Looking Over the August 2020 England Squad

The newest England squad was just announced, as always there are some controversial omissions and inclusions. There has never been an England squad that has made everyone happy. The squad selected to play against Iceland and Denmark in the Nations League is full of controversy, even with one player being dropped for a crime.

The first surprising omission is Aston Villa’s, Jack Grealish. In 2019/20, Jack Grealish got 8 goals and 6 assists in 36 Premier League appearances. Considering that Grealish was playing for a team that the battled relegation for the entirety of the season theses stats are impressive. Many fans tipped for Grealish for an England call up, even England legend Wayne Rooney has called for his inclusion. The newest England squad is lacking a full time left-back, that is why Ben Chilwell’s omission is so strange. Ben Chilwell has looked solid defensively and offensively. And us undoubtedly England’s best left-back. He could definitely bring something special to the squad. James Maddison, Jamie Vardy and Jordan Henderson are some of the other players that fans may be confused about, given that they weren’t included in the squad, despite their stellar seasons.

There are some controversial inclusions in the team as well. The continued selection of Eric Dier, the selection of unproven youngster Kalvin Phillips and far from spectacular James Ward-Prowse. Eric Dier has not been great this season, he has made repeated errors and has looked lethargic at times. Though many tipped Kalvin Philips for a call up after a spectacular Championship season, Southgate should wait for him to be proven in the Premier League. I suspect that Southgate wanted versatility given that Philips can play both the roles of a defensive midfielder and full back. James-Ward-Prowse is very talented, he has the ability to change games with his threat from set pieces. James Maddison has performed just as well or better than Ward-Prowse. Maddison was key in getting Leicester to finish 5th. The only massive difference between the two playstyles is that Ward-Prowse is more adept to play out wide.

The last notable thing is Harry Maguire being dropped from the squad for a crime. Though he was originally selected to face Iceland and Denmark, he was later dropped. The 27 year-old was given a suspended prison sentence for assault and resisted arrest and repeated attempts of bribery in Greece. Maguire continues to maintain innocence. Maguire, his brother Joe and a third man, Christopher Sharman are the three being accused of these crimes. Maguire claims that this all started because his sister was injected with a rape drug by two men. Nevertheless, England have lost probably their best center-back due to this incident. Hopefully, this can be resolved quickly because all the victims reportedly want is an apology.

Hopefully England can still perform, the Three Lions must be looking for some revenge from Iceland after Iceland knocked them out of Euro 2016 as underdogs. England are missing one their best center-backs and are playing without a dedicated left-back. There has never been an England squad where every person every fan is happy. England supporters just have to trust Southgate and the rest of his players.