With England’s Euro 2020 squad now uncertain following threats by UEFA to ban players from clubs breaking away to form the new European Super League, we look at how this would affect squad selection.
Following the late evening announcement on 18 April 2021 that 12 clubs would break away to form an European Super League, UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin has iterated a vow to ban players across all 12 clubs from all European competitions “as soon as possible” after legal discussions.
Six of those clubs include Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, who all provide a large chunk of the England squad between them with over 20 players selected this season.
We therefore are taking a look at how a ban would impact each section of the squad and Gareth Southgate’s Euro squad plans if such a ban comes into effect before this summer’s Euros.
Goalkeepers
Out: Dean Henderson (Manchester United)
There actually wouldn’t be much impact upon goalkeeper selection given that Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope play for Everton and Burnley respectively, whilst the third-choice goalkeeper is often unpredictable so losing Dean Henderson wouldn’t be a major issue.
Should Henderson stick with Man Utd and therefore find himself banned, Southgate would have a decent mixture of youth options in Sam Johnstone and Aaron Ramsdale unless he was to opt for experience in Ben Foster and Tom Heaton.
Looking at those names though, I definitely wouldn’t be too worried about any player ban impacting upon those between the goalposts.
Defence
Out: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Reece James (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Should any player ban be applied, England’s defence would take a massive blow with so many key players like Chilwell, Maguire and Walker ruled out yet would give opposition real belief of beating the Three Lions at the Euros.
I however would be delighted for Conor Coady and Tyrone Mings because they would both be assured of starting positions, which is what they deserve following impressive performances for club and country already this season.
This depletion though would open up opportunities for players like James Tarkowski, Kyle Walker-Peters and Ben Mee as well as a potential return for Everton’s Michael Keane and other snubbed Three Lions defenders.
We however cannot deny that England would certainly feel sub par defensively without the top players available, but Southgate should be able to recruit solid replacement players if he looks at various factors fully from form to experience.
Midfield
Out: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Jesse Lingard (West Ham, loan from Manchester United), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Harry Winks (Tottenham)
On paper, you could argue that those names would be a huge loss and particularly Mount, yet we would still have Jude Bellingham, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice and James Ward-Prowse who are all solid quality midfielders.
Add in absent players like Leicester’s Harvey Barnes and James Maddison plus Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish who could all return to boost the midfield selection, alongside some young talent like Ebrechi Eze then we would still have a solid all-round midfield selection.
Admittedly a squad containing; Bellingham, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse, Barnes, Maddison, Grealish and Eze plus other youngsters or in form players would look slightly weak on paper without big names but their quality would cover the loss of big names.
Forward
Out: Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Mason Greenwood (Manchester United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
A player ban on international football from the ‘Big Six’ clubs would certainly be devastating up front for England with no Kane, Rashford or Sterling amongst those available given their excellent quality on and off the ball as well as name recognisability to the casual fans.
Watkins however would reap the rewards of any such ban given the fact that he has reached the senior squad without playing within England’s youth ranks, which certainly would be a huge fairytale story across the Euros.
Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin would also benefit from the banning of three of his fellow English strikers, given that he could become England’s main forward as a consequence heading into the Euros.
As for filling the striker roster, you probably have to look at least two of Patrick Bamford, Danny Ings or Callum Wilson, unless Gareth Southgate wanted experience and recalled Jamie Vardy given that he didn’t “shut the door” when he stepped aside in 2018 to allow youth a chance.
On that note, Vardy and Watkins playing together up front for England would certainly be a feel-good story for football, given that both players graduated into the senior team without playing in the youth ranks.
England ultimately though would miss the versatility of Kane, Rashford and Sterling up front, but Calvert-Lewin and Watkins plus any of Bamford, Ings, Wilson or Vardy would fill the gap nicely albeit lacking in quality.