Joe Cole has named the starting XI which he thinks England should use for Euro 2024 – and it includes no Manchester United players.
Though it’s been a tricky season for United, four of their stars have a good chance of being on England’s plane to Germany for this summer’s European Championships.
Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw are all Three Lions stalwarts, while 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo has played himself into contention after a breakout season and an impressive full international debut against Belgium earlier this week.
Mainoo’s inexperience could cost him however, while Shaw is in a race against time to be fit, with a thigh injury ruling the left-back out until May.
But even if the quartet make the 23-man squad, none are guaranteed to be in the starting XI, and if Cole were calling the shots none of them would be in the line-up.
Selecting his XI for England’s opening game against Serbia, the Chelsea icon named a strange back-four of Joe Gomez, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
When fit, Shaw and Maguire have been near undroppable for Southgate over the past few years, while Cole also picked James Maddison and Phil Foden ahead of Mainoo and Rashford.
Explaining his choices, the former England star told TNT Sports: ‘People probably think Joe Gomez at left-back is a strange one. Shaw’s not fit, [Ben] Chilwell’s not played much football.
‘But the reason I would do that is because I want Trent in the team. It’ll actually be a back-three with Gomez, Stones and Walker, and Trent will rotate into the midfield with Dec [Declan Rice].
‘With the players we’ve got, we need to play high up the pitch and you need speed at the back. I would have played Harry Maguire if my tactics would have been any other way because I think he’s fantastic.
‘But playing how I want to play, on the halfway line like you see Spurs play, like you see Man City play, that style of trying to dominate possession… logic tells me we’ve got Foden, we’ve got Maddison, Trent, Rice, [Jude] Bellingham in the team. The best technicians in world football.
‘But you have to secure the back door so play Gomez, Walker and Stones who are all rapid.’
It’s doubtful Southgate’s tactics will be as bold as Cole’s as he prefers solidity over flair, which could well play into box-to-box midfielder Mainoo’s hands, while the manager has been very loyal to Maguire who is a sure starter but only of he stays fit.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE : Two Man Utd injury doubts pictured with squad traveling to Brentford match
MORE : Reece James may not play for Chelsea again this season, admits Mauricio Pochettino
MORE : Ajax considering move for Manchester United assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
