Chris Sutton has told the Monday Night Club that Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish would ‘come third’ if he were to have a straight shoot out in regards to who starts for England between Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling.
Grealish made his first competitive start for the Three Lions on Sunday and the Villa man impressed on the left-hand side, with Sterling and Rashford out injured.
In recent months, Gareth Southgate has opted to play a back three, with a two-man midfield and three up top, which limit Grealish’s chances of playing in the middle of the park.
Former Premier League winner Sutton thinks that if Southgate sticks with this current formation then Grealish will find himself on the bench.
“He got his opportunity in a big game and against a world-class team, the number one team in the world and he did prove himself,” said Sutton. “But now it’s given Gareth some serious thinking to do.
“It looks like he’s going to stick with the back three and if that’s the case then there is still the question of which are your best players, up top and out wide?
“At this moment in time, Grealish has no doubt put himself in the picture. Absolutely put himself in the picture. But I think if we are all being honest.. going into the Euro’s Gareth’s two wide men would be Rashford and Sterling. And that’s the issue Jack Grealish has. He is certainly up there in Gareth’s mind. Gareth I think trusts him more. And all credit to Grealish for that.
“If he’s in the form of his life and that he is this season. You look back to his form for Villa last season, he was good. This season he has hit the ground running. He’s Villa’s key man, and at this moment in time, it looks like he’s England’s, key man.
“How do you fit him in? It would have to be a change of system. If it came to a straight shootout between Rashford, Sterling and Grealish then Grealish comes third.”
Whether Grealish starts or not, Southgate has to change formation because it’s not working for most of the players that are starting.
If Southgate opts to play a three-man midfield then the boyhood Villa man can play in the middle of the park, with the likes of Sterling and Rashford out wide.
Grealish has changed the mind of Southgate with his recent form and hopefully, that performance in Belgium will force him to change formation when England take on Iceland on Wednesday.
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