da bet vitoria： England squads are always a point of debate-inducing contention, even more so nowadays as the declining quality of player has significantly reduced the number of stars belonging to the bracket of virtually undroppable. Three Lions gaffers now find themselves perpetually split between proven quality and form, short-term pragmatism and long-term vision, as they attempt to find a balance between avoiding humiliating defeats and building for a positive future that will someday see England truly challenge at a major tournament.
da realbet： Inevitably, England squad announcements can’t please everybody; some feeling a diamond in the rough has been inexplicably overlooked, others bellowing cries of big-club bias and a few demanding all the major stars are culled as punishment for the Three Lions’ perpetual malaise. With that in mind, FootballFanCast decided to give the power to our readers earlier this week, asking them to select their England squad from a list of 53 candidates who’ve all made at least one league appearance this season.
Using the same quota as Southgate’s original 28-man squad – with the exception of swapping the fourth goalkeeper for an extra midfielder because of the England gaffer’s decision not to directly replace Jordan Pickford following injury – here’s a look at the six stars who made the fans’ squad but not Southgate’s.
GK – Fraser Forster
With Joe Hart missing out, it was Fraser Forster who took the England No.1’s place in the fans’ squad, although based on the number of votes he’d be acting as understudy to Jack Butland. The Southampton goalkeeper didn’t enjoy the best of form last season but a towering 6 foot 7 frame always seems to evoke confidence in his abilities – and even when he’s not playing well, gives him half a chance of claiming a clean sheet. The 29-year-old has claimed two already in the Premier League this season, which is two more than Hart has managed at West Ham.
LB – Leighton Baines
It’s never quite been explained why Leighton Baines has completely fallen out of England reckoning. A few years ago, he was seen as the great successor to Ashley Cole after spending much of his career in the Three Lions centurion’s shadow, but the Everton defender just isn’t getting a look-in these days. Perhaps that’s understandable when the likes of Danny Rose, Ryan Bertrand and Luke Shaw are fully fit, but West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell was selected over Baines in Southgate’s latest squad despite an incredibly poor start to the season. Our readers disagreed with that decision, selecting the Toffees veteran and leaving out the Hammers full-back.
CB – Jack Stephens
Gareth Southgate selected no less than five centre-backs in his squad, heightening suspicions of another three-man defence at some point over the next two fixtures, and our readers believe one of those slots should have gone to Jack Stephens. The 23-year-old hasn’t received much limelight but more than held his own stepping in for Virgil van Dijk during the second half of last season and has enjoyed a solid start to the current campaign as well. Young, hardworking and unassuming in a refreshing clearly-not-a-prima-donna kind of way, our readers think the former U21 deserves a chance at senior level.
CM: James Ward-Prowse
Was our poll hijacked by Southampton fans? Perhaps. Nonetheless, James Ward-Prowse has been knocking on the door of the England team for some time, boasting a staggering 31 caps at U21 level, and earned his first senior cap in March this year. A few months away from his 23rd birthday, this is certainly the time when the midfielder should be cementing his place within the Three Lions fold. Some accuse him of being a passive presence in the engine room but his indisputable technical quality would surely suit the international stage.
AM: Michail Antonio
Michail Antonio has just about made it back into the first-team picture at West Ham after missing the vast majority of pre-season due to injury, producing a particularly impressive performance in the second half against Southampton that got his side back into the match after conceding twice before the interval. Antonio’s England career thus far has consisted of several call-ups without getting a first cap; our readers clearly think he should continue to be involved in Three Lions squads even if he’s not getting on the pitch. An unorthodox but incredibly hardworking and physical attacker, he could be a real asset for the Three Lions.
LW – Nathan Redmond
Another Southampton player but another who has already been given a taste of senior football by Southgate after impressing for the U21s. Nathan Redmond is yet to fully hit his groove in the Premier League this season but he has grabbed one assist in three appearances, while averaging three created chances and 1.7 successful dribbles per match. Amid an era in which genuine wide options are thin on the ground, the 23-year-old would add something a little different to Southgate’s squad.
Results in full