancy Liverpool and Arsenal, and perhaps Newastle too to be able to pull off a win over two legs. And if anyone can pull back back a three-goal deficit against a team as big as Real Madrid,.... it's probably Pep's City.

It ain't over, as they say, until the Fat Lady sings....

To dream the impossible dream...?

Every four years (well, every two years...), Englishmen have to try very hard not to get their hopes up about our chances in the next big international tournament.

But this time, not only do we have a really exceptional crop of young players to choose from, we also seem to have a manager who may know what he's doing....

Top Youtube football analyst Adam Clery puts forward this bold thesis that, quite apart from tactical insight and astute man management, Thomas Tuchel might be unique among recent England managers in having the cojones to leave out some of our starriest players in order to achieve a better balance in the side.

I find it difficult to disagree too much with any of Adam's ideas - because he's a very shrewd observer of the game, and also an irresistibly likeable, down-to-earth chap. I'm kind of 50/50 on this one, though. I approve of the general point (it's exactly what I said when Tuchel first took over, about having the courage to regard no player as a sacred cow); and I'm very excited about the stability Elliot Anderson suddenly seems to be giving our central midfield. But you have to be a little bit wary of getting over-excited about our smooth progression through a particularly puny qualifying group (even teams that have looked vaguely threatening in recent years - Serbia, Albania - suddenly weren't again!!).

And I am not completely convinced about the current personnel - or the the notion of omitting major talents for this to become our regular starting lineup. I'd probably prefer to build for the next 10 years around Palmer and Bellingham (and Saka and Eze...), rather than go with a bunch of slightly less stellar options who 'fit better with Harry Kane' (for this one tournament!). But it's certainly something to think about.

He's back!

Like many football fans, I've been feeling rather bereft over the last few weeks - since the unhappy news broke that Adam Clery was quitting the FourFourTwo Youtube channel that he'd made essential viewing over the last 18 months.

Now it's emerged that, in partnership with The Independent newspaper, he's launching his own Youtube venture, The Adam Clery Football Channel (ACFC), where we'll be getting more of the chirpy, irreverent tactical analysis videos we've come to love. (It looks like he might still be working with FourFourTwo occasionally as well - but on more 'magazine'-type pieces, mini-documentaries rather than game analysis.)

I'm pleased to see that his first posting on the new channel concurs with my own positive impressions of Thomas Tuchel's debut in charge of England....

For those who don't know.... Adam is, as we say in Britain, a top bloke: unpretentious, down-to-earth, a regular guy - but also very shrewd about his football. He's become the 'gateway drug' for tactical analysis videos. There are other guys out there who will go into more detail about particular patterns of play, or how a team seeks to morph its formation between different phases of possession and so on; but if you just want to understand why Team X is doing so well recently, or how Team W has fallen away, or why the weekend's Y-Z derby game ended as it did... Adam's your man. He's brisk, breezy, accessible - with just the right amount of silly, self-deprecating humour to help hold your attention across a discussion that will often stretch to 12 or 14 minutes or so. His videos - sometimes on teams, sometimes on individual players, but mostly breaking down particular big game outcomes - are always both entertaining and enlightening, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Do go and check them out.

The engagingly daft little 'teaser' vid for the new channel that he posted a few days ago is a fine example of the man's unique style.

Are we not ENTERTAINED?

 Well, YES - I think we are!

At least if we're not Roy Keane - who only rated England's performance against Latvia as a 'C+'. But he is a curmudgeonly so-and-so, and slightly untethered from reality. And not an England fan!!

I'm more inclined to give our first two outings under Tuchel a solid 'B' score,.... very nearly a  'B+'.

Albania and Latvia aren't terrible sides; and they defended very resolutely (their keepers both had excellent games). It's fatuous to expect any longer that the smaller nations are invariably going to be a pushover, ever ripe for a 5-0 spanking. Dominating possession, creating plenty of chances, and ultimately coming out comfortable winners in both games is all that we could have wished for.

No, we didn't produce scintillating football - but you can't do that when the opponents just camp in front of their penalty box for most of the game. We did produce effective football: calm, patient, thorough - successful.

