second-half
England failed to impress in their final two Euro qualifying games against Malta, at Wembley, where England recorded an unconvincing win courtesy of an own goal and a late Harry Kane goal, and against North Macedonia, where England had to rely on a second half own goal to stumble to a 1-1 draw.
The results have raised more concern over Southgate‘s position as England manager going into the 2024 Euros, with many England fans believing that his time is up.
It looks unlikely that there will be any managerial changes for England before the start of the Euros however, and so attention now turns to who Southgate will pick, and whether there will be any surprises in his final squad.
England managers in the past have been reluctant to pick anything but a tried and tested squad for an international competition, but with England’s ageing squad, Southgate may have to rely on an injection of youth, to help spur his side on to Euros victory.
So, who could Southgate include? There are a multitude of players who are on the fringes of the first team or are well deserving of a call-up, and if they perform well between now and the end of the season, they may find themselves with a chance of going to Germany.
Goalkeepers
The goalkeeping department is the only position where a surprise inclusion isn't likely to happen.
The first-choice keeper will be up for debate, with Pickford a very strong presence between the sticks for England for some years now, whereas Nick Pope has had a few strong seasons now.
Sam Johnstone will not be a regular starter for England, but we could see him involved in the squad as the third-choice keeper, being Pickford and Pope.
Aaron Ramsdale will have lost some ground in the race to become England’s first choice, after losing his spot in the Arsenal goal to Spaniard David Raya.
Dean Henderson is another option, but it will be difficult for him to impress with other options ahead of him starting week in week out for their respective clubs.
If Southgate were to throw a surprise inclusion in the goalkeeping department, it could be the inclusion of Burnley shot-stopper James Trafford. Whilst this competition may have come too soon for him, he will certainly be seen in an England shirt in the future.
Defenders
Defence is where England are struggling at the moment. Walker and Maguire are coming towards the end of their international days, whilst Chilwell and Reece James struggle to stay fit.
Marc Guehi seems like the next obvious step for Southgate. Guehi has performed well at Crystal Palace over the past few seasons, and he has already represented England at every level for the U16s upwards.
Southgate has already integrated him into the squad, with Geuhi already registering nine appearances for England, including both internationals this month.
Playing next to Guehi against North Macedonia is one player that could be useful for Southgate, should he choose to pick him.
A lot has been said about Rico Lewis and his role at Manchester City. Being deployed mainly at left-back, but also being required to drift into the midfield, Guardiola puts a lot of trust in the youngster to fill in such a complex role.
He has done it perfectly every time he has been asked to, however, which led to his first cap in that game against North Macedonia. Should Lewis continue to be in and around City’s first team, Southgate may opt to bring the versatile defender to Germany.
A final shock inclusion Southgate could consider is another man who has recently been called up but remained an unused substitute in both games, Ezri Konsa.
Konsa has been a solid defender for Villa over the years and is currently keeping out Diego Carlos and Clement Lenglet. Unai Emery trusts Konsa, and he has repaid the faith, helping Villa exceed expectations.
There are multiple shocks Southgate could pull here, but with an ageing defence, he may be forced into some of these. Should some injuries crop up closer to the Euros, Lewis Dunk and Levi Colwill could also be in with a shout of a call-up.
Midfielders
The midfield is one to keep an eye on. England have, historically, never been able to find the right balance in midfield. It has either been too defensive, too attacking, not creative enough, or just hosting a mixture of players who do not mix well together.
Bellingham and Rice seem a certainty at the moment in the starting 11, but they will not be able to play all 90 minutes of every game, and Southgate will opt for at least 3 in midfield, leaving a starting spot open.
There are some very obvious options that, for whatever reason, are just not being included in the international setup at the moment.
One player that should be on the plane to Germany, is West Ham‘s summer signing James Ward-Prowse.
Since his move from relegated Southampton to The Hammers, he has already recorded 2 goals and 5 assists in his 11 games in the Premier League, also grabbing himself 4 assists in 4 Europa League fixtures.
Ward-Prowse is the one player England are crying out for. Someone who can sit there and play the forward passes, who can get forward and thread those balls expected of James Maddison, and his ability from set pieces is not to be ignored.
Another player who has already made two international appearances under Southgate is Eberechi Eze. The Palace midfielder has impressed already this season, and despite only having 2 goals and 1 assist to his name, everything Palace do this season, it goes through him.
He is an excellent ball carrier, and is someone that is always looking to get forward. This may not play too much to Southgate’s tactics, especially in international tournament football, but his quality on the ball cannot be ignored.
Cole Palmer is another option who has performed well for his new club this season. Eyebrows were raised when he made the transfer from Man City to Chelsea, but so far, he has proved to be worth every penny.
Despite playing in a Chelsea side who have struggled with goals this season, Palmer has grabbed himself 4 goals, all from the penalty spot, and 2 assists in the Premier League this season.
Like Eze, his ability on the ball is unquestionable, and he is always looking to get forward at every opportunity. It feels as if one of the other will get picked here, not both.
There are also some options that would surprise a lot of football fans, but ones that could be realistic depending on how Newcastle perform this season.
Sean Longstaff is currently having the best season of his career. He has 2 goals and an assist in the Premier League, and he also grabbed a goal in Newcastle’s 4-1 demolishing of PSG in the Champions League.
Whilst Longstaff is a wildcard, he is untested at international level, having not played at any youth level, it looks unlikely that he will be considered for call-up.
Joe Willock on the other hand, has featured for the U16s, U19s, U20s and U21s so far. With that international knowledge, Willock could be a more suitable option than Longstaff.
However, Willock has rarely featured for Newcastle this season, having recently returned from injury. Having only made a handful of appearances so far this season, he does only have one goal in a Carabao Cup game.
Despite not having the numbers behind him, going forward, Newcastle looked much stronger with him on the pitch. His desire to get forward, and intricate linkup play, could suit England if they find themselves chasing a game.
Attackers
Going forward, England are pretty much set in their ways. Kane will lead the line, and the two players either side of him will consist of Rashford, Foden, Saka, Grealish or Sterling.
There is not much room for movement in the attacking department, with most players performing week in week out for their respective clubs.
It will be interesting as to whether Jarred Bowen gets a call-up, after his blistering start to the season. With 8 goals and 1 assist so far, Bowen finds himself the highest English goal scorer in the Premier League this season.
To leave him out would be criminal unless an injury or decline in form derails his season. If he continues at the rate he is going at this season though, he should be on that plane.
The only other potential inclusion, which should not come as a surprise considering his form for England in international competitions, is Raheem Sterling.
The Chelsea winger has been frozen out of the international squad as of late, due to poor form for Chelsea. This season looks to be different however, with Sterling notching 4 goals and an assist so far.
A player with Sterling‘s ability should undoubtedly be in the squad, but when there are players like Bowen, Saka and Foden outperforming him, it is hard to defend him.
In terms of out and out strikers, the stage is pretty much set. Kane will start, Watkins will provide backup, with Rashford being able to fill in if needed.
The likes of Calvert-Lewin and Nketiah may find it hard to get themselves a call up this time around, unless they start scoring week in week out.
There is obviously a lot to consider in regards to players being called up for the Euros. Injuries, fitness, form, the formation and style of football Southgate wants to play, and how those players fit into that system, will all affect whether a player is called up or not.
There will be a few surprise choices come the start of the Euros, and that all depends on what happens in the next few months of football.
From the likes of consistent England performers in Sterling, to up and coming talents like Palmer, Eze and Rico Lewis, England have a lot of strong choices to choose from.
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