Sport
What is England’s best starting line-up for the 2022 World Cup?
England have recently gone six games without a win. One would have to go back to March 2022 to remember the side’s last victory, which was against Ivory Coast in an international friendly match.
With just six full weeks remaining until the 2022 World Cup kicks off, the pressure rises day by day on Gareth Southgate, to deliver on the big occasion. Three Lions have previously breezed past the group stages and the early phases of the knockout stages of the 2018 World Cup and the 2020 European Championship, however, they have failed to make it count when it mattered the most, with defeats to Italy in the Euros 2020 finals and to Croatia in the World Cup 2018 semi-finals.
A lot of questions have been raised towards the 52-year-old manager, as he continues to persist with the 3-4-3 formation, setting his team up to play as a transition-based side, despite the number of quality midfielders and attackers that have risen within the squad over the last couple of years.
Here, with no further ado, we dig deep into what England’s best XI is for the 2022 World Cup…
Goalkeeper – Aaron Ramsdale
Jordan Pickford has been a good player for club and country in recent years, though, the rise of Aaron Ramsdale and his complete skillset profile should result in him becoming the number one goalkeeper. The latter has a much better distribution than the former, which would be an important factor should the side look to play out from the back and intend on dominating the ball. Also, his ability to be an aggressive sweeper keeper would allow the team to play higher up the pitch.
Right-back – Trent Alexander-Arnold
Southgate’s biggest headache with his starting line-up selection will be for the right-back position, where he has the likes of Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Reece James to choose from. Nevertheless, he should be selecting Trent Alexander-Arnold, a player who isn’t considered very highly within his plans but should be because of the creativity he produces out on the flanks. Despite his weaknesses defensively, he would provide a different dimension for England going forward and the manager should not be so reserved in utilising one of the country’s most talented players.
Centre-back – John Stones
There is no question at all on whether John Stones should be a starter or not, a player who is very confident in progressing possession out from the back and has improved a lot on the defensive side of the game in recent seasons. He is without a doubt the side’s best and most experienced centre back in the squad, he has already been a part of the biggest stages for club and country in the last five years, making him a player that should always be one of the first players in the line-up.
Centre-back – Fikayo Tomori
Fikayo Tomori has easily been the most overlooked player within the England squad, an individual who has played an important role in helping AC Milan win their first league title last season since the 2010/11 campaign. With Harry Maguire no longer starting for Manchester United, due to his massive drop off in performances, the same result should reflect towards his position at international level football, allowing Tomori to be given the deserved opportunity to prove himself.
Left-back – Luke Shaw
Due to quite a few changes being made within the backline, it makes sense for Luke Shaw to retain his position at left-back, someone who has shown to have a consistent chemistry with Jack Grealish down the left flank and can help the side to control and dominate possession in each phase of the pitch. He should be given the thumbs up ahead of Ben Chilwell and any other potential candidates.
Centre-midfield – Jude Bellingham
The rapid rise of Jude Bellingham over the last two years has been one of most interesting stories in football, a player going from Birmingham City to becoming one of the most valuable footballers in the Bundesliga and across the top five European leagues. His box-to-box abilities, alongside his capability to drive forward with the ball and utilise possession at a quick pace and within tight spaces, is more than enough reasons for him to be starting as part of a three-man midfield.
Centre-midfield – Declan Rice
Declan Rice would be the one to play at the centre of the midfield three and as the deepest midfielder, as he is quite known for his defensive contributions through his constant interceptions and tackles. On top of that, he has improved his game on how to keep the ball ticking and how to spread the ball out in a progressive manner, making him a useful asset on both sides of the pitch.
Centre-midfield – James Maddison
With two of the three-man midfield covered by Bellingham and Rice, the third individual has to be someone who can link the play up from midfield to attack and can guarantee the side creativity and footballing intelligence in the final third of the pitch. This player has to be none other than James Maddison, who has been directly involved in 27 Premier League goals (17 goals, 10 assists) since the start of last season, the second-most of any English player within that time period.
Right-wing – Bukayo Saka
For sure, the experienced Raheem Sterling or the highly talented Phil Foden can be chosen for the right-wing position for the England starting line-up. However, the side require a touchline winger that can hold width and remain in possession of the ball whilst being isolated, which is what Bukayo Saka has fantastically been doing for Arsenal as they currently sit at the top of the league. Also, the 21-year-old sits in third place for the most shot-creating actions (36) in the league so far this season.
Centre-forward – Harry Kane
The easiest decision for Southgate ahead of the World Cup will be of who starts up front for England. Captain Harry Kane will be entering the tournament with the hopes of becoming the country’s all-time top goal-scorer, as he is on 51 goals and three goals away from surpassing Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 goals. Most importantly, England’s chances of success would independently lie within his hands, as his link up play, and his consistent goal-scoring ability will be needed more than ever.
Left-wing – Jack Grealish
With the right-winger playing the role as a touchline winger, the player on the other flank would have to be someone who can run directly at the opposition’s defence and has the licence to roam more into the central areas. Jack Grealish fits the bill in what England require down the left wing, as he is comfortable with carrying the ball and his decision making in the final third is second to none.
Conclusion
Overall, Southgate needs to bin the 3-4-3 formation, as the England squad does not have world-class centre-backs to continue utilising this setup and it forces the side to enter each fixture with a negative approach. Not only that, but the double pivot he chooses within this system does not help the team to attack and create constant chances, making the team to look very predictable going forward. The players that are present in the squad have outgrown the manager’s current plans, which should hopefully force him to move to a balanced 4-3-3 formation before the World Cup.
