Picking England's 2018 World Cup Squad After Latest Qualifiers
International tournaments are much like summer holidays; with time, no one remembers too much about the journey there. It's all about the experience when you finally reach the destination.
England's journey to the 2018 World Cup has not been without the odd moment of turbulence.
Sam Allardyce had a 100 per cent record while in charge during the qualifying campaign before a newspaper sting saw him lose the job after just 67 days in charge.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
The Football Association turned to Gareth Southgate as a solid pair of hands, initially on an interim basis before appointing him permanently in November 2016. Like his acting in a famous Pizza Hut advert, the former Middlesbrough manager has done a solid, if unspectacular, job.
After recording workmanlike wins over Malta (4-0) and nearest rivals Slovakia (2-1) in the latest round of qualifying, England sit five points clear at the top of Group F with just two games remaining.
There is still a lot of football to be played before the host nation kick off the World Cup in Moscow on June 14 next year, but Bleacher Report has tried to gaze into the future to pick England's 23-man squad.
Goalkeepers
Joe Hart
When England travelled to the European Championship two years ago, Joe Hart was first choice between the posts for Manchester City and England's undoubted No. 1.
Since then, however, he's been ditched by Pep Guardiola and sent out on loan twice; first to Torino in Italy and now to West Ham United. He's also coming under heavy pressure for his place in the national team.
Still, Southgate stood by his man for the games with Malta and Slovakia. Whether he is still first choice by the time we get to Russia remains to be seen, but Hart is unlikely to be jettisoned from the squad entirely.
Jack Butland
Fit again after over a year out of action following complications with a fractured ankle, Jack Butland is breathing heavily down Hart's neck.
Barring another injury setback, the Stoke City goalkeeper is a definite to make the trip to Russia. It's not hard to imagine him usurping Hart by then, too, making him England's starter.
"Everyone knows being No. 1 is what I want. But you've got to earn it. Hopefully I'm on my way to doing that. We'll see what happens. All I can do is my bit," Butland said, per the Daily Express.
Jordan Pickford
Being third-choice goalkeeper at a major tournament seems a decent job. You train a bit, get to experience a new country (won't Russia be beautiful in the summer) and bag a front-row seat for the games.
Tom Heaton and Fraser Forster are options to fill the role, but Jordan Pickford must be the favourite. No longer permanently in the firing line at Sunderland, the 23-year-old will hope to impress in an Everton team with lofty ambitions.
Other candidates: Forster, Heaton
Full-Backs
Kyle Walker
It will be fascinating to see how Kyle Walker develops under Guardiola's tutelage at Manchester City.
A no-nonsense right-back from Sheffield, England, doesn't initially seem a snug fit with a perfectionist coach from Spain, but the move could see the 27-year-old take his game to another level.
"Going to City was the right step, working with the manager, him passing on some of the experience he’s gained from working with players," Walker—a likely starter under Southgate—told reporters (h/t Goal).
Kieran Trippier
While no longer in competition for the starting role at Tottenham Hotspur, Kieran Trippier appears to be Walker's major threat to the right-back position for England.
"We're both fighting for the same spot again, but it is going to be no different to club football—whoever plays, obviously we've got Nathaniel Clyne, who is a brilliant player, there's still tough competition. I will just keep doing what I was doing since I was younger and keep working hard," Trippier said, per James Olley of the Evening Standard.
As Trippier points out, Clyne will hope to make it a three-way fight for the starting berth. The former knows what it is like to be Walker's understudy, so he could be back in a familiar role in Russia.
Danny Rose
Still recovering from a knee injury suffered in January, Danny Rose annoyed Tottenham supporters in an interview with Dave Kidd of The Sun. Not only did he make clear his desire to move back to his native north of England, he also criticised his current employers' transfer policy.
Yet, the Yorkshireman's words about his domestic situation won't alter his standing with the national team. Once he returns to action, the 27-year-old should make a swift return to the England squad.
