England’s roster faces familiar expectations in group B

By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Nov 11, 2022) US Soccer Players – As always, England arrives with expectations. England is, after all, where it all began. Soccer emerged from the island of Great Britain roughly 160 years ago and spread across the world to become the planet’s greatest sporting passion. When you invent something, people expect you to be good at it.

Although England ceded its dominance on the international stage long ago, it’s still home to the world’s most popular and richest league. English players are some of the most famous in the world, and not just in the Premier League. An investment in developing English players is paying off in rosters both at home and abroad.

The days of England not meeting expectations in big tournaments feel like a distant memory thanks to recent success. The Three Lions reached the semifinals in 2018 and the final of Euro 2020 last summer, but a run of poor results leading into this World Cup has ramped up the pressure. Can England go one better than its 2018 performance? Can England win the World Cup?

England manager Gareth Southgate named his 26-player roster to take on those challenges on Thursday. Outside of absences due to injury, there wasn’t much intrigue over his choices.

The forward group is deep and decorated with Harry Kane the marquee name at center forward. Kane led all goalscorers at the 2018 World Cup, raising expectations for what the England attack can do. Joining him are Phil Foden of Manchester City, Bukayo Saka of Arsenal, Raheem Sterling of Chelsea, Jack Grealish of Manchester City, James Maddison of Leicester, Callum Wilson of Newcastle United, and Marcus Rashford of Manchester United.

Southgate recalled Maddison and Wilson after three-year absences from the team thank to strong recent form in the Premier League. Wilson has six goals in 10 games for Newcastle United, while Maddison is leading Leicester City with 13 goals. Maddison’s potential involvement in Qatar will be particularly interesting to watch since he operates as a lone playmaker behind the forward line at the club level, a role that doesn’t exist in England’s setup.

England’s group of creative attacking players is one of the side’s strengths. Whether Southgate deploys them in wide areas or prefers to get width from a pair of wingbacks could dictate who plays, with the possibility that the England boss will change his lineup depending on the opponent.

Chelsea’s Mason Mount is listed by England as a midfielder but will likely play as a forward in the group of three at the front of the formation. His creative abilities on the ball are key to setting up Kane and whomsoever is lined up with him in the front three. Keep in mind that Kane is an excellent passer and might be the man to set up the likes of Sterling and Foden coming from deeper positions.

Southgate’s midfield includes Mount as well as Jordan Henderson of Liverpool, Declan Rice of West Ham, Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund, Kalvin Phillips of Manchester City, and Conor Gallagher of Chelsea.

The preferred pairing for the two central midfield roles is Rice and Bellingham. Rice a dedicated defender who can slow down opposing attacks and recover the ball for his side. Bellingham is the two-way dynamo who has come into his own in Germany and is expected to be Dortmund’s next monster sale. With those two on the field, it’s difficult to win the midfield battle against England. The big question facing Southgate and his midfield duo is just how aggressive to be. If there’s a significant weakness for England, it’s on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in translation moments.

Phillips is in the team fresh off an injury that threatened his World Cup participation and can fill in for Rice if necessary. Veteran Jordan Henderson of Liverpool and 22-year-old Chelsea man Conor Gallagher round out the midfield group.

With the expectation that Southgate will use three central defenders and two wingbacks, a special focus is on the group that will play high and wide for England. Injuries hit that area particularly hard for the Three Lions leading up to Qatar. First-choice right wingback Reece James was unable to recover from injury in time to make the team and a late injury to left-side player Ben Chilwell impacted depth there.

In place of James, Southgate can use Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier or Manchester City’s Kyle Walker. With three center backs needed for his system, Southgate has turned to tried-and-true options. John Stones, also of Manchester City, figures to start, and Tottenham’s Eric Dier, a versatile player capable of filling several roles, is a favorite to join him. Harry Maguire of Manchester United earned a place along with club teammate Luke Shaw, as did Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool, Ben White of Arsenal, and Conor Coady of Everton.

The goalkeeper position presented no real issues for England. Jordan Pickford of Everton remains the number one, with Nick Pope of Newcastle the likely backup. Arsenal youngster Aaron Ramsdale rounds out the goalkeepers.

The question looms, as it always does for England. Can one of the world’s most talented teams put it all together? The results of 2018 and 2021 suggest England is closer than ever before to measuring up to its legacy and repeating the championship feat of 1966. It’s off to Qatar for England, with another shot at the triumph everyone always seems to expect.

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Jason Davis is a veteran soccer writer and is a host on Sirius XM.