England face World Cup winners Germany on Friday in one of two blockbuster international friendlies, on Tuesday they’ll be facing former World Cup hosts, Brazil. Both games will be held at Wembley Stadium, where the FA will be hoping for two sold-out games.
These games have come at a time where interest in the national team is at an all-time low, so Gareth Southgate will be hoping to restore public interest in the national team. That’s why the 47-year-old has tried to name a few new faces in his squad, but with that, the England manager has still made some wrong choices.
Here are 3 players who shouldn’t have made Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Jesse Lingard
If there was ever a player that best represented England’s mediocrity, it’s Jesse Lingard. The Englishman is the luckiest man alive to be playing for both Manchester United and his country. Lingard has only made 1 PL start this season, coming off the bench 8 times. In those 229 minutes of football, the 24-year-old hasn’t scored one goal.
The most recognisable aspect of the 24-year-old’s career is his infamous bromance with Paul Pogba. Besides, the other notable part of his playing career is the fact that José Mourinho has played him at left-back several times.
Lingard is an average player that only on rare occasions affects games with meaningful contributions. There are players like Andros Townsend & Wilfred Zaha who’d produce more effective cameos than the Manchester United substitute.
Joe Gomez
The Liverpool defender may be a promising youngster, but Joe Gomez is certainly not ready to be playing for the senior national team. The 20-year-old has been a regular feature in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team, and clearly, his performances have caught the eye of the England boss. But that doesn’t mean he should be playing for the national team.
We have a habit in this country of overhyping young players before they’re ready to deliver. The selection of Joe Gomez suggests he’s better than Luke Shaw, Kieran Gibbs, Leighton Baines & Aaron Creswell which he’s not. Gomez needs to be playing for the U-21s until he’s of the desired standard, because as of now he still flies into tackles, loses his man and struggles to correct his positioning.
Joe Hart
Just like West Ham United, Joe Hart’s fortunes have sunk to an all-time low this season. Forced out by Pep Guardiola, last season Hart embraced a cultural shock and went to play in Serie A for Torino. Instead of enhancing footballing ability, it seems to have further derailed it. In 11 league appearances this season, the English keeper has conceded 23 goals, averaging 2.09 goals per game.
The question isn’t whether should Joe Hart still be England’s no.1, it’s whether he even warrants a place in the 23-man squad. England have been average for far too long, and Joe Hart has been a pivotal component of that stagnant image. The Three Lions needs a shake-up right through its core, and the exclusion of Joe Hart would go a long way in revamping Gareth Southgate’s dire England team.
