Almost 50% of the squad that reached the Euros 2020 final will not be in the provisional squad for Germany next month. There are some stand out names not involved in the squad.
SURPRISE INCLUSIONS
Eze has always been a well respected player for Crystal Palace and in the Premier League. This season has been in unbelievable form with fellow French teammate Olise, many defenders have struggled to deal with the Palace attack and Eze has been a main reason for this. Eze has huge competition in his position with the likes of Foden, Palmer, Saka and Maddison however, he will hope he can impress Southgate to make the squad.
Adam Wharton may be the biggest surprise inclusion, the young Midfielder was playing in the Championship for Blackburn before his move to Palace in January. Since this move, he has been one of the most impressive youngsters in the league. Southgate has decided to go with youth rather than experience, he has also chosen to pick in form players which he has been scrutinised for not doing in the past. Adam Wharton is another name who may not make the final squad however, Southgate has shown clear trust in the player calling him up for the provisional squad.
Curtis Jones is another young player, he has been outstanding for England U21’s and has finally been called up for the first time in the senior squad. He has been in good form for Liverpool and Klopp has put a lot of trust in him. He has made many appearances in the Premier League already, people are quick to forget he is still very early into his career and this could be a first call up of many for Jones.
Quansah is another Liverpool young talent who has been called up for England. His versatility is key for Southgate and will hope to carry his club form into the national stage. Quansah also scored 2 goals in his final 2 games for Liverpool, a clear threat for England if they decide to take Quansah in the final squad. England’s clear weakness is the defence and taking a young talented defender may help for the future.
Branthwaite who plays on the other side of Merseyside has been a revelation for Everton and pivotal in their survival. Known for his presence at the back and brilliant talent on the ball. Many top clubs have been monitoring his performances and some huge fees have been rumoured to lure him away from Everton. If he makes the final squad it could be a perfect stage for Branthwaite to showcase his talent.
KEY PLAYERS WHO HAVE MISSED OUT
Marcus Rashford is the biggest name that has been left out, he has always turned up at international tournaments. However, this season he has been poor for Manchester United and has had a lot of criticism about his attitude. Rashford has had a lot of caps for England and would have been a senior player, this was a bold move by the England manager. Many fans believe this was the correct decision and are happy Southgate has chosen to go with form.
Reece James who would normally be one of the first to be picked has had a horrific season due to injury. This is no surprise that he has been left out, in the right back position England have many world class options. Reece James could also be argued to be world class however, he won’t be up to speed due to lack of game time.
Sancho would not have been a name you would have mentioned before January. Since his move back to Dortmund he has regained his form that we all know he is capable of. Against PSG Sancho showed the world he still has the talent to be one of the best wingers in Europe. It may have been a little too late in the day to earn a call up although, if he keeps this form up he will be back in the England conversation very soon.
Jordan Henderson has always been one of names you could guarantee that Garath Southgate would name on the plane. Not this time, he has decided to drop Henderson after a sticky spell in Saudi Arabia and Ajax. He moved to Ajax to get a better chance of getting picked for the Euros. The move to Ajax did not pay off for Henderson and will be at home for this summer’s Euros. This is a risk that the England manager has taken because he is vice captain and a huge leader in the dressing room. Southgate clearly thinks that there are enough leaders in the squad to have Henderson dropped.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ENGLAND?
England have one of the best if not the best squad in Europe and are one of the favourites to bring the trophy home. This is a different approach by Southgate and many fans are happy with his decisions. Southgate still has to pick his final squad and then we can have a real look at the talent on display. Looking at the squad, England needs to have a good tournament and many nations around the world expect England to finally bring football home.
SCOTLAND EUROS SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT
Scotland have made the Euros once again with a storming qualification campaign. Scotland open up the Campaign with hosts Germany so they know they are in for a rock solid start. They will bring thousands of fans to Germany who will obviously make noise and hope that their team will show the same spirit.
Scotland’s team may not have the stand out names like England have but they have built a solid team that are very hard to beat. With the likes of Scott Mctominay and Andy Robertson they have an abundance of experience nationally and in the Premier League. Scott Mctominay will hope to carry on his goal scoring form for Scotland as he was on fire for them in the Qualifying campaign.
Scotland captain Andy Robertson has been one of the best left backs in Europe for quite some time now. He has suffered a lot of injuries during the last few seasons but he is ready and raring to go to lead his team to a successful Euros campaign.
Scotland has a very tough group, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary. Making it through the group stages is a very tough task but Scotland will have full hope that they can achieve this. This just means that every game they play they will need to be on top of their game, when they are, they can beat anybody.
Scotland’s squad announcement does not have any huge shocks as they have gone for a very similar setup in the qualifications. They have gone with Ben Doak from Liverpool who has huge potential to be a star in the future. This could be a campaign that he can show Europe why Liverpool and Scotland rate him so highly. He is currently uncapped, this is a huge statement of trust on Clarke’s behalf.