Gareth Southgate faced the media after revealing his 25-man England squad for this month’s Wembley double-header against Brazil and Belgium on Thursday afternoon.
And there was plenty to discuss. Ben White’s absence was the headline story, while the Three Lions boss has dropped Kalvin Phillips from his squad.
Anthony Gordon and Jarrad Branthwaite get their debut call-ups in a squad that is unlikely to be a million miles away from the one that boards the plane to Germany in the summer. Here’s what we learned as Southgate explained his selections to the media.
Southgate in the dark over Ben White: but the door remains open
Ben White’s absence is the big talking point. It will be two years since the Arsenal defender last played for his country at the end of the month, with the 26-year-old having withdrawn from the World Cup squad in Qatar 15 months ago.
His omission from the England squad was one of the first points Southgate addressed as he admitted that he does not know why the defender does not want to be involved.
“We had a call from [Arsenal's sporting director] Edu last week saying Ben didn't want to be considered for England squads at the moment,” Southgate told the media.
"I spoke to him post-Qatar and there was reticence from his side. I don't know why that is, but I respect that. I leave the door open because he's a good player.
"There is no issue between us at all and there's also no issue with [assistant manager] Steve Holland, which has been mentioned in articles and I don't like that.
"I have to accept things are false about me, but I'm not prepared for that to happen to my coaching team. That is not the reason Ben is not with us."
Southgate would go to hold out an olive branch, as he insisted the door remains open, should White change tact.
"I want that door wide open. He would be in this squad, but he's not available to us."
Southgate’s loyalty has a limit
Southgate’s loyalty to established players has been one of the tenants of his time as England boss.
But even he has a limit.
It’s now been more than 18 months since Kalvin Phillips played consistent, regular and effective football and Southgate’s patience has run out.
The former Leeds United star’s loan move to West Ham has not gone as planned, with a sending-off against Nottingham Forest last month and a half-time withdrawal against Burnley at the weekend, as Southgate admitted that the midfielder’s form was just not good enough.
"I think he knows exactly what we think of him,” said the Three Lions boss. “A good version of him is an important player for us. We don't have many players of that profile.
"Unfortunately, his form just hasn't been good enough. I've spoken to him, he knows that. I said to him towards the end of last year, if he didn't play at City, it was going to be a problem."
The 28-year-old now needs to quickly rediscover the form that made him a key player in England’s last European Championship tilt in the next couple of months, otherwise, he’ll be watching at home.
Southgate’s problem position
There are plenty of positions in this squad that are open to healthy debate, but Southgate singled out the one which is currently giving him the most to think about.
Luke Shaw is still recovering from a muscle injury that threatens to end his season prematurely, leaving question marks over the left-back position. Ben Chilwell has also had his issues this season and Southgate admits he fears there could be a square peg in a round-hole scenario this summer.
“In some positions we have a lot of depth, in others we're short,” he continued. “Left-back is one.
"We have other players who might adjust in that role. We hope Ben Chilwell comes through this week. Luke Shaw being out is a problem for us."
Jude Bellingham dilemma
It’s no exaggeration to say that Jude Bellingham is the most exciting young England talent in a generation. His start to life in Real Madrid has been barely believable at times and if this upward narrative continues, expect him to take Euro 2024 by storm.
But with his success at the Bernabeu coming in a more advanced position than he’s previously played with England, how does that impact Southgate’s thinking?
"In terms of Jude, clearly he's playing mainly as a false nine for Real Madrid, so we need to balance where he is having success with something a little bit different as well,” he said.
We’ve seen Southgate mix up his midfield options before - notably the more advanced role he handed Kalvin Phillips in Euro 2020, so expect this to be a big talking point ahead of the summer.
A hint of things to come?
As Anthony Gordon and Jarrad Branthwaite celebrate their first England call-ups, it is clear that Southgate is not just focused on the here and now, as he would go on to namecheck a number of young players that are being touted as future Three Lions regulars.
There were calls for Kobbie Mainoo to be given a chance this time out, but Southgate made it clear that the 15 Premier League appearances that the 18-year-old has made so far are not yet enough for him to gatecrash his plans.
“He’s not at the point in terms of number of games that Jude [Bellingham] or Bukayo [Saka] were when they came in the first time, but I repeat he’s doing really well for a young player,” the Three Lions boss explained. “He’s a good footballer. You can see that and he’s getting some fabulous experience with Manchester United at the moment and looks a really good character.”
Southgate appears to be confident about the future of his midfield, as he listed Mainoo alongside three other emerging talents, including Leeds United’s Archie Gray, who only turned 18 this week.
"There are some players with the Under-21s who are doing exceptionally well, especially in midfield," Southgate continued. "The likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Harvey Elliott - Rico [Lewis] was with us last time - Archie Gray at Leeds is doing very, very well I have to say, so there are a number of players in that group we could move in."
Will we see Southgate hand one of these teenagers a chance in a Walcott-esque wild card move this summer? Don’t bet against it.
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