MOUNT UP AND LAUNch TrENT!
THE way Gareth Southgate decides to set up his team at the Euros will have huge implications for Mason Mount and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
If the England boss goes with three central defenders it could see two midfielders who won’t be quite as attacking, and three forwards.
If that’s the shape it may be hard to get Mount in the team, unless he’s wide in a midfield four, with maybe Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice in the middle.
Southgate has to use
Trent in that formation.
I keep hearing that he could miss out on the final squad. That’s madness. You’d take him for his delivery alone. He’s one of the best in the world. Set-pieces and crosses will be so important.
And the best teams want full-backs to provide the sort of attacking option he does.
Manchester City’s full-backs don’t do that much defending, nor do they in Liverpool’s strongest team – both sides dominate possession and control the ball.
England have the quality to dominate possession sufficiently to give forward momentum and cause any opponent real problems.
So it would be a crime not to take arguably the world’s best attacking full-back.
Southgate should be brave and use John Stones plus one other centre half, and go 4-3-3 – allowing him to play two holding midfielders, which would then let him play attacking full-backs.
I’d go with Trent in that formation and Mount as the third midfielder.
And with my front-three picks – Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho and Harry Kane – I think that England will be able to cause even the best teams in Europe problems.