No Sancho, but Greenwood makes it in
The footballing topic on everyone’s lips at the moment is who makes it into the England squad for the Euros this summer. More specifically, how do you fit all of England’s brilliant attackers into a 23 man squad without neglecting the defensive side of the game.
The Monday Night Football panel discussed exactly that this week, and well, I’ll stop stalling. Here is Gary Neville’s squad.
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson, Nick Pope.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Eric Dier, Luke Shaw, Ben Chilwell.
Midfielders: Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips, James Ward-Prowse, Mason Mount, Phil Foden.
Attackers: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Jack Grealish, Mason Greenwood.
Explaining the rationale behind his selection of Greenwood, Neville said: “I think he’s a brilliant finisher. If Harry Kane got injured… We’ve seen Calvert-Lewin tonight, I see Calvert-Lewin as somebody who, against a top team, half an hour to go, 1-0 up, to run the line, run them ragged, close down, harass, potentially get a goal. But I think his finishing is a little bit erratic.
“If England are going to need a goal when they’re 1-0 down against a team, I would bring Greenwood on because I think he’s a finisher.
“He’s a better finisher than Rashford, naturally a better finisher than Sterling even though he hasn’t got the goals of Sterling.
“And I think he’s got that quality to work in tight spaces around the box.”
Neville went on to explain that he’s worked a way of getting him into the squad “in case Kane got injured”, because he “doesn’t think there is a natural replacement for Kane.”
🗣 "I think he's a brilliant finisher" @GNev2 on why Mason Greenwood makes his Euro 2020 squad. pic.twitter.com/tSVV71UUWS
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 5, 2021
Carragher’s squad, meanwhile, had Conor Coady instead of Dier, and a third right-back in Reece James. He also picked Jude Bellingham in midfield over James Ward-Prowse.
“He’s playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, and I think he’s going to be a star of the future,” Carragher said.
“You’re almost putting him in the squad for the future.”
Carragher described Warrd-Prowse as a “very good Premier League player” but said Bellingham is “playing at a higher level,” mentioning that he will be involved for Dortmund against Man City in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Neville described Carragher’s selection of three right-backs as “bizarre.”
🗣 "I think he's going to be a star of the future" @Carra23 on why Jude Bellingham is in his Euro 2020 squad. pic.twitter.com/5xk0uPRrto
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 5, 2021
