Jokers are ready! None of England's nine defenders is reassuring, especially Harry Maguire
author：Southern Metropolis Daily
Qatar World Cup Round of 32 Tour · Group B • England
Jokers are ready! None of England's nine defenders is reassuring, especially Harry Maguire
England, Iran, USA and Wales form Group B, and fans can immediately taste the "gunsmoke" of this group compared to the other groups. From the perspective of card strength, England is the only team in this group, and after the draw results came out, Fleet Street thought that England had drawn "on the draw"; Iran is the best among the six Asian teams, shouldering the responsibility of reaching the round of 16 for Asian football; The U.S. team, which has been absent from the World Cup for eight years, is on the verge of youth; The aging Welsh team is focused on showing the style of the European Red Dragon.
Jokers are ready! None of England's nine defenders is reassuring, especially Harry Maguire
England's 26-man squad, with the backfield in focus.
On November 10, Beijing time, the high-profile England team announced the 26-man squad for the Qatar World Cup, led by Kane, Walker on the list, and Maguire's selection caused many controversies. In addition, the loss of Sancho and Abraham is also a cause for concern.
In the last World Cup, England met tenacious Croatia in the semifinals. Croatia missed the final by two goals in the second half and extra time after scoring first in the first half, and lost 0-2 to the Belgian Golden Generation in the third and fourth place finals, and finally finished fourth. This report card is not satisfying for England fans who want to win the title.
In the new cycle of the World Cup, England finished third in the Nations League and runners-up in the European Championship. The Three Lions, who have repeatedly missed the championship, are still aiming for "football is coming home" in Qatar.
The talented England team is still plagued by injuries. Phillips had suffered a relapse from a previous shoulder injury and only returned to play on November 10; Walker only underwent groin surgery on October 6 but was still on the squad; Reece James revealed the day before the squad came out due to a knee injury that he had been informed by Southgate that he would not be called up; Chilwell was directly judged to miss the World Cup because of a hamstring injury that was expected to be treated for three months.
In addition to injuries, the form of some healthy players is also worrying, and Manchester United can be called the "hardest hit area". Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford have always been far from their Euro form. Southgate simply gave up on Sancho.
Jokers are ready! None of England's nine defenders is reassuring, especially Harry Maguire
Italy's Di Lorenzo (left) fights with England's Harry Maguire during a match on September 23. On the same day, in the UEFA Nations League group stage, Italy won 1-0 at home against England. Xinhua News Agency
Maguire's selection has caused a lot of controversy. England star Shearer bluntly said in the program that "Maguire is not the main player in the club, and England taking him is a big gamble." Ferdinand said in an interview: "Maguire played in the European Championship last year just after returning from injury, but he performed well. Unlike injuries, having no ball to play and a complete lack of rhythm makes it difficult. ”
England's defense is the weakest link of the team, and now under the dual problems of injury and form, even if the "South Gate" has hoarded 9 defenders this time, it makes the outside world feel that the defensive end is precarious.
Harry Maguire's form has declined, Stones has lost his main position at Manchester City, Dyer has often played "nerve knife" at Tottenham, who else can be reassured in central defence? Looking down, Milan's Tomori should be the most suitable central defender, but he was lost. Southgate explained his decision in an interview: "We don't think the young centre-backs have been good enough to knock out older players. Yes, I'm sure Harry Maguire is one of our best centre-backs. ”
As for the right-back, Reece James, who should be the main player in the "Big Four", is injured, Walker quickly returns and does not know what the state is, Arnold is strong and defensive, Trippier's age is a disadvantage, is Ben White, who has been "refreshed" at Arsenal this season, has the opportunity come?
As for left-back, Chilwell's injury makes the already stretched position even more difficult, and who can be his substitute once Luke Shaw occupies the main line?
The midfield may not be worried, as the midfield combination of Rice and Bellingham will be the most reassuring part of Gareth Southgate.
Jokers are ready! None of England's nine defenders is reassuring, especially Harry Maguire
Germany's Schlottbeck (left) fights with England's Bellingham during a match on June 7. On the same day, in the UEFA Nations League group stage, Germany drew 1-1 at home with England. Xinhua News Agency
As for the attack, Kane is still England's most relied on blade, and Saka has been getting better and better since conceding penalties in the European Cup final, and is also trustworthy. Foden, Raheem Sterling, Grealish and Marcus Rashford are among the attacking talents who need to maintain consistent form to help England's attack.
Jokers are ready! None of England's nine defenders is reassuring, especially Harry Maguire
England's Kane (second from right) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal on September 26. On the same day, in the UEFA Nations League group stage, England drew 3-3 at home with Germany. Xinhua News Agency
The ups and downs of form are the biggest problems facing England at the moment, having already been relegated from the Nations League and held to a draw by Germany in an official match in September, with their last victory dating back to a friendly in March. Southgate has been in office for more than six years, and although he has led the team to good results, there are still hard injuries that remain unresolved. A trip to Qatar will be another big test for him.
