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English national team: Southgate’s sketchy squad selection

By John-Patrick Quinn

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MARCH 22: Head coach / Manager, Gareth Southgate speaks to the media at the England Press Conference Access held at Steigenberger Airport Hotel on March 22, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - MARCH 22: Head coach / Manager, Gareth Southgate speaks to the media at the England Press Conference Access held at Steigenberger Airport Hotel on March 22, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images) /
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What’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. This flip-flop situation makes it even harder to understand ‘Southgate’s sketchy squad selection’.

Simultaneously, Southgate hasn’t shown blind faith in people like Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling, who’ve been dropped despite playing for big clubs and having international and continental experience.

So what am I supposed to think? If I criticise him on the one hand, I have to praise him on the other for the same reason.

Pick a formation and work on it Southgate! But also, well done on breaking the mould and trying something different.

Get some young players in the squad Southgate! But you should also have players with plenty of experience.

Well done on giving call-ups to players based on performance in the Premier League Southgate! But also, why have you picked people who have barely played this season?!

I often find myself defending managers and telling fans that they should give them the benefit of the doubt. I’m sure Southgate has a vision for the side, and notwithstanding the fact he might not have a choice, he is giving youth a chance. But, personally I’m struggling to see that vision take any tangible form: a style of play, a clear first eleven, a captain, a first choice goalkeeper.

Related Story: Southgate sees Everton’s snowmen melt at Burnley

A concrete conclusion

I just don’t know. I don’t know how I feel, which I suppose makes it more dramatic and exciting to find out what happens. In years gone by, I could’ve told you exactly what would happen.

We’d take a bunch of supremely talented players who played amazingly well for their clubs, think we have a really good chance, before going out in Extra Time to Portugal or Argentina, or on Penalties to Germany. Then we’d moan about how England always underachieve.

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