Football365’s famous World Cup 2018 ladder
We are getting used to being in the brain of Gareth Southgate. Remember that this is an approximation of his thinking about his likely World Cup squad and not ours…
1 (1) John Stones
One of only two players to play every minute under England manager Gareth Southgate (nope, still sounds odd), there is no doubt that his defence will be built around the flawed stylings of Stones, who makes hearts soar and bums twitch with his insistence on trying to play football just in front of his own goal. Are we worried that the most certain England starter plays in a defence that looks decidedly dodgy? Of course we bloody are.
John Stones basing his game on a mixture of Rio Ferdinand and Titus Bramble makes him the most exciting player of a generation for me.
— No-Heart Anthony (@MOliverFan) November 15, 2016
2 (4) Adam Lallana
‘Lallana’s stock has never been higher,’ wrote Daniel Storey in September. We then moved him up a place in October as we missed him awfully against Slovenia. And now his stock is even higher still after excellence against Scotland and 27 lovely minutes against Spain. Once again, thank you Herr Klopp.
3 (5) Jordan Henderson
The other player to have completed the 360-minute challenge under Southgate. We’re still not entirely convinced that he excels at anything other than pointing, but is a solid choice for captain in the absence of Wayne Rooney and a solid choice in central midfield in the absence of anybody who makes us glad to be a) alive and b) English.
4 (3) Joe Hart
There was considerable noise about him being replaced by Tom Heaton, but look what happens when he relinquishes those gloves (though presumably Heaton has his own gloves despite being on relatively low wages at Burnley): England concede goals. As you were, Joe.
5 (2) Raheem Sterling
Noticeably waned after the break against Spain but there’s no doubt that Sterling is England’s most exciting and incisive pure winger. Just ask Dani Carvajal. And the good news is that Sterling is still bizarrely only 21 and being coached by Pep Guardiola so he will get even better. England needs to start being kinder to him.
6 (8) Wayne Rooney
‘That Wayne Rooney is still in the top ten renders this whole excercise just as pointless as it was when Sarah had him one over and over again,’ said one miserable sod (who can’t spell exercise) in the comments last month. We’ve only been doing this for about 15 years and yet people still miss the point; Rooney was and is very much part of Southgate’s plans, as evidenced by 90 minutes in a must-win clash with Scotland. We’re not saying he is one of the ten best English players right now; we are saying he is one of the top ten English players on Southgate’s squad list. Be sad about that if you must but do not be mad with the messenger.
7 (10) Eric Dier
‘That Dier-Henderson dynamic is not deserving of the ‘d’ word,’ is what we wrote last month, but there is such a dearth of options that Southgate had no real choice but to pair them again – twice – as England faced Scotland and then Spain. Against Spain, he was D for decent for much of the game and then D for disastrous when it mattered for Isco’s equaliser. Now we’re D for depressed.
8 (7) Dele Alli
When Jesse Lingard became England’s No. 10 after Lallana’s injury against Spain, we found ourselves wondering whether he really is the fourth-choice England player in that position after Alli, Rooney and Lallana. If so, who is fifth? It might be you.
9 (17) Kyle Walker
‘It’s always going to be nip and tuck, and right now Clyne’s nips are just ahead,’ was October’s verdict, but it was Walker who was chosen for the must-win match against Scotland, so we have to assume he is the man in possession of the shirt. As Storey wrote in his ratings from the Scotland game: ‘Walker is not the perfect defender, and may still be found out against top-class opposition, but his marauding forward runs add a dynamism to England’s play that is so often lacking.’
10 (9) Harry Kane
Presumably still England’s first-choice striker but five goals in the latest two games of his absence will make Southgate wonder about that status. As he should. Because that’s his job.
11 (16) Danny Rose
Hands up, maybe we have got this wrong on Luke Shaw because right now, England’s first-choice left-back is clearly Daniel Lee ‘Danny’ Rose. And that’s five Tottenham players in a row, showing the depth of their decent but not currently spectacular English players.
England couldn't hold a 2-0 lead for 10 minutes because they took Danny Rose off. Not surprised at all
— Simply Spurs (@Simply_Spurs) November 15, 2016
12 (14) Daniel Sturridge
Another start (his third under Southgate) and another goal (his second under Southgate) so right now that England No. 9 shirt belongs to the occasional Liverpool striker. But will he be playing enough football in March to justify his inclusion ahead of a presumably fit Kane?
13 (11) Gary Cahill
Not currently a brilliant centre-half but currently England’s best central defensive option. Has it come to this? Yes, The Streets, it has.
14 (12) Nathaniel Clyne
His nips might have been ahead but now he seems to be more than a c**k hair behind Walker. Defensively sound against Spain but a pass completion rate of 53.9% will make Southgate wince (and Walker smile) a little.
15 (6) Luke Shaw
It would be really very handy if he started to play some football.
