This summer’s European Championship has been postponed until 2021, as the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic. The Euro’s have been moved in order to allow time for Europe’s club competitions to be completed. England is among the top seeds and will believe they have a good chance of repeating a strong run like they had in the 2018 World Cup. Gareth Southgate has plenty of options to choose from for his 23-man squad and the competition for places is as fierce as ever.
One of the most competitive positions in the England side is attacking midfield. There is an abundance of players at his disposal, but Southgate has not settled on a midfield. The England manager has used seven different midfield combinations in his last eight games. Southgate has used the likes of Henderson, Rice, Winks, Dier, Chamberlain, Mount, Maddison, Loftus Cheek, Alli and Barkley all in the Euro 2021 qualifying stages.
Creativity Problem?
Southgate played a 3-5-2 formation in the 2018 World Cup; however, the right-back Kieran Tripper was arguably considered the most creative player in the line-up. Jordan Henderson or Eric Dier was used in the pivot role, allowing Jessie Lingard and Deli Alli to play further forward. Lingard and Alli are not the most creative players as their strengths lie in pressing opponents and making runs into the box, rather than producing decisive passes. This is evidenced by seven out of their 12 goals in the World Cup coming from set-pieces. England were resilient but limited in the attack, not really scoring goals from breaking down teams in the final third.
Change of style?
To combat the lack of creativity and being reliant on set pieces, Southgate changed his formation to a 4-3-3 in the qualifying stages, a more fluid and cohesive system. As captain, Harry Kane starts up top with Sterling and Rashford/Sancho either side of him. The deeper role in midfield has been rotated by Henderson, Rice or sometimes Winks. This change of style has been proved to be largely successful with England finishing top of their qualifying group. However, with Lingard out of form for Manchester United and Alli clinging on to a place, there are questions over who should start in the midfield slots. I will assess some options and give my verdict:
Mason Mount
Mason Mount has had a breakthrough season at Chelsea this season with manager Frank Lampard, putting his faith in youngsters. The 21-year old has 6 goals and 4 assists in his first full season in the Premier League. The Englishman has fantastic energy and movement, relying on his intelligent runs into the box. This is evidenced by Mount making 1.5 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game. With the emergence of Tammy Abraham, Mount has played as a second striker behind him, but has also been deployed as an eight and winger. Mount has been Southgate’s preferred option this year with six caps and the Chelsea midfielder scored his first England goal against Kosovo in November. Whoscored.com has rated Mount’s campaign so far: 7.01.
James Maddison
Leicester are currently third in the Premier League and James Maddison is a key reason why. The 23-year old started the campaign on fire and although, he has cooled down recently, he has achieved 9 goals and 4 assists this season. Maddison plays as a 10 or eight in this Leicester side, who play possession-based football. Foxes manager Brendan Rogers utilises Maddison by allowing him creative freedom to break lines and make opportunities. He’s ability over set pieces and eye for a pass is shown by the fact no Englishman has made more key passes in the Premier League this season (75). Maddison’s impressive stats speak for themselves as he makes 2.6 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game. Maddison made his international debut against Montenegro in November however; questions remain whether he can be effective in a defensive structure. Whoscored.com has rated Maddison’s season so far: 7.33.
Alex Oxlade Chamberlain
At 26 years old, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain is the most experienced pick of the bunch. Chamberlain has 35 caps and scored 7 goals for England. Chamberlain’s last 18 months have been littered with injury, but he is starting to recapture his form again. He has 7 goals in all competitions this season, in a record-breaking season for Liverpool. What sets Chamberlain apart, is his ability to run in behind and his powerful runs from deep as evidenced by Chamberlain making 1.2 dribbles per game. This unsettles defender, as they must come out and deal with him, leaving space in behind for the attackers. His close control and versatility make him a dangerous player, as he can play as an eight, 10 or even on the wing. Chamberlain missed the World Cup in 2018 due to a serious knee injury but will look to rewrite history in Euro 2021. Whoscored.com has rated Chamberlain’s season so far: 6.89.
Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish is the wildcard on this list, he has not won any England caps but, continues to electrify with 9 goals and 8 assists in all competitions. The 24-year old has the best statistics amongst his peers, averaging 2.7 key passes and 2.2 dribbles per game. The Aston Villa captain offers something different to the rest of the players on this list, Grealish carries the ball exceptionally well and has drawn the most fouls in the Premier League (111). The Englishman’s ability to ride challenges, dictate play and ooze quality has got many fans talking. Grealish has produced moments of magic this season, creating 69 chances for his teammates. He has played most of this season as a left-winger but, Grealish is comfortable playing as an eight or 10. He has been Aston Villa’s best player this season, however questions remain whether he would be able to do it in the England setup.
Social Media
As part of my research, I put a poll on my Twitter (@peterakinmosa) asking my followers who should play attacking midfield for England. Maddison won the poll by 2%, it was a very close call with Grealish who just missed out. Mount and Barkley came 3rd and 4th respectively.
My Verdict
There’s no doubt England has a wealth of talent in the attacking midfield position however, I believe different personnel is required for different types of matches. The formation I have used is the 4-3-3 system, Southgate has opted for in the qualifying stages.
In a game where England expect to control most of the possession in the Euros, I would play a midfield who is comfortable on the ball and can break down low block defences. As captain of runaway leaders Liverpool, Jordan Henderson must start for England, as he has been in exceptional form this season. Chamberlain has the most experience out of the attacking midfield options, which is vital in an international tournament. His explosiveness and ability to drive forward with the ball from deep will be useful for England. Alongside him, I have gone for James Maddison as, with a lot of possession he will able to break lines and offer key passes in the final third, solving the lack of creativity issue. The fact he has been called up to the last two international squads, just edges him over Grealish for me because Maddison will be used to England’s style of play compare to Grealish who has no caps. Grealish however, would be the first option, I bring on from the bench to replace Maddison or Chamberlain, if a goal is needed.
Another midfield three I would pick is a more pragmatic one, aiming to make England more defensively secure. In a match, where England is facing a team with a lot of quality and would expect much less possession, etc against France in a semi-final, the midfield three would assume more defensive responsibilities. In the pivot role, I have gone for Tottenham’s Harry Winks, who can dictate play from deep and is more of a defensive option. Winks has impressed recently when playing there for England, and along with Henderson I trust them too cover gaps, recycle the ball and work hard. Henderson and Winks sacrifice a lot for their respective clubs to make Liverpool and Tottenham more defensively secure. On the left of the midfield, I would pick Chamberlain as previously mentioned, he has the attributes to break down a defence and be the creative force in the side.
Through my observations and research, this is my opinion on what I believe England’s midfield should be for them to succeed at the Euro’s. However, now the Euro’s has been moved to 2021 this is all subject to change as different players may perform next season. Grealish and Maddison could have been transferred to new clubs and maybe adjusting to a new team. Players such as Phil Foden, Ruben Loftus Cheek, and Todd Cantwell may also be in contention for next year’s final squad, this all remains to be seen.
Peter's Football Thoughts 