September 8th 2023.
Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips have been selected in Gareth Southgate's England squad, but the decision has been met with some controversy. While the international break is often unwelcome for many football fans, Southgate has certainly injected some life into the proceedings by calling up two Premier League bench-warmers.
The decision has caused some consternation, with Rio Ferdinand expressing his surprise at the selection of Maguire and Phillips over the likes of Raheem Sterling, Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse. Southgate himself admitted that Sterling was not happy to have been left out.
The question is, are Southgate's selection choices fair? Is he simply being loyal to certain players, or is it a case of there being a lack of quality alternatives?
When it comes to replacing Maguire or providing cover for Declan Rice, the English options are limited. Of the 45 centre-backs who started last weekend, only 13 are eligible to play for England. Three are in the squad, two more are covering for injuries, and the remaining few are either too old, too inexperienced or not good enough. The same can be said for midfielders too, with only three English players starting in defensive midfield positions last weekend.
In attack, Southgate is faced with a much different problem, one of having too much quality to choose from. Sterling is in good form at Chelsea, Bowen has been brilliant for West Ham and Ward-Prowse has given the Hammers a creative spark. The inclusion of Eddie Nketiah, Eberechi Eze and Levi Colwill is evidence that Southgate is keen to keep things fresh, but he may have no choice in some areas. Ultimately, it is a nice problem to have, but it remains a problem all the same.
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