Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson are among the casualties as Gareth Southgate has wielded the axe - while seven more players will face the cut from his provisional squad before Euro 2024
Gareth Southgate showed his ruthless streak ahead of the Euros - but insisted he needs to make tough calls to win it.
Southgate has been bold in picking his 33 man training squad ahead of this summer’s tournaments with three new call-ups and, incredibly, he has axed NINE players since the last World Cup. Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Kalvin Phillips, Eric Dier, Conor Coady, Mason Mount, Ben White and Callum Wilson have all bitten the dust since Qatar.
Adam Wharton, Curtis Jones and Jarell Quansah are the new call-ups but this generally looks a younger, fresh faced squad and arguably the choice of a manager planning for a longer term future. England boss Southgate, whose contract expires in December, insisted that was nothing to do with making those big calls but did laugh off the old accusation that he just picks his favourites.
“I always use Arsene Wenger's quote to me on this: 'You must always manage as if you're going to be there forever but in the knowledge that you could be sacked the following day'. That's football,” said Southgate.
“You can take short-term decisions but you must do what's right for the team or the club or whatever it might be. Our view is that some of these boys will be England internationals in the future, some might not be but they'll all benefit from the experience.
“We have always tried to find room for emerging players. I know people have always said we have got our favourites but the fact is we have got players who we knew were the best in their position and were able to deliver at a high level.
“We have to be flexible because you want to get your best players on the pitch in areas where they can cause the most danger and that is what we have tried to do. We were one of the most inexperienced squads in Russia.
"Yes, you would like players playing regularly, fully fit, with a load of caps and experience of winning but it doesn’t dictate everything. We’ve got to pick the players that we think at the moment are the best ones to take the team forward.”
Who should start for England at Euro 2024? Give us your XI in the comments below.
Incredibly, only 16 of the 33 have 10 or more caps but no-one can accuse Southgate of playing safe or picking favourites because he has gone for form and performances. The defence is a huge concern with so many injuries and half fit players.
It looks highly likely Luke Shaw will miss out and Kieran Trippier is odds-on to start the tournament at left-back despite only starting one game for Newcastle in the last three months. England’s attack is more of a concern about an embarrassment of riches and getting both Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden into his starting XI. They have both had incredible seasons.
Declan Rice will anchor the midfield but the idea is clearly to give Trent Alexander-Arnold a starting berth alongside the Arsenal player in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Alexander-Arnold missed the March friendlies and, in the absence of more established options, will get his midfield dress rehearsal against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Iceland.
Southgate said: “The last few months I’ve been thinking ‘Declan with who?’ and ‘Who if without Declan?’ And they’re the things when everyone is saying we have a procession to Berlin, they’re the things I have to worry about for months while you’re all watching club football and enjoying it!
“With Trent, you’ve known for a while that I like him in that area of the pitch. He’s obviously been doing that in a more hybrid fashion for his club.
“He’s keen and so that’s something that we want to work through, although we are limited with the number of opportunities. But we’ve got time to work, which is great.”
And despite those concerns, Southgate has no doubt of the potential in his England team - even if he admits it will also require a huge slice of luck. Southgate added: “There's no doubt what's possible. The team have been very close already, so they know what's possible. They know what they've won at club level and what that's taken.
“But it's fine margins and so that is our world. You're being judged and have to deliver on those moments. Are we one of those teams that can win, of which there are a few? Yeah, absolutely we are.”
Gareth Southgate will trim the 33 to a final squad of 26 on Saturday, June 8
HERE’S MY SEVEN WHO WILL MISS OUT…
James Trafford
Luke Shaw
Adam Wharton
Jarrad Branthwaite
Jarell Quansah
James Maddison
Ivan Toney
JOHN CROSS STARTING XI
Pickford
Walker Stones Maguire Trippier
Rice Alexander-Arnold
Saka Bellingham Foden
Kane
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