'Coxon's Comments' #11 'Choose Your Lions Part 1'

It's not long until England on embark on another knockout campaign, and it’s a one I feel that has kind of swept the country by. Not many have much expectation going into this summer's 2018 World Cup in Russia. It has got me thinking; have people's expectations been dampened because of previous campaigns where we come home before the postcards after a three match run in the group stages and the long awaited repeat of 1966? Or is it that this current crop of English players just don’t seem to have what it takes in the public's eye to mount a challenge for the worlds most sought after trophy?

For me I feel everyone has stopped and looked at the ‘golden generation’ of a team made up of superstars, club captains and the odd Galactico and almost limited their hopes of any future England teams ever achieving anything on the world's biggest stages. The Golden Generation being one lauded to sweep the world aside with Beckham leading the countries finest players into tournaments, with a stellar supporting cast supplied by Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, Terry and Owen; (this being a list I’m cutting short because it really was a time when England managers had genuine selection headaches). That's exactly my point though; is this current tournaments choice of players a one that isn’t up to standard? Not to go all they way I mean, just to restore a little bit of credibility to England's national game, otherwise it will leave the country's ambitions extremely low once again. We need to feel proud once again.


I’m going to put forward my own 23 man squad for England at the World Cup and give some reasons as to why I feel those players should be there. I know there's going to be a few eyebrows raised at some of my choices but that’s because I don’t feel players should be in the England squad on reputation or even sometimes form, because the most unflattering players hit a patch of form and aren’t players you’d necessarily give an England cap to. I’m a believer in picking a squad best suited to the manager's ideals. An example of this is Jose Mourinho. No matter what club he goes to you know he will buy a striker, midfielder and a centre back whoa re 6’2 plus and able to move most men aside; physically imposing players. This is because these players play to his ideology. On the other side of Manchester other players have been moved out of Manchester City and it's guaranteed Pep will have players who can out pass a team but also out run; he’ll never buy what people deem a luxury player, like Mesut Ozil for example. So this is my thinking and I feel it should be one adopted in International football. Gareth Southgate is in charge of the country's team but has his own style, therefore he should pick what compliments that.

Goalkeepers:
Jordan Pickford
Nick Pope
Jack Butland

These are my first three in the squad, each being a different style of keeper. Jordan Pickford a modern day sweeper keeper; able to launch a into a counter attack moments after making a save due to his accuracy and ability to kick a ball to almost anyone on the pitch. He’s my number one for England heading into this tournament, he’s had to ply his trade in front of a defence this season and last, somewhat unsure of themselves but has rarely been at fault for many of the goals conceded and has saved them embarrassing results on numerous occasions. 

Nick Pope has been a brick wall for Burnley whose meteoric rise has almost certainly kept out, even if he was fit, the equally reliable Tom Heaton. This only goes to prove that Burnley have the defensive foundations to provide more players to the England fold in my opinion. And I think everyone is still not quite sure who our third choice keeper is. Joe Hart has been struggling for game time and form. The only thing that put them on a level playing field in terms of who to choose was Joe's experience in past tournaments and being in and around an England squad, but then it dawned on me, why have a player who has had nothing but negative experience in recent years at both club level and with the England team, when you can have a player who’s still pushing to become the no.1 for his country? For that reason I’ve went with Jack Butland as my number three.

Defenders:
Ashley Young
Kyle Walker
Kieran Trippier
John Stones
Danny Rose
Harry Maguire
Eric Dier
Ben Mee

I’m a firm believer in building from the back and I think these eight defensive choices will do just that. They all have their own attacking abilities. I’ll start with Ashley Young, a player who has went about reinventing himself for the better of his club team. He is something England needs, an adaptable player, now operating predominantly in wing-back positions for the second best team in the country. It's hard not to over look his regain of form and contributions in games, be it from crosses into the box that cause goalmouth chaos or tracking back making last ditch tackles that only three years ago we
would never have thought would become a part of his game and at 32 (33 at the tournaments completion). He doesn’t seem to be running out of energy.

Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier for me are your no-brainers at right-back but Gareth Southgate intrigued us all in a friendly earlier this year where he decided to deploy Kyle Walker at the right side of a back three. In all honesty, that side of the field looked assured. It was packed with pace, power, defensive and and attacking abilities; it all seemed to have the perfect blend and I hope this is a pair that actually do play on the same pitch together and aren’t used as replacements for one and other.

John Stones one of the few recognized CB’s I’ve chosen, started the season in terrific form, hard to remember I know, but in recent months hasn’t been able to play be it through injury or lack of game time appearing to take its tole on his performances for Champions Manchester City, but this is a player who needs to be the focal point of England’s defence. He has the ability, and he will only continue to get better and for this he’s on the plane for me and is starting against Tunisia.

Next up is Danny Rose. It's been hard to choose between him and Ryan Bertrand from Southampton but out of the two of them I feel Rose is better in all areas. He’s just struggled ever so slightly with injuries this season and has fell out of favour for some public outburts aimed at his own club, but every time he’s had an England shirt on he shines. Even if he’s a player to bring on he’s not a bad second choice is he?

Harry Maguire got himself a move to back to the Premier League after an impressive string of performances in the second half of the season with his old team Hull last year to move to the one time champions of England Leicester City. Maguire is a name that always gets picked out in analysis of games he’s playing in this season and he's becoming almost a regular in the England camp. He’s a player pushing to start and is more than comfortable on the ball with will only add to our ability to build from the back.

Eric Dier has not had the best of seasons, but has also not had the worst either; just a steady performer but he brings multiple positions to the international fold and can operate midfield or defence with ease. He has plenty of strings to his bow, both in terms of tactics on the pitch when picking a team to start or even when substitutions are made, make no doubt Eric Dier will feature at this years World Cup, but where he’ll operate is still one up for debate.

Lastly, the one I know will have a few eyebrows raised, Ben Mee, the ever-present at Burnley this season. Granted, James Tarkowski picked his first England cap this season and done himself no harm of more until a dubious penalty was awarded in the dying moments of that friendly game against Italy, but I feel that of the two Burnley players shielding their club goalkeeper week in week out, Ben Mee has been over looked one too many times. A good example to look at is how Michael Keane has seemed to have fallen off the radar since a big money move to Everton, yet Ben Mee and Burnley have continued to build and stayed resilient at the back.  I think Ben Mee is as safe as houses and is very underrated. He also brings a rarity in British centre halves; he is left footed, a slight quirk I know but it makes playing on the left side of a paring or even a three that little bit easier, I just think Mee isn’t a player to be scoffed at and we all know he’s the type of player to give it 110% if he got just two minutes on the pitch for his country. As a footballing nation built on hard tackling and force, is this not our worst defensive options in decades ? I say Ben Mee is a gamble worth taking.