England manager Gareth Southgate has named his 26-man squad for the World Cup and it has been met with plenty of fierce reaction, but perhaps none more so than polarising defender Harry Maguire’s inclusion.
Maguire, who joined United on an $141m (AUD) deal in 2019, has struggled for form for several months, with Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag dropping the United skipper after just two Premier League games.
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However, the defender has become one of Southgate’s trusted lieutenants in the backline and looks a transformed player when donning the white England jersey as opposed to the red United one.
Maguire’s inclusion was expected by many given the trust Southgate has in him, but it hasn’t stopped several from raising an eyebrow as to why he made the cut and not AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori.
Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere was one who knows Maguire is “good enough” to start for the Three Lions, but Tomori was “definitely ahead” of him.
“It’s difficult to have favourites at international level,” Wilshere told talkSPORT.
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“He’s obviously not playing at Manchester United for a reason, the manager has come in and he’s seen that he’s not good enough to play in that team, but he’s good enough to play in England’s team, so it’s difficult finding that balance.
“I’m not sure if I’d play him or not. If he does play, he’d have to play in a back three, but there’s other centre-backs ahead of him, especially Tomori who isn’t even on the plane.
“He’s definitely ahead of him.”
However, ex-Lionesses star Lianne Sanderson was even more scathing in her review of Maguire’s inclusion.
“I just think it goes against everything we should be talking about,” Sanderson told talkSPORT.
“How can we be picking players based upon never making a mistake for England?
“What’s the point in being part of a club team, if they’re going to get picked for England regardless of their form?”
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Maguire’s inclusion wasn’t the only defensive one that had a few question marks surrounding it.
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was always likely to get the nod, but his struggles at the back have been well-documented this season as the Reds are yet to find their rhythm.
Kieran Trippier looms as Southgate’s first option at right back, with Alexander-Arnold set to provide back-up.
But former Liverpool sharpshooter Robbie Fowler believes Southgate would be silly to leave Alexander-Arnold out of the line-up, especially since he’s been so successful in knockout football in recent years.
“I’m hearing people saying that Gareth Southgate can’t trust him because of his defensive liabilities if you like,” Fowler told Midnite.
“Alexander-Arnold is a young player who’s won absolutely everything in the game.
“If a manager can’t guarantee Trent Alexander-Arnold to be focused in on being the right-back for a knockout stage of a tournament, then it’s absolutely ridiculous because the lad has won absolutely everything, including in knockout football.
“He’s a man who can be guaranteed to go out and perform.”
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While there was debate over a number of defensive players, there was little when it came to Leicester City midfielder James Maddison’s inclusion.
Maddison has been in sensational form with the Foxes but has just one England cap to his name which he earned in 2019.
There were serious fears from many that Southgate would leave the 25-year-old at home and reports emerged that Maddison had all but braced himself for the worst possible news.
But Southgate opted to draft in the Coventry-born star having built a case for selection that The Athletic’s Rob Tanner described as “undeniable”.
“He is a game-changer — a player who impacts games — as his stats show,” Tanner wrote.
“That is why many of the England squad wanted him involved, because if they need inspiration and the ability to transform the direction of a game he is the player with the talent to do so, from open play or a dead-ball situation.
“Southgate has been criticised for being a cautious manager and he may have thought Maddison was too much of a risk, but the case for his inclusion had become undeniable.
“He had to pick Maddison.”