Ryan Bertrand
In Rose's absence, Ryan Bertrand has staked his claim to start on the left side of the back four. The Southampton defender even broke his international duck with a long-range strike against Malta on Friday.
Bertrand played in front of Rose in Southgate's first game in charge too—a 2-0 home win over Malta last October—and, with his competitor sidelined, he's had the opportunity to show why he should start when both are available.
Other Candidates: Clyne, Aaron Cresswell, Luke Shaw
Centre-Backs
Gary Cahill
Chelsea captain Gary Cahill will hope for better fortunes at the 2018 World Cup.
He was a starter in all three games as Roy Hodgson's squad failed to manage a win in the last edition of the tournament in Brazil, finishing bottom of a group that included Costa Rica, Italy and Uruguay.
The centre-back is still a regular and has reached a half-century of caps for his country. However, he will be 32 by the time England reach Russia and, unlike other positions in the squad, competition for places at the heart of defence will be fierce.
Phil Jones
Handed an England debut at the age of 19 by Fabio Capello, Phil Jones has played a number of different roles in an international career that has been hampered by injury problems.
The versatile Jones featured at right-back at the 2014 World Cup and even played as a holding midfielder in a friendly against Italy the following year. However, central defence is clearly his best position.
"Not just this season but there was a long period in the middle of last season where I think he has been the best defender," Southgate said prior to the Slovakia game, per Dev Trehan of Sky Sports. That's a glowing endorsement from the boss right there.
John Stones
John Stones is a ball-playing centre-back who looks ideally suited to the slower-paced international game. However, he could be deployed in a holding-midfield role, according to the man who picks the national team.
"You've asked me if he's an option [in midfield]. I think he is. He's a player who is very comfortable receiving possession," Southgate said in June, per Phil McNulty of BBC Sport.
Michael Keane
As a former defender, Southgate will not want to be caught short on numbers at centre-back. The fourth and final berth boils down to two choices: Michael Keane or Chris Smalling.
Smalling is the more experienced at international level. However, according to Daniel Taylor of the Guardian, the England manager wants his players featuring regularly at club level, or else they risk missing out.
At the moment, Keane has a clearer route to first-team minutes at Everton. If Smalling wants to improve his chances of travelling to Russia, he may need to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window.
Other Candidates: Ben Gibson, Harry Maguire, Smalling
Midfielders
Jordan Henderson
At Euro 2016, Jordan Henderson was on the outside looking in.
He did play 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw against Slovakia, when Hodgson foolishly shuffled his pack and missed out on winning the group, but the Liverpool midfielder was an unused sub in the other three games.
Now, though, Henderson is not just a starter under Southgate but a leader, captaining his country in the victories over Malta and Slovakia. While not everyone's favourite, the 27-year-old is a key part of the XI.
Eric Dier
Eric Dier isn't one for hyperbole.
"It's very hard to say where we [England] are at the moment, you only really find out how good you are when you make it to a tournament. Hopefully, we are on the right track," he said during the recent international break, per Paul Wilson of the Observer.
Dier plays like he talks. There's a no-nonsense air about him and he's one tough competitor. Able to play centrally in defence and midfield, he looks a certain traveller to Russia.
Dele Alli
A regular scorer for Tottenham, Dele Alli has managed only two goals in 21 international appearances to date (and one of those came on his first start, back in November 2015).
Southgate needs to find a way to translate the player's club form on to the international stage. You'd think playing next to familiar faces such as Dier and Harry Kane would help, and Alli is still only 21 years of age.
However, patience tends to be in short supply during a World Cup campaign. "He doesn't just need to get there, he needs to impress. Anonymity is not a good look for a player with designs on the pinnacle of Europe's elite," Martin Samuel wrote in the Daily Mail.
Adam Lallana
England's player of the year for 2016, as voted by the official supporters club, Adam Lallana didn't feature against Malta and Slovakia due to a thigh injury picked up in pre-season.
Technically gifted and capable of working in tight spaces, the Liverpool playmaker is ideal for international football. He's also flexible positionally, as someone who can line up anywhere in the midfield.
