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England World Cup squad reaction

The England World Cup squad for Qatar 2022  has just been announced and there are a few contentious picks.

The first name England fans will be searching for but will be unable to find is Fikayo Tomori. The AC Milan center-back has been an ever-present since he joined the club having won Serie A last season. He was named in the Serie A team of the season having been part of the joint best defense in the league, conceding just 31 goals.

Seemingly, Gareth Southgate has left Tomori out based on two poor games against Chelsea in the Champions League. If Tomori was at a top six club in the Premier League, he’d be in the squad.

To English fans delight, James Maddison has finally been selected in the England squad. The midfielder has been a shining light in an otherwise poor Leicester side this season. He’s been directly involved in 22 Premier League goals in 2022, only behind Harry Kane (32), Kevin De Bruyne (29) and Son Heung-min (25).

The England attack has been crying out for a creative number 10 and Maddison fits the bill. He’s created 57 shot-creating actions in the Premier League, putting him 3rd on the list.

The back-up striker position has been one of the most debated positions in the squad and it looks like Callum Wilson has been given the nod. The Newcastle striker has struggled with injuries in recent times, but no one can doubt his goal scoring abilities. Wilson has scored six goals in 10 starts in a Newcastle side who are improving every time they step on the pitch.

Conor Gallagher included

One of the biggest surprises in the squad is the inclusion of Conor Gallagher. Whilst the midfielder was outstanding in his loan spell for Crystal Palace last season, he’s not been a regular starter for Chelsea. When he has played for Chelsea he’s looked below par, lacking the intensity that won him Crystal Palace’s player of the season. England do lack depth in the middle of the pitch, with the likes of James Ward-Prowse who are regular starters for their club can feel hard done by.

Credit [wikimediacommons/googlecreativecomments]
Finally, with the inclusion of 4 right-backs, the debate will surge on until 21st November as to who will seal that starting spot. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Ben White have been included in the final 26. The likelihood is that England will stick with a back five, with Tripper at right wing-back and Walker and right center-back. If England do stick with this formation, Gareth Southgate should consider Alexander-Arnold as he has been of the most creative full-backs of the last five years. In this system, his defensive duties will be reduced and he can concentrate more on what he does best, which is creating goal-scoring opportunities.

 

 

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  • George Yates

    Sitting in the best seat in the house. Looking forward to covering a wide variety of sports for the Sports Gazette.

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