UNLUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: SOUTHGATE'S TRIM

Following Gareth Southgate's announcement of a provisional 33-man England squad for this summer's European Championships, the England gaffer informed the media that he intends on trimming this group to the 26-man squad, which UEFA has allowed for this year's edition, by 1st June. Seven of Southgate's initial selections are set to be waived from his original thirty-three, my predictions are as follows: 

Aaron Ramsdale  - 

Let’s be honest you don’t need four goalkeepers, Sheffield United’s position in the Premier League this season is misleading of just how promising this young goalkeeper is. However, for the time being, the least clean sheets in the top flight and slightly less experience than the other three keepers will likely refrain him from the final squad submission. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold  - 

Undoubtedly the most controversial of absentees should he be left out, but unfortunately for the Liverpool lad he is present in an unprecedented golden era of right-backs for the Three Lions. Trent is one of the greatest defensive playmakers the Premier League has ever seen, but England have no shortage of playmakers higher up the field, they need solidity at the back. Trent has made a name for himself tanking down the right flank and adding to Klopp’s attack, but his defensive struggles are the elephant in the room. Despite their frighteningly dominant season last year Liverpool ended the 2020/21 campaign trophy-less, the same cannot be said of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City, the current sides where fellow right-back challengers Kieran Trippier, Reece James and Kyle Walker have started and accumulated silverware this season. Whilst TAA is as impressive up the field (better in fact) than he is defensively, his fellow right backs have more defensive versatility than the Liverpool starter. Kieran Trippier has previously lined up at left back, although this does minimise his crossing threat with him being right foot dominant, whilst Kyle Walker is another flexible defensive player officially registered as a right back. Walker has frequently feature at the centre back position, or right centre back position in a back three for his nation. Perhaps in any other campaign and under a more attack minded manager Trent would be one of the first names on the team sheet, but Southgate looks set to snub the twenty two year old.

Ben Godfrey  - 

If England do opt for a back five of three central defenders and two wing backs, they need an Arsenal of central defenders (just no actual Arsenal defenders though of course). So why leave out Ben Godfrey? Maguire (albeit questionable through injury), Stones, Mings and technically Kyle Walker who has lined up here in the past are all dead certs to be named in the final squad. If indeed Southgate rolls with a back three, it’s very possible we will see Kyle Walker start at the right centre back role with Stones and (assuming he’s fit) Maguire. Mings likely won’t start but is a solid back up should suspensions or injuries plague Southgate’s starting three. Godfrey is far less experienced than these four and his status as 5th choice centre back should be enough for Southgate to break the unfortunate news that he won’t be representing his country this summer. 

Ben White  - 

It looks like there’s only room for one Ben in the England defence with Chelsea’s Chillwell, fresh off the back of a fantastic champions league final performance, set to be named in the final squad. The same cannot be said for Godfrey of Everton and White of Brighton. Ben White had a groundbreaking season on loan at Leeds in 2019/20, playing in every game and helping them to clinch the Championship title and a return to the Premier League following a 16-year absence. There was plenty of speculation surrounding a White return to Yorkshire this season, but the twenty three year old remained at Brighton where he became one of the standout performers, earning his call-up to Southgate’s provisional squad. Unfortunately, it appears that the provisional squad is where White’s fairytale story ends, for the time being at least. With only thirty six Premier League appearances to his name, Ben White has the least amount of top flight experience amongst England defenders in Southgate’s initial 33-man squad. If Godfrey misses out, as the 5th choice centre back, White is also likely to be passed upon by Southgate for this summer’s competition. I have no doubts however that each of these talented young central defenders will grace the world’s biggest international competitions in the near future. 

