Football: My England Line-Up

Jack Butland

I’d be absolutely shocked if Gareth Southgate somehow chose Joe Hart over Butland. Hart has been a mess ever since his Manchester City exit and now that it has been exposed that he can’t save at all well on his left side there is absolutely no chance he is in the right frame of mind.

The game now demands goalkeepers who are good with their feet and Butland possesses the quality required at the highest level with the ball at his feet.

Three at the back

England teams have struggled to accommodate a number of top-class midfielders and strikers in the same team.

Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes were three of the best midfielders ever to play in the Premier League but a number of England managers couldn’t get them working together. This time around it has to be different and for that reason the team should be playing three at the back.

Gary Cahill can comfortably command a back line as he has done since John Terry left Chelsea, and with John Stones beside him I think it’s safe to say the defence would dominate most strikers.

The addition of the giant figure of Harry Maguire would seal a very good ball-playing back line with a phenomenal amount of composure and power.

Kyle Walker/Ryan Bertrand

Walker is one of the most dynamic footballers in the world right now, which he has shown in recent performances for Manchester City including his masterclass playing right-back stroke central midfield against Chelsea.

The ex-Spurs fullback has a very aggressive but controlled style of play which is needed when playing as a wing-back and he’s better going forward than he is defending.

Ryan Bertrand shares a similar desire to attack but also has a great left foot which can deliver dangerous balls into the box for England’s talisman, Harry Kane.

Eric Dier/Jordan Henderson

For a back three to truly work properly you need one midfielder who understands defensive positioning and there is none better in the Premier League than Dier. The other midfielder needs to be able to recycle the ball, shift it left to right and occasionally play a defence-splitting pass, which is exactly what Henderson is known for along with his ability to make a big tackle when required.

Dele Alli

It’s crucial for England that the two up front have a great relationship and that Alli is allowed to roam free as that is when he it at his most dangerous. The ex-MK Dons midfielder has fast become one of the most sought-after talents in Europe and to move up to the next level he needs to be allowed to play his own style. Alli is made for a team that permits him to play between the lines, drift out wide and at times find himself playing as a forward.

Two up top

Although Kane prefers playing as a lone striker, I’d argue he could benefit from someone doing the legwork around him and that man is Jamie Vardy.

The Leicester striker’s appetite to close down defenders and press the ball in every area can allow Kane to, pretty much, just score goals. The Spurs striker is England’s most important player so the more time we get him in front of goal, the more damage we can do as a team. With two fullbacks providing cross ins, an attacking midfielder who’s not afraid of trying to play killer passes and a second striker to do all the dirty work, it’s almost inevitable we’ll see the best of Kane.

 

By Nubaid Haroon

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