Should Gareth Southgate snub James Maddison from England’s World Cup squad?
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Gareth Southgate is poised to reject James Maddison from his England World Cup squad for Qatar, but is it the right decision? CHRIS SUTTON pleads for and SAMI MOKBEL against inclusion of the playmaker
- Gareth Southgate is set to name his 26-man England squad for the World Cup
- But James Maddison could be one of the stars who misses the trip to Qatar
- The Leicester City midfielder is in excellent form for the Foxes this season
- It may be too late for him to add anything to his one cap he picked up in 2019
- Click here for all the latest 2022 World Cup news and updates
England will name their World Cup squad on Thursday looking to win the World Cup in Qatar, but inevitably there will be a few unlucky players who will have to miss the final 26-man squad.
Reece James for Chelsea is already one of those who have accepted their fate after being ruled out injured, but now it looks like James Maddison could miss too.
The Leicester star has been in fine form this season, but it seems it has come too late to impress Gareth Southgate, who is on the brink of dropping the midfielder from his squad. Sports post pundits CHRIS SUTTON and SAMI MOKBEL weigh in on whether rejecting Maddison is the right thing to do.
Gareth Southgate will leave James Maddison out of his World Cup squad on Thursday
CHRIS SUTTON – NO
Much of Gareth Southgate’s press conference today will be dominated by one of the names not on his 26-man list. Why did you avoid James Maddison? Did that casino visit in November 2019 occur to you? If it was a football decision, don’t his numbers say he should be in the World Cup?
Maddison has been one of the best footballers leading up to Qatar. He was involved in 22 Premier League goals in 2022, scoring 13 and assisting nine for a struggling Leicester side.
Mason Mount was involved in 13 goals for Chelsea in comparison (scoring six, assisting seven) and Jack Grealish was involved in three for Manchester City (scoring two, assisting one). Southgate likes to show loyalty. He has his favorites. But this may come back to bite him.
Maddison was in excellent form for Leicester City at the start of this season
He is already under pressure after a lack of progression since Euro 2020. As England struggle creatively in matches in Qatar, Southgate will be reminded that he ignored Maddison.
A few days ago I was asked to name my line-up for the opener against Iran. I had Maddison from number 10!
He’s made mistakes (in 2019 when he withdrew from the England squad due to illness, only to be pictured gambling in a Leicester casino).
But so is Phil Foden (the scandalous saga in Iceland). That also applies to Grealish (the violations of the Covid lockdown). So is Harry Maguire (the accusation of assault in Greece).
They are still set to represent England. Maddison won’t do that though, and that’s strange. What else could Maddison have done to get into the England squad? Let’s see what Southgate says when asked that question on Thursday.
Southgate were on hand to watch the midfielder in action at the King Power Stadium
SAMI MUG BELL – YES
He may be gentle and easygoing, but Gareth Southgate is not a man to thwart. James Maddison has found that to his detriment.
It’s been three years since the Leicester attacker played for England, and given his talent it’s a travesty. So, is it all from the night spent at the poker table? Southgate will say no, at least publicly.
The England manager will point out the number of attacking players he has at his disposal. He would of course be right.
James Maddison’s night at a poker table may have found him on the wrong side of Southgate
But Southgate’s reluctance to play with an all-time number 10 has also softened the 25-year-old’s failure.
But the eyes don’t lie: Maddison is clearly one of the best central strikers in the country – his constant non-selection defies football logic.
So there must be more; something in Maddison that Southgate just doesn’t feel like doing.
It appears that Maddison was gambling with more than just money when he spent that night at the casino while he should have been on duty with England. He also risked his international career.
The midfielder won just one senior-level cap against Montenegro in 2019
Southgate is fiercely loyal to the players who gave him everything. That is why Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips, who are recovering from surgery, are optimistic that Southgate will name their World Cup squad today.
If that loyalty and that trust isn’t reciprocated, Southgate is a principled man who just doesn’t forget. That could mean Maddison will even miss a 26-man squad on Thursday.
Frankly, Southgate didn’t make many decisions wrong during his reign.