Roy Hodgson Must Build England Euro 2016 Team Around Ross Barkley

WEMBLEY, London — England's UEFA European Championships 2016 qualifier against Estonia on Friday night was never likely to be hugely captivating; with Roy Hodgson's men already guaranteed passage to the finals next summer and not exactly free-flowing at the best of times, the quiet crowd were "treated" to a predictably stale and fragmented display of football.

While the points and overall performance in the 2-0 win might not have been remotely telling for the nation's hopes in France next summer, for individual players, it was another opportunity to show they should be on the plane once Roy and his troops depart in June.

In an attacking sense, despite the overall tempo and quality being short, Ross Barkley showed why he should be considered at this point as the main focus to support the front line and create danger for England's attack.

End Product

England did create a number of chances, especially in the first half, but wasteful finishing and a few good saves kept the scoreline down. When the away team's defence was cut through, it was inevitably Barkley—and, early on, Adam Lallana—who showed good movement, quick feet and timing to scythe through.

A fantastic pass by Barkley to Theo Walcott eventually found England's route to goal, with Barkley later fashioning a number of other shooting chances for himself too.

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2 - Ross Barkley has assisted Theo Walcott's last two England goals. Bank.

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 9, 2015"

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Barkley now up to 6 assists for club and country this season - make that the same as he managed in past 4 seasons combined.

— Matt Cheetham (@Matt_Cheetham) October 9, 2015"

Manager Hodgson was pleased with Barkley's continued growth and his performance in the match overall, noting in his press conference how the midfielder had been working hard to improve key aspects of his game.

"Ross wasn't the only one who deserved a mention for Man of the Match, but he and Raheem Sterling were classic exponents of making use of the space. I don't think it's hard to harness a role for [Barkley], he should consider himself a midfield player. If we don't want to play with a No. 10, like today, it's important we don't dismiss him as an option.

"He has worked hard over the last couple of years to improve on his decision-making. I'm proud that, at age only 20, he has been part of my team for two years now, and I think I've shown faith in him to keep picking him even when he hasn't been in the Everton team at times."

Barkley himself said he was "over the moon" with his performance, though disappointed not to score.

It's a worthwhile point to make, given the viewpoint of championing his case to be heavily involved, but the fact he continually ran into the positions to get shots away indicates that he will find the net with some frequency. There's not much he can do about goalkeepers making big saves other than continuing to try his luck.

System Choices

A 4-4-2 diamond, a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3: Barkley fits nicely into each and gives England a vertical side to their game that too few other players are unable to match.

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Hodgson has used all of those formations in the past year or so (though the fleeting diamond has all but disappeared again). And while the ultimate first-choice system will be dictated in part by the players he chooses to take to the finals, players such as Lallana, Sterling and Barkley himself—versatile performers, comfortable in different roles—have an edge over the more bog-standard types who can affect the attack from a single position.

It's also worth mentioning that the actual role Barkley plays, central breaking from deep or higher as the No. 10, can be altered depending on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the opposition midfield.

As for the rest of the midfield choices, the argument surely has to be made that they should be chosen to support and complement Barkley's inclusion as much as by form and quality.

The Rooney-Coloured Elephant in the Room

Clive Rose/Getty Images

A hugely obvious point to note: England's 4-3-3 on the night is pretty much tailor-made for Barkley, giving him licence to break from deep into space at pace and follow up attacks from the second line—both instances allow him to showcase his best attributes and support the main striker.

The centre-forward, of course was Harry Kane, with Wayne Rooney absent. Once he returns?

Hodgson clearly isn't going to leave England's all-time record scorer out of the team, so arguments of "he shouldn't be involved"—and there have been plenty already—are largely moot.

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Most international goals in current England squad: Wayne Rooney (50) Theo Walcott (8) Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (4) pic.twitter.com/0WrVHjCu41

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 9, 2015"

It's either Rooney instead of Kane to keep the formation, or else Barkley likely drops out of the reckoning to fit both Rooney and Kane in the XI together. The Spurs man isn't a guaranteed starter by any stretch of the imagination, but goals and a strong showing over the second half of the season will likely see him heavily involved.

Changing systems from game to game is a possibility for Hodgson, but he still has to make the call over who to cut to fit his captain and top scorer into the team.

And given the lack of cutting edge provided elsewhere, it will be creating problems of England's own making if Barkley, in particular, is the one to make way.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless stated.

Follow @karlmatchett