We are now precisely three months away from the first ball being kicked at the World Cup in Russia, and Gareth Southgate still has some crucial selection dilemmas to answer.
How can England combine solidity and creativity in an unspectacular midfield? Who deserves to take one of the spots at the heart of defence? Will recent form or international experience serve the Three Lions better? And perhaps most crucially considering the influence, positively or negatively, they can have on the rest of the team, who should be England’s goalkeeper?
The idea of replacing Joe Hart has persisted for some years now, but it’s been particularly prevalent since a series of costly mistakes at Euro 2016 and during the 30-year-old’s subsequent loan spells with Torino and West Ham, neither of which have resulted in the expected rave reviews. So, is Hart still the best man for the job, or should someone else deserve England’s No.1 jersey?
With the squad announcement for upcoming friendlies against Italy and the Netherlands due on Thursday, its a crucial question – and Football FanCast have outlined the six possible answers.
Solution A – Joe Hart
While Hart hasn’t wholly convinced for a good few years now, attempted saves down his left-hand side emerging as a critical flaw in his goalkeeping makeup, he’s still by far the most experienced option at Southgate’s disposal with 75 caps under his belt not to mention sustained exposure to Champions League level football with Manchester City. Southgate clearly still has faith in the temporary Hammer too; since taking the England job in September 2016, he’s started Hart in 10 of England’s 13 games.
But experience is only worth so much and Hart’s form this season has been modest to say the least, spending much of it stuck behind Adrian in the pecking order. In fact, from the six goalkeeping candidates we’ve looked at, Hart has recorded the fewest clean sheets this season while ranking worst for saves per game, goals conceded per game, saves per goal and catches per game. Damning stuff.
Solution B – Fraser Forster
Perhaps something of a surprise suggestion considering Fraser Forster has recently lost his place in Southampton’s starting XI, a decision many Saints fans would claim has been a long time coming. But the situation could quickly change once the south coast outfit appoint their new manager, after sacking Mauricio Pellegrino on Monday, and Forster has impressed for England before, particularly against Germany and the Netherlands in the buildup to Euro 2016.
Likewise, when Forster is in top form, his size can make him virtually unbeatable – even this season he’s managed to record two saves per goal in the Premier League, which is the second-best return of any candidate for England’s gloves. His distribution as oft been questioned before though, and it’s become particularly prevalent this season amid the absence of a target man at Southampton.
Solution C – Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford’s performances always seem to divide opinion. There’s no question Everton’s expensive acquisition is a vocal, aggressive and energetic presence at the back – always barking out orders at his defenders – but the actual quality of his goalkeeping, which is sometimes inevitably limited by a somewhat short 6 foot 1 frame, has received mixed reviews.
There have certainly been occasions in which he could have done better this season, conceding a staggering 49 times in the Premier League alone. But he’s also kept the second-most clean sheets of any England goalkeeper candidate and has been a fixture in the Three Lions setup for nearly a decade now, first turning out for the U16s in 2009 and going on to make 51 appearances across all age groups – including a senior debut last year.
However, he still doesn’t feel like the complete package – this tournament may just be a little too soon.
Solution D – Nick Pope
It’s rather incredible to think Nick Pope could be in line for a shock call-up this week, having plied his trade in the Conference just five years ago and not even started the season as a No.1 for a Premier League club. But the Burnley shot-stopper has fully exploited the chance presented to him by Tom Heaton’s injury and the statistics suggest he’s been the best English goalkeeper this season by a discernible distance.
Indeed, from the six goalkeeping candidates, Pope ranks best for clean sheets, saves per game, saves per goal and goals conceded per game, and those returns are hard to ignore – especially from a player who hasn’t been involved with England at any level of the setup previously.
That, however, inevitably creates concerns over the 25-year-old’s obvious lack of experience and there is a convincing argument that Burnley’s defensive players flatter to deceive somewhat; they continue to excel as a collective, but can struggle when put into a different team with a more expansive philosophy.
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Solution E – Ben Foster
It would certainly be a shock for Ben Foster to emerge as England’s No.1 in time for the summer, having only ever featured eight times for England and even made himself illegible for selection during the middle chunk of his career. Furthermore, he’s now 34 and has seen all but one of rock-bottom West Brom’s 47 goals fly past him this season.
But he’s actually the only experienced England goalkeeper who has been a permanence in the starting XI this term, with Hart unable to cement his place at West Ham and Forster being dislodged by McCarthy. That does give Foster a surprising advantage over many of the other England No.1 competitors, the younger contingent of whom haven’t exactly excelled this season either.
Solution F – Jack Butland
The seemingly increasingly popular choice as the World Cup in Russia draws near. Jack Butland’s enormous potential has been discussed since his days at Birmingham City and the Stoke City goalkeeper has demonstrated it on enough occasions during the last few years as well – had it not been for a serious injury against Germany, he may well have overtaken Hart two years ago for Euro 2016.
That being said, Butland still has a few mistakes in him and his form this term hasn’t exactly been spectacular compared to the levels witnessed in 2015/16 when he appeared to have the world at his feet. Perhaps that’s a consequence of how poor Stoke have been this season, but the only statistical front he’s matched his England shot-stopping rivals on this season has been distribution accuracy; in terms of goals conceded, saves per goal and saves per game, it’s been a modest campaign.
Admittedly, however, certainly in recent weeks Butland’s performances have been peppered with a spate of brilliant saves.
So, England fans, who do you think should be Southgate’s No.1? Let us know by voting below…