England manager Gareth Southgate has been urged to unleash a player he rarely selects or run the risk of wasting one of the most impressive collections of attacking talent at Euro 2024.
Next Friday marks the start of the European Championships, with host Germany taking on Scotland. England has an incredible array of attacking potential and is one of the favourites going into the competition.
Harry Kane, who led the line last season for Bayern Munich, scored 44 goals in 45 games. Phil Foden, who led Manchester City to the Premier League triumph, is anticipated to start on the left behind Kane.
Foden won Premier League Player of the Season last season with 19 goals and 8 assists. In his debut season with Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham was nothing short of extraordinary in a more advanced central role.
Bellingham lifted a LaLiga and Champions League trophy, earning the greatest awards available at Real Madrid.
Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal talisman who has contributed 34 goals in all competitions, will be on the right side. Saka is having an incredible season.
In case the four attacking players were insufficient, Southgate also has Chelsea Player of the Year Cole Palmer at his disposal.
Ivan Toney, Ollie Watkins, Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, and Anthony Gordon—all of whom are eager for chances to show off—will all be pressing for time off the bench.
When it comes to the squad’s strongest sectors, England is without a doubt a top-heavy side. In order to fully utilise the attacking talent, England needs to have creative players positioned deeper in the field.
England hopes rest with ‘quarterback’ Alexander-Arnold
In light of this, esteemed writer Henry Winter has advised Southgate to start Declan Rice and Trent Alexander-Arnold, a star player for Liverpool, in midfield.
In the FA Cup final, Kobbie Mainoo led Manchester United past Manchester City with a man-of-the-match performance; nevertheless, if this were to happen, he would be benched.
In recent years, Southgate has frequently neglected to include Alexander-Arnold in his squads, let alone his starting eleven.
Right-back Kyle Walker has always been preferred, and Alexander-Arnold frequently plays out of position in midfield during his infrequent appearances.
But despite racking up just 25 appearances since debuting for England seven years ago, Winter believes Southgate must bite the bullet and unleash Alexander-Arnold in midfield for the sake of England’s attacking corps.
TAA the key to England blitzing opponents – Winter
“A refreshed Jude Bellingham returns to the fold this weekend, and will bring more pressing, invention, control and threat,” wrote Winter for talkSPORT.
“Building on that injection of adrenaline, Southgate has to be bold, bringing in more urgency, more speed in transition.
“England need to get higher up the pitch, and that means Trent Alexander-Arnold has to start in midfield, unleashing those 60-yard passes to pick out the advanced Bukayo Saka on the right, Harry Kane in the middle, Bellingham off him, and Phil Foden in off the left. And then Anthony Gordon when he comes off the bench.
“Alexander-Arnold can release the full-backs, Kyle Walker in particular, on rapid raids.
“Against well-organised opponents quick to man the barricades in numbers, England have themselves to think and move faster. Alexander-Arnold’s right foot can do that.”
But if Alexander-Arnold is to start alongside Rice in a two-man midfield, the likes of Mainoo, Adam Wharton and Conor Gallagher must all miss out.
For the sake of England’s ambitions in Germany, Winter believes the Liverpool ace simply must get the nod ahead of his steadier selection rivals in the middle of the park.
“Kobbie Mainoo was tidy alongside Declan Rice, Adam Wharton is a long-term option in there and Southgate could also revert to cautious type and start the pressing machine Conor Gallagher, but England need to be more on the front foot, exploiting their strengths,” explained Winter.
“England need to get into a position where they can manage more than one shot on target, their pitiful tally against Iceland.
“That demands the presence in midfield of Alexander-Arnold, the quarterback, offering no quarter back to the opposition.”
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