England, top of Group F with 14 points, will continue their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign with clashes against Malta and Slovakia on September 1 and September 4 respectively.
On Thursday, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate named his squad for the two fixtures, and there were three new faces in the selection as Jordan Pickford, Harry Maguire and Nathaniel Chalobah were all handed call-ups.
It would take some collapse for England not to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia, but it remains to be seen whether the team can leave a long-overdue positive impression on an international tournament.
The 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 are not competitions that will be fondly remembered, but the future provides new opportunities, and Southgate deserves a clean slate as he sets out his plans for the tournament in Russia.
There may well be shocks in Southgate’s next few England squads, but many would be able to name at least 18 of the players that will travel to the 2018 World Cup, even at this early stage of preparations.
There was something striking about the midfield list in Southgate’s latest squad, however, with the names on show hardly filling the nation with confidence. In the final third, there is every reason to be excited about the Three Lions, with Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy all present.
There is also plenty of quality in the number 10 position, with Dele Alli and Adam Lallana both capable of influencing matches, but even the best attackers need a base to build from, and there is a worrying lack of quality in England’s midfield.
Michael Carrick and Gareth Barry are arguably England’s two best passers when it comes to central midfield, but bar a big shock, neither will be involved in the build-up to Russia, or indeed the competition itself.
While Chalobah’s introduction is deserved after a strong career with England Under-21s, it is worth pointing out that Chelsea allowed him to leave this summer, and he has hardly set the world alight.
Jordan Henderson might be captain of Liverpool, but the 27-year-old did not enjoy a particularly strong 2016-17 campaign, and there are some that feel that the former Sunderland midfielder is fortunate to be in such a position.
West Bromwich Albion’s Jake Livermore is also an option in that area of the field. There is little doubting the midfielder’s physical qualities, but would the former Tottenham Hotspur youngster make it into the international squads for the likes of France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy or Brazil? The answer is probably not.
Eric Dier is a player who has developed into an impressive holding midfielder for Tottenham, although his ability at the highest level has been questioned. Rewind to the June international against France, and Paul Pogba absolutely dominated the Spurs man with a world-class midfield performance.
Jack Wilshere and Ross Barkley were supposed to be the saviours in that area of the field, but Wilshere is currently too busy getting sent off for Arsenal’s Under-23 team, and Barkley is in transfer limbo. A move to Tottenham is still very much on the cards, but the 22-year-old, like Wilshere, is currently in a difficult position.
James Ward-Prowse and Danny Drinkwater are also two names in the reckoning, but it is difficult to say with any confidence that either of those is capable of influencing a game at the highest level. Meanwhile, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who started in central midfield for the June clash with France, has seemingly developed into a wing-back for Arsenal.
There is also a worrying lack of midfield goals when it comes to the current England squad. If Oxlade-Chamberlain is considered a central midfielder for the purpose of this article, he is the top-scoring midfielder with six. Henderson has not scored in 32 caps, Dier has two goals in 19 appearances, while Livermore is yet to register for the Three Lions.
England were spoilt for choice in central midfield when the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes were available, but there currently seems to be a serious lack of top-drawer options when it comes to that area of the pitch.
There are plenty of very good players, but it is difficult to imagine many of the list above being able to thread the ball through the eye of a needle in the 70th minute of a World Cup quarter-final. Every successful team has that one player that absolutely dominates matters from the middle of the park.
Tottenham’s Harry Winks and Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek – currently on loan at Crystal Palace – are two players that have every chance of making the England squad if they enjoy successful 2017-18 campaigns. It is a lot to ask for either of those to be thrust into action next summer, however, as Southgate looks for a formation to suit those available.
England simply do not have the players to operate with a two-man central midfield, but incorporating three means that a player further forward has to drop out, and the Three Lions are not a team that keep possession for long spells.
Southgate does not have a Toni Kroos, a Luka Modric, a Marco Verratti. A player of that ability or of that class simply does not exist in the current squad.
“There’s no-one else. You are talking about Carrick and Barry so that is the concern in terms of numbers of players and that is part of the challenge. In terms of the task that we have got, that bit can’t be underestimated. But we have to hope there are some young players in the under-21s and under-20s that can add to that. We have got talent coming through, they need opportunities,” said Southgate after the 2-2 draw with Scotland in June.
England will have more than enough to secure qualification for next summer’s tournament in Russia, but the current lack of quality in arguably the most important area of the field looks likely to cost the Three Lions any chance of success once again.