Even more encouraging was the clear evidence of a new approach from the new manager. Under Southgate, the national side had often seemed to lack any clear 'identity'; indeed, in the last Euros, the players often appeared to have not much idea of what they were supposed to be doing. Here they clearly did understand the system they were supposed to be playing, they bought into it, and it worked.

I'm particularly pleased to see that Tuchel was following the same kind of nominal 4-2-3-1 lineup I'd advocated last week, and largely the same personnel I'd predicted. I even liked the changes he made for the second game: not excessive - but thoughtful and useful: starting Bellingham deeper in midfield, giving Morgan Rogers a try-out as a No. 10.

I still have a few gripes and misgivings. I suppose Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker were included for their 'dressing-room leadership' - but if they're not fancied as starters any more (and they certainly shouldn't be!), that seems a wasteful use of squad places to me. I'd rather see some more young players getting phased into the setup instead.

Reece James and Marcus Rashford seemed like 'charity case' selections to me. They didn't do badly, but... I feel they haven't yet played often enough and well enough for their clubs recently to merit an international call-up; they were being chosen on the basis of past glories and/or presumed future potential... and, I imagine, to try to give them a psychological lift by making a major show of confidence in them. A kind and noble gesture, I suppose; and it might work out,.... if it helps them to rebuild their careers and become valuable members of the national side again. But I'm very sceptical about the prospects for that: Rashford has always been too inconsistent, too mentally fragile; James, alas, too hopelessly injury-prone. I don't foresee any more of a future for these two with England than I do for the has-beens Walker and Henderson; and, as with them, I think their inclusion here was unfairly excluding other players who deserved a chance

And Levi Colwill?! That's a complete head-scratcher to me. I think the squad needed a specialist left-back as back-up for Lewis-Skelly; and at the moment that should probably be Tyrick Mitchell. And if he was viewed simply as a back-up centre-back, surely Jarrad Brandthwaite ought to be ahead of him in the pecking-order!

And where were Adam Wharton, Angel Gomes, Harvey Elliott? For me, those players need to become regular squad members soon.... and possibly regular starters within a year or two.

But heck, an England manager would be no fun if we could agree with everything he did, would he? Overall, I'm fairly impressed with Tuchel's debut; it's given England fans a lot of grounds for optimism.

If I ruled the world (2): the future of the England team...?

Apologies - I jest, of course. We wouldn't want to see the absurd cuts-for-the-sake-of-cuts that His Insane Dogeness is trying to inflict at the moment visited upon the England football team! And, while a new national manager sometimes needs a bit of 'new broom' ruthlessness, I don't see that as being such a pressing matter for Tuchel (yet). In fact, my current ideal of an England line-up (probably for the next Euros rather than the next World Cup) includes only a few changes from the team I suggested the other day for the recent World Cup qualifying matches (which wasn't too far from the ones Tuchel actually chose).

I am quite chuffed/relieved that The Gaffer didn't revert to three-at-the-back (as Gareth always seemed to when he was nervous about getting a result), and instead went with the sort of 4-2-3-1 structure and roughly the balance of personnel I'd suggested.

However, I said in that earlier post that I think the major challenge for the England boss at the moment is tiptoeing through the selection conundrums posed by having an over-abundance of talent at his disposal.... at least in the midfield positions. 

And I fear that it is a natural problem of the England job - probably of any national team manager job - that a large number of players have become so well-established in the side that it seems unthinkable to replace them: a new manager will generally keep picking most of the same players as his predecessor out of inertia, out of habit, out of fear. And that's what I think we need to guard against. No player should be considered sacrosanct. Not Kane, not Pickford. Not Saka, not Rice. Not TAA, not Foden. Hell, not even Bellingham or Palmer. (Although, actually, I would consider those the two absolutely essential picks, whenever they're fully fit and in form.) If there are questions about their form or fitness, about their aging, about how well they fit into the tactical plan for the next game,.... or there are just some emerging players who deserve a chance,..... then even those most honoured names should be gone - at least dropped to the bench for a game or two, if not gently eased out of the squad altogether. It has to happen to everyone eventually; it usually happens to the bigger players rather too late.

