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#3 Kalvin Phillips' inclusion
Few will be upset by Kalvin Phillips' inclusion in the England squad as it's hard to knock the young man whose exceptional performances this season led to Leeds finally getting promoted back to the Premier League.
Phillips was a standout in a strong Leeds team and has showed impressive versatility as he's been utilized both as a holding midfielder and a central defender by manager Marcelo Bielsa. Phillips has bundles of talent, works hard and has a great future ahead of him at just 24 years of age.
With that being said, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Phillips is a player with no Premier League experience whatsoever. Standing out in the Championship is one thing but given the wealth of English talent that performs week in and week out in the Premier League, Phillips does seem to be jumping the queue, particularly when you look at other names that have not been included.
Championship players are almost never included in England squads, despite a wealth of talent at that level, and no-one has been suggesting great young talents like Eberechi Eze, who scored 14 and assisted 8 in the Championship, should be included in the squad.
Phillips himself said he was surprised his call-up had come so soon and most are happy to see his inclusion, there's certainly an argument his call-up could have been delayed.
#2 Jack Grealish's exclusion
Jack Grealish was one of the top stars in last season's Premier League. The midfield maestro was the heart and soul of an Aston Villa side who seemed doomed to go down, but retained their Premier League status on the last day of the season following a heroic performance from none other than Grealish.
Grealish scored 8 league goals, added 6 assists and was fouled more than any other player in the division. His performances have led to mass speculation that Grealish may leave Aston Villa in this transfer window and sign for a bigger side more suited to his abilities. With all this going for him, it does seem a little surprising he still remains outside the England squad.
One can certainly make the case that England are blessed in terms of depth at Grealish's preferred position of attacking midfield with youngsters Mason Mount and Phil Foden occupying the two spots there in the England side this time around. However, Grealish is right there in terms of statistics and performances and by doing so at a much weaker club in Aston Villa, one can only wonder what he'd be able to achieve as part of the England squad.
#1 No left-back
The 8 defenders Southgate named in his 24-man squad, Alexander-Arnold, Dier, Gomez, Keane, Maguire, Mings, Trippier and Walker all have one thing in common. None of them play at the left-back position.
It seems inconceivable that given the extensive planning that goes in to every one of England's squad selections, such a glaring positional omission could take place. England are now going have to make do without a single player with regular experience at the left-back position against opposition that, while admittedly beatable, are also both capable of springing an upset.
Southgate must have been aware of this and will be trusting one of the players he did select to plug this gap either as a wing-back or at a more traditional full-back position. If this is the case the question becomes why?
Some may point to a lack of options at the position but the likes of Ben Chilwell and Bukayo Saka immediately spring to mind as players more than capable of fulfilling this role for England. It's also not as if some of the other defensive players Southgate did include are irreplaceable, with Keane just one of a number of names who seem a little fortunate to have made the cut.
The decision to not include a single left-back in his England squad is a baffling one and one that even two winning performances from England are unlikely to vindicate.
