Gareth Southgate’s omission of Trent Alexander-Arnold fits a theme, or rather a lack of one, when it comes to his England squad selections.
Sometimes players are selected or dropped entirely on recent performances. Sometimes a player’s reputation seems to make them an automatic pick. In fact, Southgate’s squads have always resisted a clear definition, and up until now that has largely been a strength.
He walks the line between blooding youngsters and giving caps to older players in temporary form; between packing the team with solid defensive types and younger malleable picks; between a core of regulars and a rotating set of fringe players.
It is a selection style in keeping with his general management: a balancing act between defensive conservatism and an embracing of England’s more progressive technicians, borne from the belief England need to play a more cautious and reactive game as they get deeper into tournament football.
That is no longer the case. A new progressive set of England players are coming of age, and therefore it is time for Southgate to become bolder in his tactics and his squad selections.
This summer’s tournament is an opportunity for England to complete its transformation on the international scene - and in the hearts and minds of the public. That a toxic atmosphere, rabid expectation from the media, and celebrity culture no longer weighs down the England squad is entirely thanks to Southgate’s management.
To deliver that cultural aim, cautious and set-piece driven football was the correct approach to the 2018 World Cup. But this year England should build on the low-pressure, kind-hearted foundations Southgate has built to go all-in for a more aesthetic and youthful setup.
Getty ImagesAlexander-Arnold’s absence in favour of Kieran Trippier points to a sense of caution, as does the inclusion of Jesse Lingard over Emile Smith Rowe and Eric Dier over Ezri Konsa. These picks certainly hint at Southgate continuing with a safety-first mentality that ought to give way now that England have so many gifted playmakers at their disposal.
A decade on from the opening of St. George’s Park and the introduction of an England ‘DNA’ by Dan Ashworth, the system is bearing fruit. But the public’s footballing DNA continues to be a pining for individualism – a belief in star players over systemic competence - and Euro 2021 is a time to change that perception.
In other words, England ought to pivot to the inclusion of as many of their elegant technicians as possible, building a team that puts Phil Foden, Mason Mount, Smith Rowe, and Bukayo Saka front and centre.
Saka is not as flashy as Jadon Sancho, but he offers more in an expansive philosophy from the right; James Maddison fires bullets that grab headlines, but Mount’s intelligent work between the lines – the pre-assists and presses, not captured in mainstream stats – transforms England into a modern side.
This more subtle creativity, and more covert tactical intelligence, also needs implementation in defence.
Players like Dier, Harry Maguire, and Tyrone Mings have value as traditional powerhouses in an England defence, and yet the understated ball-playing art of Konsa and John Stones is more befitting a nation playing with its chest puffed out.
Similarly Jordan Pickford is from the Joe Hart school of goalkeepers – poorly hiding their fear through shouty machismo – and is best left at home.
In terms of England’s starting XI at the Euros, the stylistic shift proposed here would be most notable in a recalibration of central midfield. The 3-4-3 used at the World Cup is inherently defensive and cautious, and in its place Southgate should go for a 4-3-3 with only one holding midfielder behind two of England’s new playmakers.
Getty ImagesJordan Henderson at the base, with Mount and Foden in front, perhaps feels risky - and Declan Rice is certainly hard done by given his superb performances for West Ham. But Rice and Henderson together creates that sense of England being caught between the stodge of years gone by and the potential for assertive football that is presented by the glut of talent in midfield.
In trading Rice for Foden, England can move out of transition, move out of limbo, and go for broke.
Further forward, a front line of Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, and Saka offers the best variety of attacking options. Grealish’s inclusion is a nod to individuality, a stardust that counter-balances the metronomic Foden and Mount, while Saka is the future of the England team. He embodies the intelligence and technical sophistication England should embrace.
As the clock ticks down to Qatar 2022, this summer’s Euros is essentially a free hit. It is an opportunity to complete England’s revolution and arrive at the tactical and technical cutting edge of international football.
Southgate has, to date, leaned towards conservatism as manager. Now is the time to take a bold next step.
The following 23-man squad is picked on technical ability, tactical intelligence, and – crucially – versatility. Rice, for example, is chosen as England’s fourth centre-back as well as second-choice defensive midfielder, while Saka is listed as both right winger and central midfielder.
The main idea is to build an England team in the image of Pep Guardiola, a modern tactician defined by brave aesthetic football. That is not idealistic. England now have the players to perform at that level.
Goalkeepers: Henderson, Pope, Johnstone
Defenders: Chilwell, Maguire, Stones, Walker, Alexander-Arnold, Shaw, Konsa
Midfielders: Rice, Henderson, Phillips, Mount, Smith Rowe, Foden
Forwards: Kane, Rashford, Calvert-Lewin, Sterling, Sancho, Grealish, Saka