I've said on here before that I've grown into a major sceptic about Trent Alexander-Arnold's value to England (as Sir Gareth generally was too; I didn't think he was right about much, but perhaps he was about that). He's a serviceable but not great full-back (a serious lack of pace and an occasional disinclination to work are big problems); and he hasn't yet developed into a full-time midfield player. And his trademark long balls over the top aren't going to be of much use when he doesn't have super-quick and super-skillful forwards like Mo Salah to run on to them....  I would love to see Trent develop his game at Madrid, play regularly in midfield and become a commanding deep playmaker. But even if he does, I'm still not sure how he'd really fit into the likely setup with England (not as much pace in the attack to feed off those kind of balls, more of a preference for patient build-up through the middle...). As a full-back, I just don't think we need him.

However, he might be saved for a while by the shortage of obvious alternatives. While we've had a lot of good options emerge at left-back, over on his side of the pitch the pickings are much more sparse. I really hope Ben White can get over his snit with England and make himself available again; I think he would be by far our best option currently. Failing that, I wonder if Myles Lewis-Skelly could operate as well on the right as on the left. (Or, failing that, maybe Rico Lewis? Although I see him as really more of a midfielder than a full-back, and I think his slight stature - at the moment - undermines his defensive effectiveness.)  I suppose Aaron Wan-Bissaka may be coming back into the frame too, with his recent impressive performances for West Ham; but, while there's no doubt that he's one of the best one-on-one defenders in the Premier League, there's a long-standing question-mark over his attacking abilities (I think, somewhat exaggerated, unfair; but it is a perception he needs to displace if he is to get back into the international reckoning); and I've always fancied he'd do better as a centre-back anyway....  Tino Livramento or James Justin might do OK as back-up, but they haven't yet looked quite international class to me. I suppose Djed Spence and Harry Toffolo could be in the mix as well.

Tuchel's 'favourite' at right-back looks as though it's going to be Reece James, who impressed him favourably during his brief time in charge at Chelsea. And there might be a wave of popular support behind that pick for a while, after his impressive free-kick goal last night. But his injury record is a huge red flag, unfortunately. I don't think he should really be back in the international reckoning until he's been showing consistent top form for several months (and he's frankly looked pretty poor in recent outings for Chelsea; where Maresca looks as if he might be converting him into more of a midfielder anyway) and gone free of any muscle problems for a similar duration (so, call me at the end of the year....). Actually, I don't think even getting back to something like his best of a few years ago, before the long run of injuries, would be enough; he really needs to start producing world-class form for a 25-year-old defender who's continued to learn and develop over the last few seasons. Losing so much playing time from your peak development years in the professional game - I doubt you can ever fully make that up: it's pretty unlikely now that he'll ever be more than a shadow of the player he could have become. So, as with Trent, I'll happily wait and see on that one. And if he can stay healthy and start showing top form again, I'd much rather have him than Trent as a right-back - because he's a top defender, as well as offering a huge attacking threat. But I'd prefer Ben White to either of them.

As I said the other day, I think PIckford has got a lock on the goalie slot. Henderson is probably the best of the rest currently.

Similarly, Guehi and Konsa have quickly established themselves as our most commanding central defenders. I think Stones will still be in the reckoning for a while, because of his experience, and because of his composure on the ball (Pep has successfully converted him into a midfielder in the last couple of seasons, and that versatility is useful to have); but obviously his injury record is a huge problem. Maguire, I think, with so little club football in the last few years, must be thanked for his excellent service to the national team... and quietly let go. I think Jarrad Branthwaite must be very close to getting the nod over Guehi or Konsa. And I was glad to see Tuchel finally giving Dan Burn a chance; he, I think, will be a great squad player for a few years (will absolutely die for the shirt, and can probably do a job at full-back or in holding midfield, if needed - but probably not a regular starter). Tomori, and perhaps Chalobah or Quansah (or Max Kilman? apparently his hopes of switching his national allegiance to Ukraine have been rejected; he's lost his way a bit at West Ham, but looked a hell of a player at Wolves) look like decent back-up options.