Raheem Sterling
Subbed off after a first-half no-show against minnows Malta, Raheem Sterling had to settle for a late cameo off the bench against Slovakia.
Still, England will need a little flair to unlock opposition defences, particularly if they want to go deep into the knockout stages of a major tournament (that may be wishful thinking, of course).
Sterling is a creative type who can start on either flank in midfield or play further forward, operating either as a No. 10 or on the wing in a front three. Still only 22, he should make it to a second World Cup.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's transfer to Liverpool should help us finally fathom out if he's a central midfielder or better suited to playing out wide.
Shoved out as a wing-back in the final stages of his Arsenal career, the Southampton product may be used in his preferred central-midfield role with the Reds.
He's flattered to deceive as a winger for England, albeit his versatility makes him a favourite to make the final cut. Now, though, the 24-year-old needs to come of age and show he belongs at the highest level.
Nathaniel Chalobah
There is a solitary spot free for a central midfielder. West Bromwich Albion's Jake Livermore may be the front-runner right now, considering he started in Malta and came off the bench against Slovakia on Monday.
However, Nathaniel Chalobah and James Ward-Prowse are also in the running. Both played for the England under-21 team under Southgate, and they'll get games at Watford and Southampton, respectively.
If Southgate believes Stones can play in midfield, Livermore may be expendable when it comes to making the final cut to 23 players.
Chalobah's early form for the Hornets suggests he has the highest ceiling of the trio, although Ward-Prowse's set-piece delivery would be handy. Whoever is picked, it's unlikely they will feature much in Russia.
Other Candidates: Ross Barkley, Danny Drinkwater, Livermore, Ward-Prowse
Forwards
Harry Kane
Harry Kane owes England at a major tournament. The only thing memorable about his Euro 2016 campaign were his wayward corners, although it wasn't his fault he was burdened with the set-piece duties.
The Tottenham striker—who has finished as the Premier League's leading scorer for the past two seasons—has fared better for his country of late, scoring five goals in his last four international outings.
Having captained England against France and Scotland earlier this year, Kane appears on course to be England's first-choice forward at the World Cup.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has started three games for England—and he's scored in two of them. After making a mistake for Slovakia's early goal on Monday, the forward made amends with the winner at Wembley Stadium.
The teenager had forced his way into Southgate's XI after making an impact when replacing the ineffective Sterling in the 4-0 win over Malta, including setting up the last goal with a pinpoint through ball.
Impressive for Manchester United in the early stages of the season, Rashford has breezed by Jesse Lingard in the pecking order for both club and country. If used correctly, he could make a huge impact in Russia.
Daniel Sturridge
England will require different options off the bench. One of those needs to be a forward who—in case of an emergency—Southgate can break the glass and send in to save a desperate situation.
Daniel Sturridge has already shown he can fill that role for England. On as a substitute, the Liverpool frontman scored a dramatic winner against Wales at Euro 2016.
If he can stay fit—and that's a huge "if" when it comes to Sturridge and his brittle body—he can edge out fellow finisher Jermain Defoe and claim a seat on the plane.
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy possesses two useful traits—he's fast and can finish. Southgate clearly values him; he recalled the striker after a quad injury ruled him out of the June fixtures against Scotland and France.
A star of Leicester City's astonishing Premier League title triumph in the 2015/16 season, Vardy is unlikely to force his way into the starting XI but could be a valuable player to throw on against tiring defences.
Danny Welbeck
"Danny can play a couple of different roles, which makes him a valuable asset," Southgate told the media (h/t Paul Hetherington of the Daily Star Sunday) after Danny Welbeck scored off the bench against Malta.
While he may not be the most popular pick with supporters, the England manager clearly has a soft spot for Welbeck. The Arsenal forward has a solid record at international level too, scoring 15 goals in 35 appearances.
Other Candidates: Andy Carroll, Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott
Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All statistics used in the article are from TransferMarkt unless otherwise stated.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
