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Winners
Conor Coady The Wolves defender has quickly become an integral part of the team. Although Coady only has three caps, he is prepared to play on three defenses and has won over Gareth Southgate with his positive attitude. The England manager praised Coady after the 27-year-old scored in a friendly win over Wales and selected him in place of Joe Gomez as a replacement for the injured Eric Dier against Denmark.
Reece james The Chelsea right-back seized his chance after being promoted from the Under-21s at the start of camp. After coming in as a late substitute in the Nations League win over Belgium, James was England’s best player in his first start in the loss to Denmark. The 19-year-old needs to improve his positional sense and showed his inexperience by being sent off after the final whistle. However, James felt comfortable as a right back, attacking well and crossing brilliantly. You can be sure to stay with the older ones.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin The Everton striker brought his excellent club form to the international stage, marking his debut for England by scoring the first goal against Wales. Calvert-Lewin’s emergence as a deadly spiker is a huge boost for Southgate, who must spend much of his time worrying about losing Harry Kane to another injury. The 23-year-old was excellent against Wales, leading the line efficiently and showing his aerial threat by leading from close range, and did not seem out of place when he replaced Kane against Belgium. Calvert-Lewin will be a very effective substitute for the England captain.
Mason Mount Some see the inclusion of the Chelsea midfielder as proof of Southgate’s conservatism. But working hard without the ball doesn’t automatically make Mount a negative pick. The 21-year-old is a smart player: smart in the way he takes defenders out of position, brilliant in possession and a goal threat. He scored the winning goal against Belgium, albeit with a heavily deflected shot, and was playing well against Denmark before England were left with 10 men. He’s more prepared to play like a number 8 than open, but he’s not in charge of Southgate’s system.
Losers
Jack grealish This may seem like an odd choice after the Aston Villa playmaker’s performance against Wales. It could also be argued that he was a victim of misfortune when England fell to 10 against Denmark. But having impressed in a friendly, Grealish did not appear in the two competitive games that followed, adding to the feeling that Southgate remains unconvinced of his style. Remember, this was without Raheem Sterling, Mason Greenwood, and Phil Foden on the team. In that context, it’s hard to trust Southgate to lead Grealish to the Euro.
Tammy abraham Don’t give me a reason to leave you – that was Southgate’s message to his younger players after their 3-0 win over Wales. Hopefully Abraham was paying attention after violating Covid-19 protocols with Jadon Sancho and Ben Chilwell. Unavailable against Wales, the Chelsea forward has allowed Calvert-Lewin to take his place as Kane’s substitute. Abraham did not participate when “muscle fatigue” forced Kane to start on the bench against Belgium and he was not named a substitute against Denmark. Calvert-Lewin and Danny Ings, who started and scored against Wales, hope to keep the 23-year-old out of the cold.
Ben chilwell Indiscipline has been a characteristic of the last two courses in England. After Foden and Greenwood’s escapades in Iceland, Abraham, Chilwell and Sancho were the next to miss. Trust needs to be restored. Sancho, benched against Belgium, appeared as a late substitute against Denmark and Chilwell’s absence in all three games informed Southgate’s tactics. The problem is that Chilwell is the only left back in dispute. If not available, the 3-4-3 looks more attractive, with the options of Kieran Trippier, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Bukayo Saka on the left back. Southgate called Trippier a warrior after the victory over Belgium. Would you describe Chilwell in similar terms?
Harry maguire Southgate insisted he would not pull the Manchester United center-back out of the firing line after his fiery red card against Denmark. He believes Maguire, whose form has dropped since his court case in Greece, will benefit from maintaining his focus on soccer. However, if Maguire’s downfall continues, leaving him will be the only solution. It’s a tough situation and Southgate hopes Maguire can regain the level that made him such an important part of the team that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals. For the moment, though, the center-back is an accident waiting to happen.
