The announcement of the England squad prior to a major international tournament has always been a major talking point for fans as they get their hopes up. Right before they come crashing down in the knockout stages of the said tournament, sometimes even as early as the group stages.
But this time, there is renewed hope for the Three Lions. The last of the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ of players have made way for a promising squad filled with young but experienced talent. With England’s top goal scorer Wayne Rooney leading the team, Roy Hodgson’s side won all 10 of their Euro qualifiers to become the only team to qualify with a 100% record.
With a provisional 26-man squad announced earlier today, we look at the ideal XI for England looking to win their first ever Euro title.
Formation: 4-3-1-2
Goalkeeper
Players picked: Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton
At this stage, we can discount Burnley’s Tom Heaton from actually starting a game. Called up for England’s friendly matches when Joe Hart was injured, he is yet to make his international debut in a competitive game.
The battle for the no.1 jersey will definitely be a choice between Hart and Fraser Forster. In this scenario, Joe Hart will most probably be Hodgson’s first choice goalkeeper. Although he gave everyone a scare when he was stretchered off in the Manchester derby, he made a quick comeback and almost took home the Golden Glove if not for a wicked deflection in the final game.
Fraser Forster will most likely be second-choice in spite of a successful spell with Southampton as the Saints finished fifth – subject to Manchester United’s result. But finishing in the top six is their greatest accomplishment in the Premier League so far.
Forster’s season was also cut short by a knee injury that threatened to ruin his career but he has made a strong comeback in 2016. In fact, he kept six clean sheets in a row on his return before he was finally breached by Chelsea. But he has been rewarded with a new contract.
But Hart’s international experience will see him don the gloves between the posts in France.
Defence
Players picked: Nathaniel Clyne, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Ryan Bertrand, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Gary Cahill
The left-back position would go to Danny Rose. The Tottenham Hotspur full-back enjoyed a successful season on a personal level, clocking 2500 minutes in all competitions and eventually earning a spot in the 2015/16 PFA Team of the Year.
Looking at pure numbers, he has outperformed his competition in Ryan Bertrand with 2.8 tackles per game. Rose also manages to get at least one key pass per game.
The centre-back partnership would see Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling pair up. As much as a lot has been talked about John Stones, he has failed to live up to expectations in the past few months in spite of a stellar start to the season that saw Chelsea desperately chasing his signature.
Cahill, now 30, would be one of the few experienced heads required to marshall an otherwise young back line. Smalling has been one of United’s few bright spots this season and is a sure-shot selection for the right centre-back position.
On the right, it is a question of picking Kyle Walker or Nathaniel Clyne. The Spurs right-back would be the ideal candidate while Clyne’s ability to play on both flanks would make him a useful second-choice full-back. Walker’s numbers this season have actually been better than Hector Bellerin who made the PFA Team of the Year but the Spaniard’s impact on Arsenal’s season saw him get selected ahead of the Englishman.
Midfield
Players picked: Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Fabian Delph, Danny Drinkwater, Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling, Jack Wilshere, Andros Townsend
At the base of the midfield diamond, Hodgson would be wise to go with Eric Dier. The Spurs defensive midfielder’s ability to play in central defence if required makes him a valuable asset to the squad. Dier is not an easy player to dispossess and his superiority in aerial duels makes him the ideal player to play in front of the centre-backs when teams try to employ a long ball strategy.
In front of Dier, Hodgson should go with Danny Drinkwater and Dele Alli. Drinkwater has been a revelation this season in Leicester City’s midfield and is a good passer of the ball with the ability to find forwards with precise through balls, especially on the counter-attack. His seven assists will attest to that.
Jack Wilshere would have been an automatic selection over Alli if the Arsenal midfielder had at least 15 games under his belt this season. The young Englishman has only just returned from injury and still lacks the match sharpness to slot into the squad immediately. But nobody can carry the ball from defence to attack better than him when he is on fire.
Alli, on the other hand, was also selected into the PFA Team of the Year with 10 goals and 9 assists this season. His understanding with Harry Kane saw the striker score 7 goals from his assists alone. An all-round player with the ability to contribute on both ends of the pitch, Wilshere will be selected over him only if he impresses enough in the upcoming friendlies.
Hodgson’s biggest dilemma is where to slot in Wayne Rooney. While he hasn’t had the best of seasons with a return of only seven goals (the first time in his Manchester United career he has scored less than 10 league goals in a season), there is no chance he will drop his captain and England’s leading goalscorer.
Which is why Rooney playing in a deeper attacking role makes sense since he won’t be played as a forward. With the lack of an out-and-out playmaker in the squad, Rooney would be the best bet to play behind the two strikers. Hodgson’s experiment of deploying Rooney on the wing in the World Cup yielded negative results and playing him in between the lines would be a better bet.
Hodgson has rarely played a 4-2-3-1, so Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling will find it hard to get into the side unless they are chasing a game. Ross Barkley has also had a below-par season, as did most of his Everton colleagues, and will be on the bench.
Attack
Players picked: Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Daniel Sturridge
With Rooney deployed in an attacking midfield role, it gives room for two strikers to play up front. None are more deserving than Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.
Both strikers had their own battle for the Golden Boot with the Spurs hitman taking it home with a haul of 25 goals. Vardy may have beaten him to the trophy if he had not been suspended for an additional game at the end of the season. But he will not be complaining about a return of 24 goals and a Premier League trophy to boot.
Vardy’s biggest assets are his extraordinary pace and ability to get into the right position at the right time, never giving defenders a moment of rest. He set a new Premier League record when he scored in 11 consecutive games early this season and has not looked back since.
Kane started slowly before picking up only in September. The 22-year-old is a fine finisher – both with his feet and his head. Beating the likes of Sergio Aguero to the Premier League Golden Boot in such a bizarre season is no joke and he has already scored four times for England in a fledgling international career.
Daniel Sturridge has shown promising signs of getting back to his best but it would be criminal to pick him over either Vardy or Kane based on their prolific form this season. Marcus Rashford is simply too young and inexperienced to get into the lineup and is a standby player on the fringes of the squad.
