England’s EURO 2024 Ambitions: Who Should we be Looking Out For?
As the launch of EURO 2024 looms upon us, hopes and expectations begin to build around the continent and nowhere more so than in the England camp. Heavily branded as the “Golden Generation”, this current crop of players are under more pressure than ever to perform as Gareth Southgate eyes one more push for glory with the Three Lions.
In the build-up to the tournament, attention has rightfully been placed on the likes of Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane and Phil Foden. However, there could be a handful of players at Southgate’s disposal that are flying under the radar at the moment and could play a bigger part than expected.
What that being said, let’s take a closer look…
Jarrod Bowen
When naming the attacking power at Southgate’s disposal, it would be easy to forget about West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, however the 27-year-old could prove more useful than he is being given credit for.
With Bukayo Saka frequently struggling for fitness over recent months, Bowen could be in line for a solid amount of minutes, particularly in the group stages. The West Ham forward also has an edge to his game that the likes of Saka, Foden and Eze don’t – and that is his tendency for direct runs beyond the opposition’s defensive line and into their penalty area.
With Harry Kane often dropping deep to get the ball, there could be huge gaps left in the opposition’s defence and Bowen could be the man to exploit that area – particularly in the latter stages of games. His 17 goals and 10 assists for a fairly mediocre West Ham side is incredibly impressive and really showcases his eye for goal.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Following on from the differences that Bowen can bring to England’s setup, there’s perhaps no one other than Kevin De Bruyne who can do what the simply sensational Trent Alexander-Arnold is capable of. Obviously, his contribution depends largely on his tactical deployment from Southgate.
With that in consideration, Alexander-Arnold has to play in midfield alongside Declan Rice despite recent criticism from Wayne Rooney, who stated: “I wouldn’t have him anywhere near midfield. He’s all over the place defensively.” The problem with this is that it is complete nonsense. In terms of defensive positioning and 1v1 defending, perhaps Rooney is right. However, Alexander-Arnold boasts some of the most impressive front-footed defensive stats in Europe, averaging 3.48 dribblers challenged and 1.37 interceptions per 90 minutes (97th and 88th percentile).
His 8.69 progressive passes, 8.40 passes into the final third and 2.59 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes speaks for itself (99th percentile in all of those metrics). Furthermore, his 5.25 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes is also in the 99th percentile and is everything that has been missing from Gareth Southgate’s previous England sides.
Anthony Gordon
Eyebrows were raised following Jack Grealish’s rejection from the England squad, with the left-wing looking rather sparse. As it stands, I think Phil Foden may start out on that left-hand side, but Anthony Gordon will have a big part to play this summer.
Should Southgate decide to use Foden as a number ten, which many have suggested is the right solution, Gordon would become the natural option on that left-hand side. With 11 goals and 10 assists in 35 Premier League games this season, it’s safe to say Gordon would offer a safe pair of hands in that event and has also grew the maturity that had often been lacking in his performances over recent seasons.
His abnormal pace and power, mixed with the end product that his goal involvement numbers prove, he could be an absolute handful. Once again, you can expect Gordon to get plenty of minutes from the bench as he will simply run riot against the slow and then tired defences of the likes of Serbia and Slovenia.