At left full-back, I think Lewis-Skelly is already a clear favourite for a long tenure. Although Lewis Hall had started to look good with Newcastle before his injury. And Luke Thomas, Tyrick Mitchell, Taylor Harwood-Bells, and perhaps even Leif Davis (great going forward; not so convinced about his defensive qualities...) might all stake a claim as a back-up choice. And perhaps Ben Chilwell might get back in the frame too; I've always rated him very highly, but the ridiculous succession of injuries he's suffered in recent years (and Maresca apparently not being impressed with him?) have really derailed his career, and I fear it will be difficult for him to come back from this position. That, of course, goes even more so for poor Luke Shaw: a great player on his day, but he's spent most of his career in the treatment room; and so he doesn't now feel like someone you could rely on for a major tournament (yes, he's fit now - but for how long??).

Up front.... Kane should not be a sacred cow. Despite his tournament-leading goal hauls, he really hasn't done that well for us in most of our big games (anyone who picks up a few goals early on by virtue of having a fairly soft opening group will be a Golden Boot contender at a major tournament); in fact, he's usually looked miles below his best - sparking speculation that he's been carrying an injury of some kind, or suffering the effects of cumulative exhaustion after a long season; he's even faced calls to be dropped in some sections of the press. In the last Euros, he was really quite poor in the later games, not only offering little goal threat but giving nothing in leading the press either; the argument for replacing him with Watkins started to look overwhelming - but it didn't happen, because he's Harry Kane. That's the kind of thinking I hope Tuchel can break away from, if the need arises again. I also think it's quite likely that Harry will start to age out quite quickly in the next season or two, and it might be convenient for all concerned to plan for the 2026 World Cup being his international swansong. Harry's great tragedy for me is that because he's such a big lad and such a handy finisher, he's been typecast as a traditional No. 9 for his whole career - where actually he's more of a No. 10-with-above-average-goal-potential. I've often said that I'd like to see him playing permanently a bit deeper in that lynchpin creative role, perhaps - at least occasionally - with another striker like Watkins leading the line ahead of him. Sparing him the physical toll of constantly bumping up against hulking central defenders might add a few more years to his top-flght career.... And we really need to make more use of his exquisite passing.

Not that we have a great deal of alternative to Big H. I like Ollie Watkins, but he's already in his late twenties, and he's a solid 8-out-of-10 kind of striker rather than an obvious world-beater. Solanke's finishing isn't quite at the same level as Watkins's (yet; maybe he can still develop a bit), but he'll work hard for the team, is excellent in leading a high press  Toney I never rated that highly (and he's effectively retired from top-flight football by taking the Saudi money; you can't expect to keep your sharpness at the highest level when playing in such a low-quality competition); we haven't heard much of Tammy Abraham the last year or so; and I don't think poor Dominic Calvert-Lewin's career can now ever recover from one of the longest goal-droughts in history. We don't seem to have any Isak or Gyokeres or Sesko waiting in the wings (maybe Liam Delap, in a few years?? is that it??). But perhaps this does give us the opportunity to move away from a conventional striker for a while. Spain won tournaments with a strikerless system a decade-and-a-half ago; with our current similar super-abundance of attacking midfield talent, this looks like the time for us to give it a try too. And it may be the best use of Jude Bellingham: he's adaptable enough to play as an outright No 9, but I think will probably function best as a kind of 'false 9' or a highly mobile 10 who breaks into the box a lot.

It's in midfield that we are most spoiled for choice, and thus it's here that it is impossible to avoid some controversy. I think Bellingham and the astonishing Cole Palmer are the only absolute shoo-ins (YES - the only two!!); we are astonishingly blessed to have two such world-leading talents in our national side at the same time. But it then becomes an enormous challenge to discover how to structure the team around them, how to get the best out of them. I think we might perhaps use a fairly regular rotation, where there is no invariable 'best eleven'; with Gordon, Saka, Elliott, and Eze being probably the most frequently called on.

