The international break is finally over, and for England, the past few days have raised more questions than answers ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Gareth Southgate’s side ended the UEFA Nations League campaign with relegation to Group B without winning a single match, with a loss in Italy and a frantic draw against Germany rounding off England’s international fixtures ahead of Qatar in November, with confidence at an all-time low amongst supporters.
With England fans calling for Southgate’s head and numerous players out of form, football might not be coming home for the Three Lions despite years of pre-tournament expectations and excitement, yet this international break did give us a clearer picture of who could feature in Qatar this winter.
Some players have made themselves undroppable, whilst others have added more fuel to their fires for being excluded from the team, and without further ado, here is HITC Football’s winners and losers from England’s most recent international break.
Winners:
Jordan Pickford
It might seem odd to include a player who didn’t even feature in the squad on this list, but after the performances of a certain somebody who we might see later in this feature, Jordan Pickford’s no. 1 spot for England has never felt more secure than it does now.
The Everton shot-stopper missed out on the England squad this month due to injury, but if Pickford is fully-fit to make it to Qatar, there is no doubt that the former Sunderland star will be Southgate’s starting man on the teamsheet to face Iran in their World Cup opener.
Jude Bellingham
Injuries in the England pool this month meant Kalvin Phillips missed out on selection for the Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany, yet the Manchester City star’s omission meant Jude Bellingham was given the start alongside Declan Rice, and the Borussia Dortmund wonderkid more than impressed.
The teenager was named Man of the Match against Germany at Wembley, with the midfielder impressing everyone on the night from Rio Ferdinand to Jermaine Jenas to Chris Sutton, and if Bellingham can stay fit, there’s a strong chance that the youngster will once again partner Rice in the World Cup in what could be an exciting pivot.
Bukayo Saka
England fans were left questioning why Bukayo Saka started out of position from the start against Italy, yet it took Southgate just about 20 minutes against Germany that the Arsenal star simply has to play out on the right, with the 21-year-old stealing the show for the Three Lions after coming off the bench.
Assisting Mason Mount’s fantastic equaliser and then playing a big role in Harry Kane’s penalty, it was a substitute appearance to remember for Saka, who many England fans would agree should be starting out on the right with Phil Foden taking his more natural left-wing position if Southgate is to go for a three-man attack.
Losers:
Nick Pope
As mentioned, Pickford’s position as England’s no. 1 looks to be set in stone for the World Cup, and that is in large part to the performances of Nick Pope, with the £10m Newcastle United star having a night to forget against Germany as the former Burnley star looked uncomfortable between the sticks.
Pope almost gifted Germany multiple goals throughout the match due to his poor footwork, and his spilt shot late on in the game ensured that the points were split between England their old international rivals, with Pickford no doubt beaming that his position in the XI is under no real serious threat.
Harry Maguire
Going into this international break, a lot was made of how would Harry Maguire perform after the Manchester United captain was dropped by his club after a serious lack of form and confidence, and to the surprise of nobody, the centre-back endured arguably his worst performances for England in recent memory.
Whilst it’s clear Southgate is a big fan of Maguire, the England manager cannot risk playing the United centre-back in the World Cup ahead of the likes of Fikayo Tomori or Ben White, with the defender at fault for Germany’s penalty at Wembley as well as struggling hard against Italy’s attack.
Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling has been a staple of the England team ever since breaking through at Liverpool as a teenager, yet this international break really highlighted that maybe Southgate could do with moving away from the Chelsea attacker ahead of the World Cup.
As previously mentioned, Saka stole the show for England after coming off the bench down the right, and with Foden much better out on the left, Sterling could be better off being dropped in the starting XI and used as hero off the bench, with his performances against Italy and Germany leaving much to be desired.
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