The Future of the Three Lions

Let’s face it, England must make a change.  It is one thing to alter personnel and call up younger players, but it is another to do so with the whole tactical outlook of a team.  This is what England must do if they are to be competitive in any international competition.

The days of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Ashley Cole are all numbered.  Similarly, the thought of Glen Johnson lazily tracking back or sending a 30-yard blast well over the bar will haunt English fans forever. As will Leighton Baines being torn apart by Antonio Candreva and Matteo Darmian in Manaus.

Thus, England need a change, not just new players.  They must adapt to the modern international game, in which a 4-4-2 is rarely glimpsed, where invention and defensive awareness are a premium.  A 4-2-3-1 would suit England much better.

Wayne Rooney cannot deliver on the international stage, while the system would suit younger, more creative and athletic players who will be staples in Premier League fixtures for years to come. By the next World Cup, and possibly even the Euros, Roy Hodgson should ditch the inclusion of Rooney and set his team up much differently, or the Three Lions should ditch him.

 

England by 2018 World Cup:  

GK: Joe Hart (31), Manchester City

Hart will face stiff competition from Fraser Forster who, much to the dismay of Artur Boruc, was instantly solidified as the Southampton #1.  However, Hart needs to be more consistent with his club team.  The acquisition of Willy Caballero could either push Hart to another level, or relegate him to the bench altogether.  The goalkeeper battle at the Etihad could determine the future of England’s shot stopper, but for now the nod goes to Hart.

 

RB: Jon Flanagan (25), Liverpool

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; a player Cafu declares his successor at right back will be a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League for years to come. Flanagan shut down the Liverpool left side in the second half of last season, also pitching in going forward, just as the legendary Brazilian did. For both club and country, Flanagan must replace Glen Johnson. Now just 21, the young Liverpool native still has room to improve and could be a valuable asset to the England defence.

CB: Calum Chambers (23), Arsenal

Chambers will play a big role at Arsenal this season, filling in at multiple positions, a testament to his versatility and solidarity.  Watching him play, it is easy to forget he is still just 19. His composure on the ball, intelligent positioning, and ability to pick a long pass when given the chance are traits amongst the best modern centre backs in the game such as Thiago Silva, Mats Hummels, and Giorgio Chiellini.  Chambers has a way to go physically, but will see the field for Arsenal in the years to come and is a nice fit at international level.

CB: John Stones (24), Everton

Stones is very similar to Chambers, in that he plays multiple positions very well.  However, Stones is more of a natural centre back, perhaps with less mobility than the Arsenal man, but would complement him very well.  Stones and Chambers look set to fill the shoes of Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka, at least one would hope. Both are good on the ball, and can pick a pass up field when needed.  Like Chambers, Stones has room to grow physically, but his showings for Everton at centre back have been outstanding so far.

LB: Luke Shaw (23), Manchester United

Shaw completes an England back line that will still be very young on paper come four years from now, but given each of their already polished levels of discipline and intelligence, they are well beyond their years in maturity.  At 19, Shaw is already accomplished enough to have earned a £27 million price tag and will go down in history (for now) as part of the highest English transfer spending total ever.  Shaw is a two-way fullback with athleticism and an uncanny knack for sending in mercurial crosses.  He will be hard to replace in the south, but will only improve at Manchester United under Louis van Gaal.

 

M: Jordan Henderson (28), Liverpool

Originally bought by Liverpool in 2011 for as much as £20 million, Henderson looked like he could be a flop early on in his career on Merseyside.  Today, Henderson is a staple in the Liverpool line-up, his hunger for the ball without it and growing abilities with it keeping him in Brendan Rodgers’ almost unconditional favour.  Henderson could be a future captain at both club and country, succeeding his club teammate Steven Gerrard.  His leadership on the field is more and more evident, and his energy never fluctuates.  In a deep role, he would be my choice to anchor the midfield in the future with his non-stop motor and desire.

M: Jack Wilshere (26), Arsenal

IF he can stay fit, and that is a big if, Jack Wilshere is one of the better box-to-box midfielders in the Europe (just ask Bastian Schweinsteiger).  Arsenal fans all remember his performance against Barcelona in 2011 at the Emirates, highlighted by his precision tackling and driving attacking runs. However, his struggles are indicative of his inability to stay fit, so his health is an absolute must for this to happen. Wilshere complements Jordan Henderson very well; both of them are capable tacklers forming the versatile heart of the midfield.  Wilshere, the more creative of the two, often enjoys surging forward with a more than capable Henderson lying at bay.

CAM: Ross Barkley (24), Everton

Still nursing injury at Everton, Barkley’s potential is as good as anyone’s in the Premier League.  He has size, vision, creativity, never lacking flair or cheekiness. Sitting in front of Wilshere and Henderson, Barkley would be given the freedom of the modern attacking midfielder to combine with everyone on the pitch, and interchange with the players either side of him. In the build-up to Brazil, Barkley was usually the first attacking choice off the bench, his injection of skill and creativity an asset to a team in need of excitement.

LAM: Raheem Sterling (23), Liverpool

Like many of the players on this squad, Sterling regularly features for his club team at such a young age.  In the friendly against Norway, Sterling was by far England’s best player, and Brendan Rodgers’ assertion that he is the best teenager in Europe could very well be true. Sterling’s pace is outstanding, his eye for a pass and finishing ability brilliant.  When put on the field with players he is familiar with, the 19-year-old always delivers a show worthy of watching over and over again.  His first contribution in Manaus against Italy was to laser a long-range attempt into the outside of the net, fooling many (including me) into thinking he’d just scored the goal of the tournament.  His future is bright, and his ability to cut infield and interchange centrally makes him even more dangerous.

RAM: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (25), Arsenal

Like Sterling, Oxlade-Chamberlain always bring pace, invention, and excitement to the pitch when he’s on it.  Also like Sterling, Chamberlain enjoys shifting into the middle of the attack.  Between Barkley, Sterling, and Oxlade-Chamberlain, England would have three versatile attacking players who complement each other nicely.  The modern game requires these players to interchange and overlap; Germany, Argentina, Holland, Brazil, and Colombia all showed it at the World Cup.  Currently at an average age of just 20, these midfielders have the opportunity to flourish for both club and country in the near and distant future.  Down the road, England could be one of the more entertaining squads in Europe.

 

CF: Daniel Sturridge (29), Liverpool

Sturridge’s move from Chelsea to Liverpool was one of the best moves from a player perspective in recent memory.  At Stamford Bridge, Sturridge was often anchored to one side of the field and wasn’t given any freedom to roam the attacking third.  Under Brendan Rodgers, Sturridge’s career has been reinvented, his attacking prowess and goal scoring ability now apparent to all of Europe. Without Luis Suárez, it remains to be seen if Sturridge can improve more, but he is already an excellent footballer and undoubtedly England’s future at the tip of the attack.  He’s a prototypical modern centre forward, possessing both pace off the ball and finishing on the ball.

 

Also in the mix:

Theo Walcott (29), Arsenal

Wayne Rooney (32), Manchester United

Phil Jones (26), Manchester United

James Ward-Prowse (23), Southampton

Danny Welbeck (27), Arsenal

Chris Smalling (28), Manchester United

Matt Targett (22), Southampton

Nathaniel Clyne (27), Southampton

Andros Townsend (27), Spurs

Jack Colback (28), Newcastle

Adam Lallana (30), Liverpool

Kieran Gibbs (28), Arsenal

Jay Rodriguez (29), Southampton

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