16 (19) Jack Wilshere
‘So very much better than any other English midfielder when judged on anything other than stamina and fitness,’ is what I wrote last month. It’s a shame that Southgate did not trust him enough to give him minutes against Spain, but at least he was back in the squad after putting in the hard yards at Bournemouth.
Jack Wilshere: Of players to attempt 25+ dribbles in the Premier League this season, @JackWilshere has the best success rate (76%) #afcb pic.twitter.com/QAGEbUxcmR
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 8, 2016
17 (13) Danny Welbeck
We miss him a little less after two positive results but when fit, Welbeck is the selfless, hardworking yet effective player Jesse Lingard wants to be.
18 (26) Jesse Lingard
‘As long as Southgate is in charge, his former England Under-21 charges will have an advantage over late bloomers like Michail Antonio, but should he be in a fully-fit England squad? Absolutely not,’ we wrote. And yet he really was. That he didn’t face Scotland suggests he is not first choice; that he played 90 minutes against Spain suggests Southgate appreciates his defensive forward work; that he played much of the game as a No. 10 makes us weep a little.
19 (15) Chris Smalling
In Southgate’s first squad so we can only assume he is still in his thinking. One thing is for sure, we really cannot afford to be picky when a creaking Phil Jagielka is currently the next centre-half cab off the rank.
20 (18) Jack Butland
Injured but his youth and class are going nowhere fast. There will be plenty of caps left for Butland when Hart’s time has passed.
21 (20) Theo Walcott
Wasted his opportunities against Malta and then Slovenia and was one of the obvious choices to be discarded against Scotland. First off the bench against Spain – presumably with a continued eye on the counter-attack – but a couple of missed chances reminded us why he no longer wants to be regarded as a striker. We would not be remotely surprised if Walcott is one of the players left behind once again in 18 months’ time.
22 (22) Fraser Forster
It’s the thrilling race to be England’s third-choice keeper that keeps us all on the edge of our seats.
23 (21) Marcus Rashford
This is bloody close but Rashford’s youth and promise edges him ahead of Jamie Vardy with his Skittles, vodka and current tendency to look like a jobbing Championship striker.
24 (25) Jamie Vardy
‘Vardy’s last England game going well,’ wrote Matthew Stead on an F365 group messenger on Tuesday night. And then he scored. So we expect he will play again. Which is a shame as a combination of Vardy at 9 and Lingard at 10 made us cry salty tears.
Jamie Vardy celebrates by doing the mannequin challenge, forgetting that he's a 29-year-old bloke from Sheffield.
— TheODDSbible (@TheOddsBible) November 15, 2016
25 (23) Phil Jagielka
One of only three England centre-halves to be capped by Southgate but surely this has to end soon.
26 (24) Danny Drinkwater
How long can he be casually included in England squads as if it were a perfectly normal thing to do?
27 (27) Ryan Bertrand
It’s easy to forget that he started Southgate’s first game in charge. It’s easy to forget that we went into Euro 2016 not knowing who was first-choice left-back.
28 (29) Andros Townsend
Not even the best winger at Crystal Palace and yet something works when Townsend puts on an England shirt; Walcott should be very afraid.
29 (37) Tom Heaton
Needed a couple of decent saves against Spain – rather than a couple of goals conceded – to keep him ahead of England’s collection of crocked goalkeepers.
30 (40) Aaron Cresswell
The last of the players who has actually played under Southgate, which is something worth remembering if you’re wondering why we haven’t got to…
31 (28) Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
As Matt Stead wrote here, he may have to leave Arsenal to add to his quite impressive collection of 24 England caps without defeat.
32 (33) Michael Keane
In the squad once again but still awaits his first England cap.
33 (31) Jordan Pickford
Time is very much on his side.
34 (32) Ross Barkley
Right now, the fact that he largely bypassed England’s Under-21 side might be his biggest problem. Well, that and his propensity to lose the ball in dangerous areas.
35 (35) Nathan Redmond
He may have to wait until he is no longer England Under-21-eligible to get the call.
36 (30) Michail Antonio
‘This ‘journey’ back to West Ham from England might be his last,’ is what I wrote last month. He has got ‘quiz question answer’ written all over him.
37 (37) Calum Chambers
A firm favourite of Southgate at Under-21 level and he is at least playing actual football right now.
38 (36) Fabian Delph
Injured? Retired? Entirely forgotten by anybody outside the Delph family?
39 (34) Kieran Gibbs
Apparently, starting more for Arsenal has made him less likely to play for England.
40 (39) Mark Noble
Will it ever happen now? The poor, average sod.
41 (41) – Scott Dann
42 (43) – Wilfried Zaha
43 (NE) – Ben Gibson
44 (RE) – James Ward-Prowse
45 (42) – Ryan Shawcross
46 (45) – Andy Carroll
47 (NE) – Lewis Baker
48 (NE) – Junior Stanislas
49 (47) – Troy Deeney
50 (50) – Phil Neville
Sarah Winterburn