Yes, the one new addition to the national set-up I'd like to see established over the coming year is Harvey Elliott. Of all the great emerging midfield talents we currently have, he is the one (along with perhaps Adam Wharton) who strikes me as being - like Palmer and Bellingham - not merely very, very, very good, but something extra-special, a true world-beater: every moment of every game, everything he does - he takes the breath away. Phil Foden, alas, only has that quality in fits and snatches; all of the other contenders - even Saka - do; they are not people I feel I could absolutely rely on to turn a game for us, even with a short outing off the bench (we've seen Palmer and Bellingham do that for England; Elliott has done it often for Liverpool). I know it's difficult to make the case for Elliott's promotion to the seniors when he's still not getting many minutes for Liverpool (I hope that will change next season, even if he has to move elsewhere...), but he is the new selection I'd lobby hardest for.... and, actually, I hope he might become another regular starter, alongside Palmer.

Amongst the wide options, I'd incline slightly towards Anthony Gordon, for his combative spirit and his versatility (with Newcastle, we've seen him regularly swap sides quite effectively, and sometimes play through the middle as a 9 or false 9 - he doesn't thrive in that role, but he's willing to give it a damn good go; he'll even sometimes play rather deeper in midfield). Saka, though brilliant, is a bit of a one-trick pony at the moment: he's very good in wide positions on the right, taking a defender on, and either driving to the line to try to produce a cutback or a square ball across the six-yard box, or cutting inside on to his left foot to try to crack off a shot himself. Superb at that - but that's all he does. Arsenal's over-reliance on him has made them very predictable in the last couple of seasons - and very weak without him. I don't want to see England fall into the same trap. I'd like to think that Saka could be just as effective switching to the left occasionally, or even coming into the middle, into the No. 10 space (but it's difficult for him to develop that potential when Arteta evidently won't ever consider playing him like that); ideally, I'd like to have my three attacking midfielders comfortable with freely rotating positions between them to keep the defending side constantly on the hop. If Saka can't offer that, I'm afraid (probably my most contentious suggestion here!!) he might have to be relegated to 'impact sub' status. And of course, we have a lot of new talent coming through in these flank roles too: Nwaneri, Barnes, Hudson-Odoi, Moore, Edwards, Chukwuemeka, Madueke...  (But a Rashford Renaissance?? No, sorry, I don't see that. I am open to being pleasantly surprised... But he's only ever been a fringe player for England; and his last few wilderness years have taken him a long way away from that fringe.)

Phil Foden, though I rate him very, very highly, is alas in danger of dropping out of the reckoning for England altogether, after repeatedly failing to make much impression in his international performances over the last two years (and having a pretty wretched time with City this year; I really feel Pep has ruined him, and he ought to look for a move elsewhere to re-energise his career). He clearly doesn't like playing out on the flanks and is not very effective there; but in the No. 10 space, he's clearly not quite as good as Palmer (or Bellingham!); or Elliott, who I feel could also be excellent in that central area; or probably Eze or Maddison (a bit of a 'forgotten man' in international terms at the moment, but surely deserves another chance - if he can persuade Ange to trust him with regular starts again...), either; or maybe even Gibbs-White or Rogers. It is the young man's tragedy that in another era he might have been the sole outstanding England talent in his position - but in the 2020s, he's not even clearly in the top three or four.

In central midfield, I would usually favour a pair - one more combative, one more creative. And, currently, Angel Gomes (excellent in his couple of runouts under Lee Carsley) and Adam Wharton look the pick of the crop for me. Although Curtis Jones is looking a very strong alternative, and I'm sure will be the regular back-up in that area. And in a couple more years we might have Archie Gray and Lewis Miley and maybe Alex Scott putting these three under a bit of pressure. Forest's Elliot Anderson is also starting to look another very strong contender for that engine-room role. (A few years ago, I would have fancied Everton's Tom Davies as a possibility as well, but he seems to have lost his way.)  This is my final - and for many, no doubt, the most outrageous! - provocation in these observations: I don't see Declan Rice as an automatic starter for much longer. As with Harry, I feel he's been typecast by his physique; but he's just not really a holding midifelder - he's much, much better in advanced positions (but, given our wealth of options for attacking, goalscoring midfielders, he's not likely to get a regular look-in there either...). When Arteta tried to play him 'in the hole' last year to cover for Partey, it just did not work out at all, and was the major reason for Arsenal's misfiring so badly in the early part of the season. (I have very similar reservations about Kobbie Mainoo. At least he's a bit more press-resistant than Declan: comfortable receiving the ball in deep positions, facing his own goal; able to spin around a pressing opponent and set off on a surging run upfield. But again, he's more of a very physically robust creative player than a stopper...)  I think Rice should remain part of the set-up - for his dressing-room leadership, and for his versatility (his game-reading and physical bulk make him capable of filling in as a centre-back or a full-back in an emergency; that can be invaluable in a tournament squad). And he's always likely to be useful to bring on for the last 10 or 20 minutes to close a game down and hold on to a lead (although I hope we won't be doing that as much in the future: bloody Southgate rarely looked like he had any confidence that we could win any game by more than one goal and would try to sit on a narrow lead even against a team like Slovakia.... Ugh!). But sorry, no, excellent player though he is, I don't think, in an ideal world, Declan Rice should be starting for England.