Bukayo Saka  -

In Sunday’s The Totally Football podcast Carl Anka touched on the notion that Saka’s versatility may work against him when Southgate sits down and shaves seven names off his initial 33-man squad. Saka is a godsend for Mikel Arteta and an Arsenal side who have declined since Wenger’s departure three years ago. However, when it comes to Southgate’s side, it’s tough to comprehend Saka’s involvement for his country. At left-back, where the youngster had shone for the Gunners prior to Tierney’s arrival, Luke Shaw and Ben Chillwell are streets ahead in terms of experience and defensive quality. In Saka’s other area of expertise, the wing, England are one of the most armed sides on the continent. Sterling, Sancho, Grealish, Foden, Rashford and (discuss amongst yourselves) Greenwood will all be primed for a start over the Arsenal man. Like the two Ben’s in defence, Saka needn’t worry about his England future, come 2022 in Qatar or certainly the 2024 Euros in Germany, the Ealing born playmaker is bound to be a mainstay in the Three Lions side. 

Mason Greenwood  - 

Mason Greenwood shows bags of potential, he was granted Giggsy’s legendary number 11 shirt and recently broke Rooney’s record for most United goals by a teenager (seventeen beating Rooney’s previous fifteen). There are grounds for optimism regarding how far Greenwood can progress as a footballer. However, his performances thus far haven’t quite equated with the likes of Grealish, Sancho, Foden, Rashford and, although perhaps he has been off the boil given how high his standards are usually set, Sterling. Mason Greenwood is very unlikely to feature on the wing for the Three Lions, so how about utilising him as a centre forward? Greenwood has been praised heavily for his devastating finishing at such a young age, yet everyone with the faintest interest in football is aware that the United forward isn’t quite on par with Calvert-Lewin or Kane when it comes to an out and out striker. As England operate with just one central striker the demand for Mason Greenwood just isn’t there. Again, this exciting prospect is another player you can fully expect to see pull on the famous white jersey of England in future tournaments.

Ollie Watkins  - 

In a Vardy-esc rise to prominence, Ollie Watkins has not looked back since his brief stint in the National League South with Weston-Super-Mare just five years ago. Watkins spent 2014/15 on loan at the National League South club before returning to Exeter City where he impressed for the following two campaigns. From Exeter in League Two, Watkins then spent three successful seasons at Brentford, the final of which he bagged twenty-five goals and picked up the Championship golden boot. Failure to earn promotion at Brentford saw Villa swoop in for Watkins, a step up which the then twenty-four year old adapted to with ease. Watkins’ fourteen Premier League goals in his debut season bettered Mason Greenwood’s in 2020/21 (seven goals) or 2019/20 (ten goals), albeit playing in a far more central, target man role to Greenwood who commonly appears out wide. However, despite the impressive goal haul in his maiden Premier League season, England almost exclusively run with just one central striker, Harry Kane is of course the go to man in this position, Calvert-Lewin the obvious choice as back-up. Even Marcus Rashford, who has been deployed as a left winger for the past few years at United, is comfortable in the central role. Rashford’s versatility on the front line, and the influence of both Kane and Calvert-Lewin in the squad should be enough to nudge Watkins out of the final squad submission. Watkins can be proud of his emphatic rise from the National League South to his inclusion in the provisional squad for a major international tournament in the space of just five years. The Villa man, and the others set to be narrowly waived from Southgate’s side, will certainly feature for the Three Lions in the near future. 

Although the unfortunate seven will be met with a demoralising feeling at first, Southgate’s confidence to include them in his provisional squad is complimentary when you consider those who failed to appear in the preliminary 33-man selection; Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan), Eric Dier (Spurs), James Maddison (Leicester), Danny Ings (Southampton), Patrick Bamford (Leeds). It’s a good problem to have for Gareth Southgate, although I’m sure he wouldn’t view it that way, that there are almost a half-century of players fully capable of playing this summer. Should England reach the final, they will take to Wembley five times between June and July. This will be the first time England will have competed in a major tournament at home since 1996. Southgate will feel additional pressure to succeed this summer as the last England international to kick a ball on home soil in a major competition, his infamous penalty miss against the Germans in the Euro Semi-Finals. This surplus of talented English footballers will have landed Gareth Southgate with several sleepless nights, giving him more than enough time to iron the waistcoats for an optimistic summer ahead.