England come into the game having come from behind to beat Switzerland 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday, with Southgate making their debuts for Marc Guehi, Kyle Walker-Peters and Tyrick Mitchell. Against Ivory Coast, however, he is planning sweeping changes, with Harry Maguire, Jack Grillis, Rahim Sterling and Nick Pope among the players expected to start. Ben White is the only player from Saturday’s victory over Switzerland in a row to maintain his place in the team, but even he is likely to start in a different position. Picture: England potential team to face Ivory Coast at Wembley
Jump to four back
Will we see system change as well as staff changes? Image: Harry Maguire celebrates after scoring against Albania in World Cup qualifiers England’s success in the last World Cup was built on a back three, with Kyle Walker, Maguire and John Stones being flanked by wingers Kieran Tripier and Ashley Young. The England boss has tried to break away from the club in recent years, but returned to it at Wembley on Saturday, with Guehi, Conor Coady and White, a late replacement for John Stones, who left with a minor injury, starting with the center. back. It was noteworthy, however, that Southgate jumped to four backs as England chased a winning goal in the second half, with White moving from center to right back. The change of tactics helped England make the breakthrough and now it looks like it will continue from where it left off on the Ivory Coast. Maguire will be joined by Tyrone Mings in the center, with White completing on the right back.
Rice returns to the midfield
Southgate developed Jordan Henderson at the base of his midfield against Switzerland, but Declan Rice’s performance from the bench was a reminder of his importance to the team. The 23-year-old brought immediate stability and control after replacing Conor Gallagher shortly after Wembley, prompting Southgate to later describe him as a possible candidate to succeed Kane as captain. “He’s right despite his age,” Southgate said of Rice. “What I have seen this season is the confidence he gained from his experience last summer. “He had a huge impact on the game when he came in,” he added. “A really mature look, strong, dissolves the game so well, but now he has more confidence to lead with the ball and bring it forward. “Without a doubt, he has all the qualities to be a captain. There will be others, but we are gaining the rewards of the opportunities we had to bleed him so young.” Rice will start from Ivory Coast and, with Harry Kane alone on the bench, he may have his first chance to wear the armband. Maguire and Sterling have both been England bosses in the past under Southgate, but are reportedly considering giving Rice the job at Wembley.
Kane on the bench but still looking at Rooney
Picture: Harry Kane scored his 49th goal in England from the penalty spot
Harry Kane reached 49 international goals with his penalty against Switzerland, surpassing Gary Lineker and finishing second with Sir Bobby Charlton in the All-Time Score of England. The striker, whose 49 goals in England have been scored in just 68 appearances, is now just four less than Wayne Rooney’s record. He will be determined to further reduce the difference on Tuesday but will probably have to do it off the bench. The meeting with Ivory Coast may have been an opportunity in the past for Tammy Abraham, the 24-year-old who scored 23 goals for Roma this season, but his departure from the team opened the door for Ollie Watkins to begin. Watkins will be willing to take advantage of his opportunity having appeared as a change only in the 88th minute against Switzerland. The Aston Villa player has won six appearances for England and scored his only goal in his debut against San Marino last year.
Zaha reunion for Southgate
Image: Wilfried Zaha chose to play for C Αte d’Ivoire instead of England
If things had turned out differently, Wilfried Zaha could have appeared in England and not in C Αte d’Ivoire on Tuesday. Zaha represented England at the youth level and even played for the Three Lions senior team in two friendly games before changing faith in C Αte d’Ivoire, his home country, in 2017 and continuing to be a key figure for the Elephants. Zaha’s international history is well known to Southgate, a former Crystal Palace player who included Zaha in his top eleven as England U21 coach in 2013. “Wilf is a good player,” he said this week. “When we had him with the Under-21 he was in the middle of a difficult period with Manchester United and then on loan at Cardiff. “I remember going to a hotel, Palace was playing away from home and I was meeting with Wilf, but at that point he had decided. I understand. He was four years without playing.”
Could Guehi follow Zaha’s example?
C Εte d’Ivoire manager Patrice Bommel has revealed that he still hopes to persuade Mark Guehy to represent his country of birth. Guehi made his England debut against Switzerland, but may change his mind until he plays a competitive game. “I’ve been following Mark for two years, since he played for Swansea,” said Bommel. “I know he can still choose Cτοte d’Ivoire, so we are working on it. I tried to contact him several weeks ago before he made his decision. “When I saw him on the English lists I realized that at the moment he wants to try with the Three Lions. “Since he went to Crystal Palace he has improved a lot and it could be a choice. But the choice has to come from the heart. He will make his own decision.” Zaha has scored five times in 26 appearances for Ivory Coast and is one of many Premier League players on their squad for Tuesday’s Wembley match. Manchester United’s Eric Bay and Wolves’ Willie Bolly could play in defense, while Burnley’s Maxwell Cornet and Arsenal’s Nicholas Pepe will hope to be involved in the attack along with Zaha. Sebastien Haller, who has excelled for Ajax after a difficult period with West Ham, is expected to lead the line. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Former England captain John Terry attended England training session this morning at Tottenham Hotspur.
Last chance to impress Southgate?
Sky Sports News reporter Gail Davis: On Friday, England will find out who they will face in this year’s World Cup. Before then, perhaps a much more important night awaits Gareth Southgate and some of his players with one last friendly match and, for some, perhaps one last chance to show what they can do in Qatar. Southgate has stated that everyone on the team will be given playing time, as he wants to manage the workload of the players at such a critical time of the season. One man who has not been as busy as he would like in recent months is Harry Maguire. England has become something of a refuge for those who endure difficult times at home, however – if Maguire is looking for some inspiration to regain the form that led him to become the most expensive defender in the world, he does not have to look far. Southgate has developed an environment where players can thrive. The England manager spent much of last week defending his decision to pick Jordan Pickford and then on Saturday afternoon the Everton man rewarded his faith with some crucial rebounds and a “synthetic” performance. Luke Shaw, who scored the goal to get England back into the game, also felt the love – playing with a smile on his face helped him raise his level. Southgate said he never thought of leaving Maguire out of the team, so I asked him how he balances continuity and loyalty with form. He admitted that it is a “difficult enigma” because we have players we know who have performed well in the England shirt, but there has to be some level of control over how people play with their teams, that has to be a factor in that. Everyone has an opinion on who we should and who we should not choose. In the end, we need our best possible players to play at their best to give ourselves the best chance of winning. “ Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Gareth Southgate says he still believes in Harry Maguire’s international genealogy despite playing for Manchester United this season So does Southgate still believe that Maguire is one of the best players? “Well, he brought us to the World Cup semi-finals and the Euro final, so there is no doubt that he is more than capable of playing at the highest level. The club is in a difficult time, there may be several reasons for that. It does not mean that the players can be poor for a few years and then find their way. ”The Manchester United defender still has money in the bank, but now is the time to start repaying his credit. So to the other Harry, who recently had to rediscover his own goal form, and a different puzzle of choice for Southgate. How do you manage a player with 49 goals, who is close to Wayne Rooney’s all-time record in England and desperately wants to wear the England shirt with the need to develop a plan B in attack? “If he had his way, he would play 90 minutes in every match, which is great to have, because if your leader …