Hence, my vision of what our starting line-up should be starting to look like - certainly after the coming World Cup - is this:

As I noted for my thoughts on the current team, I imagine that Bellingham would in fact play rather deeper much of the time, sharing the Number 10 space with Palmer; and all of those forward players would hopefully be able to rotate positions fairly freely to keep the attacking threat fresh and varied. There is also the option, in some games, for him to start further back in midfield, replacing one of the pivots (though still likely to push far forward from time to time), making room for an extra attacking mdfielder like Saka or Eze to join the starting lineup, or a conventional forward.

I think that's a set-up that could accomplish a lot. Exciting times to be an England fan....

If I ruled the world

 

So, finally, the new man in the England job gets to pick a team and run a match....

But, of course, every other football fan in the country is imagining how they'd do it differently, including me.

In a way, I think injuries have made Tuchel's job a lot easier in this instance. One of the biggest problems England face is an over-abundance of talent in certain positions, and a challenge in trying to fit certain players together into the starting eleven (I fear a multiple repeat of the classic Gerrard-OR-Lampard dilemma which hamstrung our progress in the Noughties). With Alexander-Arnold, Palmer, Saka, and Mainoo all missing, that conundrum can be kicked down the road for a while.

Here's what I'd go with:

Pickford, obviously has made the No. 1 jersey his own. And I think Guehi and Konsa are looking like our strongest central defensive pairing for now (although Stones is still in contention, when fit again; and I imagine Branthwaite and Tomori will be providing some competition going forward; Branthwaite, for me, should have been in this squad, ahead of Colwill). Lewis-Skelly has made an outstanding debut for Arsenal this season, and looks our strongest option at left-back now (again, injuries really make it a forced choice); Livramento has been rather less convincing for Newcastle, but deserves a chance - ahead of Walker, who now appears to be past it. (I hope to god Tuchel hasn't included Colwill and Walker because they'd fit a possible back-three better; I really do not want to see us playing that system ever again!)

Rice and Jones are a fairly obvious double-pivot midfield, from what we've got available (though again, I would prefer Gomes and Wharton, and I don't know why they weren't selected this time).

Kane - for now - has to continue as the main striker. We have to see if we can find a balance of players to support him, who can compensate for his chronic lack of pace. With Palmer and Saka missing, the selection becomes more straightforward: Foden and Gordon on the flanks, and Bellingham in a free role in the middle.

The main variations I'd be intrigued to explore would be to have Kane mostly drop deeper, lining up more alongside Bellingham as a pair of '10s' or 'false 9s', perhaps inviting Bellingham to move into the centre-forward space on occasion; or... to drop one of the pivots (probably the less experienced Jones) and have Bellingham play in the centre alongside Rice, allowing Kane to occupy the No. 10 space on his own (mostly; I'm sure Jude would still push up there quite often!), while using Watkins as a more advanced forward. I think we need to make more use of Kane as a playmaker rather than just a battering-ram striker, and this could possibly extend his playing life by a few years too; and it would be useful to see if we can find a way of - sometimes - fitting him and Watkins into the same line-up. However, I suspect that these tactical riffs are both a little too bold for an initial outing - even against a team like Albania. Perhaps Herr Tuchel will become a little more adventurous and experimental over the coming monhs. I do hope so. (I may have more to say in a while about my ideas for how the England squad might develop going into the next World Cup, and beyond...)

The always amusing 442oons Youtube channel marked Tuchel's entry into the fray like this: