Gareth Southgate’s gamble with four of a kind: Richard Buxton

Including all 4 right-backs leaves just five midfielders in 26-man Euro squad

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Jun 02, 2021 06:00 am

A quarter of a century on, Gareth Southgate remains England's designated fall guy.

Remembered as the man who missed the decisive penalty at Euro 1996, the former centre-back has just had the unenviable task of whittling down his squad to 26 men for the June 11-July 11 European Championship.

No matter how he tried to cut it, Southgate simply could not win. Whoever was left out of the 24-nation tournament would be used as a stick to beat him with.

So the Three Lions manager decided to hedge his bets by including four right-backs - Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Reece James.

Alexander-Arnold's potential omission from the final 26 had created much controversy.

Liverpool-centric voices prematurely condemned Southgate, claiming that a dearth of world-class talents made their right-back an unjust casualty.

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Juergen Klopp, too, added his voice to the clamour by suggesting that if "the standout right-back in world football" was omitted "then England must have an extremely good squad".

As it turned out, the German's prophecy two months ago did not come to fruition.

A cursory glance at Alexander-Arnold's rivals in the 33-man provisional squad named last week laid bare the challenge ahead of him.

While his status as the standout attacking fullback of the global game deteriorated this season, Trippier, Walker and James all surpassed the 22-year-old.

Trippier, especially, has vindicated the calculated risk of leaving Tottenham Hotspur to be rejuvenated at Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone.

The 30-year-old and third-oldest player in the squad benefited from playing away from the spotlight associated with those still plying their trade in the English Premier League.

Free of the constant scrutiny which Alexander-Arnold has endured, Trippier's inclusion came as a surprise to many unfamiliar with his exploits as Atleti clinched the La Liga title.

Not that those still in the English top flight have struggled as the Liverpool defender did.

Walker, too, has thrived after leaving Spurs for Manchester City, where he just claimed a third EPL title in four seasons and contested the Champions League final.

Alexander-Arnold's greatest threat, however, was the emergence of James; a player who rose to European glory with Chelsea boasting similar qualities to his compatriot.

His successful shackling of Raheem Sterling throughout last weekend's showpiece in Porto was a perfect repertoire of composure and defensive nous. In a campaign where his direct rival has regularly been exposed, the 21-year-old's stock is continuing to soar.

Southgate favoured in-form players over familiar faces when Alexander-Arnold was omitted from a World Cup qualifying triple-header in March.

Clearly a willingness to accommodate Liverpool's homegrown hero, as well as his cohorts, indicates the late upturn which helped the Reds clinch third place was enough to merit the chance to fight against Trippier, Walker and James for a starting berth.

Yet sidestepping one unenviable dilemma has merely thrown up another for Southgate.

Accommodating all four of his right-backs leaves England's midfield restricted to half of the 10 overall defenders selected, meaning unorthodox solutions are now required.

As a result, Alexander-Arnold's long-touted shift to a more box-to-box role could come to fruition far sooner than he and countless others had previously anticipated.

Southgate's task is still the same. All he has done is delay the inevitable. Whoever the England boss chooses, and where he plays them, will be decisions he will be forced to live and die by.