The England football squad was named last week by Gareth Southgate, but what is he really like? A lot of fans and supporters of England have already called him “just a yes man”, but we have to give the guy a chance. Yes he got the job under very strange circumstances last November, two month’s after the departure of Big Sam Allardyce, but so far I feel he’s conducted himself very well and I have belief in him.
Obviously results matter, but more importantly we as fans now want to be entertained by our England players as it’s been far too long since we’ve had any real enjoyment in watching them. In the next week we have two friendlies against European opposition as Southgate prepares for the Russia World Cup this summer where we’re due to face Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in the opening group stages.
First up we face Ronald Koeman’s Holland team tomorrow night at 19:45 in the Amsterdam ArenA, before facing Italy next Tuesday 27th March at Wembley, with the kick off time for that being 20:00. Both games should be really good tests for England, even though we’re playing two major nations that failed to actually make it to Russia.
Koeman took over the Dutch team in February, replacing Dick Advocaat after his failure to qualify for the World Cup in what was a terrible campaign, and to think Louis van Gaal finished third in the 2014 World Cup. Koeman left the Premier League at the end of last year after being sacked by Everton, but he’s gone back to the league he knows well to bring in some players like Patrick van Aanholt, Nathan Ake, Virgil van Dijk and Timothy Fosu-Mensah to his squad.
As for England, Southgate named uncapped Nick Pope, James Tarkowski, Alfie Mawson and Lewis Cook in his 27-man squad. His most notable absentees are the injured Harry Kane as well as Gary Cahill & Chris Smalling who’ve both been dropped.
GOALKEEPERS
Jack Butland – Stoke City, Joe Hart – West Ham (loan from Man City),
Jordan Pickford – Everton, Nick Pope – Burnley
DEFENDERS
Ryan Bertrand – Southampton, Joe Gomez – Liverpool, Harry Maguire – Leicester City,
Alfie Mawson – Swansea City, Danny Rose – Spurs, John Stones – Man City,
James Tarkowski – Burnley, Kieran Trippier – Spurs,
Kyle Walker – Man City, Ashley Young – Man Utd
MIDFIELDERS
Dele Alli – Spurs, Lewis Cook – Bournemouth, Eric Dier – Spurs, Jordan Henderson – Liverpool,
Adam Lallana – Liverpool, Jesse Lingard – Man Utd, Jake Livermore – West Brom,
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Liverpool, Jack Wilshere – Arsenal
FORWARDS
Marcus Rashford – Man Utd, Raheem Sterling – Man City,
Jamie Vardy – Leicester City, Danny Welbeck – Arsenal
Defender Ryan Bertrand has since withdrawn with a back injury and he has gone back to his club Southampton for assessment. That leaves Danny Rose and Ashley Young as the two left-backs in the squad. SCORE PREDICTION: ENGLAND 2 v HOLLAND 0.
