Could England’s World Cup squad have some surprising admissions?

Photo of Huynh Nguyen Huynh NguyenSeptember 27, 2022
Could England's World Cup squad have some surprising admissions

The FIFA World Cup in Qatar is now just a couple of months away and Gareth Southgate has named his squad for the final friendlies prior to the tournament.

Southgate’s 27-man squad provides some insight into who may be picked for the real spectacle, but could there be some surprises with who turns out for the Three Lions in November?

Going into the tournament, England is one of the favorites but Brazil is widely expected to go all the ways. The Three Lions are going to need top options from the bench if they are to be world champions.

England are one of the favorites to lift the trophy in many betting markets on outright winners of the World Cup. Betting markets are available on a number of sites, and New Zealand residents can find bonus offers like the Pinnacle bonus code NZ to use at a site that, according to reviews, offers some of the best value odds in the country.

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Brentford’s Ivan Toney has been named part of the squad and may be in line to earn his first cap in the friendlies in the following weeks. England has struggled to find a forward replacement from the bench who can still play between the lines and pick out a pass like Harry Kane is capable of. Toney could provide exactly that being an explosive striker that is also a top-level target man and can bring others into play.

The former Newcastle United man is an extremely prolific forward and has five goals in six appearances in the Premier League this season including a hattrick against Leeds United last time out.

Toney is quietly establishing himself as one of the best center-forwards in the Premier League and could be an ideal wildcard option for Southgate in Qatar.

Jarrod Bowen is another interesting inclusion as, despite pressing for an England call-up last season, he has begun this season in average form and has struggled to impact games like he did the last term.

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Bowen could still be an intelligent addition to the England squad as the team lacks players with a strong natural left foot, and he similarly to Toney could be a solid option off the bench. The West Ham winger has never scored for England but has managed four caps which all came fairly recently, and perhaps he could appear on the biggest stage of all for his country at the World Cup.

Another interesting decision for Southgate relates to whether he should take James Ward Prowse so that the side has a dedicated set-piece specialist.

Ward Prowse is far from a world-class all-round player but his free-kick ability is maybe the greatest in the world at the moment and can be likened to the quality of his hero David Beckham’s deliveries and shooting efforts from set pieces.

With England possessing so many top-quality midfielders Ward Prowse may find himself missing out on the squad, but if space can be found for an excellent passer and long-range shooter from a still ball situation then he would be another wonderful wildcard for the side.

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In tight knockout games, set pieces can sometimes decide games as was seen with Italy’s leveler at the Euros.

Southgate has incredibly tough decisions to make when he decides on his final squad for the trip to Qatar.

Photo of Huynh Nguyen Huynh NguyenSeptember 27, 2022
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