England’s World Cup campaign begins when they take on Iran on Monday. What are the key questions Gareth Southgate will be pondering ahead of his side’s opening group game?
SHOULD IT BE FIVE AT THE BACK?
Southgate has played with a back five in the majority of his side’s matches at the last two major tournaments, and while he has toyed with a flat back four on occasion in the last 12 months, there is a good chance we will see three centre-halves with wing-backs on Monday, even though Iran are likely to adopt a defensive approach.
Southgate likes the extra defensive security afforded by an extra centre-half, and the likely absence of Kalvin Phillips, who performed an effective screening role alongside Declan Rice to protect the England defence at the Euros, will only strengthen his desire to play things safe.
With Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw equally at home as wing-backs or full-backs, and Trent Alexander-Arnold more comfortable the further up the field he is positioned, the England boss will also feel his wide defenders benefit from being part of a five rather than a flat back four.
SHOULD HARRY MAGUIRE START?
On the evidence of his form over the course of the last 12 months, the answer to that question is almost certainly, ‘No’. However, Southgate values loyalty extremely highly, and while Maguire might have been struggling for the last couple of seasons, his international manager will feel he still has more than enough credit in the bank to merit his inclusion in the starting side.
In fairness, Maguire was one of England’s key performers in both the 2018 World Cup and last summer’s Euros, when his partnership with John Stones was a crucial factor in Southgate’s side making it all the way to the semi-finals without conceding a goal.
His confidence has taken a battering since then, but while Erik ten Hag does not feel Maguire is reliable enough to warrant a place in the Manchester United team, Southgate continues to regard the 29-year-old differently. “Why do I pick Harry Maguire? Because he’s one of the best centre-halves we’ve got,” said the England boss last week. He will be hoping his faith proves justified over the course of the next few weeks.
JUDE’S TIME TO FLOURISH
While he selected Jude Bellingham in his squad for last summer’s Euros, Southgate clearly did not feel the Borussia Dortmund midfielder was ready for regular exposure to the very highest level, hence why he was only used fleetingly with Phillips and Rice making up the first-choice central midfield.
Fast forward a year-and-a-half, and even Phillips were not still feeling his way back from injury, the rate of Bellingham’s development would have been such that it would have been inconceivable to have left the 19-year-old out of the starting side.
Having regularly impressed with his German club side in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, Bellingham is ready to make his mark on the international stage. Hopefully, he will be granted a fairly free role alongside Rice and encouraged to make the same marauding attacking runs that have proved so effective with Dortmund. If that is the case, he could prove one of the stars of the tournament.
WHO PLAYS IN ATTACK?
Harry Kane, obviously. But with Callum Wilson seemingly set for a place on the bench, initially at least, Southgate will have to decide on the identity of his preferred attacking complements to Kane.
At last summer’s Euros, Raheem Sterling and Mason Mount were his go-to men, and while neither has been in sparkling form for Chelsea this season, they could yet find themselves reunited in the starting side against Iran. A likelier scenario is that Sterling retains his place with Phil Foden on the other side of Kane, with the Manchester City forward surely a guaranteed starter given the strength of his performances with the reigning Premier League champions in the last 12 months.
Depending on whether Southgate plays a 5-2-3 or a 4-2-3-1, there could also be a place for Bukayo Saka, who became increasingly prominent in the latter stages of last summer’s Euros, but there is unlikely to be a starting spot for Marcus Rashford, whose place in the squad was in doubt for much of this season, such has been his struggles with Manchester United.
James Maddison’s squad place was also hanging in the balance until the very last second, but while the Leicester midfielder rightfully got the nod, he will not be starting in Qatar unless Plan A starts unravelling.
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