Southgate has made some big, bold calls - and got it right

 

England manager Gareth Southgate has been accused of ignoring form when shaping squads of the past. It is a charge that cannot be levelled at him over his squad for Euro 2024 in Germany.

There will be justified claims that Everton's Jarrad Brantwhaite should have got the nod ahead of Brighton central defender Lewis Dunk, but elsewhere Southgate has been ruthless and got it right.

The omission of Manchester City's Jack Grealish may be the big talking point - but has he played well enough this season to be selected ahead of Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze, Newcastle United wide man Anthony Gordon or West Ham United's consistently excellent Mark Bowen?

No.

Has Tottenham's James Maddison done enough to edge in ahead of a similar group? In November the answer would have been in the affirmative.

Now? No.

Southgate, in answer to his critics, has gone with form and made the bold, big calls that look correct when examined in the current context.

And what a reflection on the fine work going on at Crystal Palace they are.

Adam Wharton has come from nowhere to be the "bolter" in England's squad but his brilliant cameo against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Newcastle on Monday told Southgate all he needed to know.

Wharton's calm and assured work on the ball, as well as a vision of what is going on around him, persuaded the manager that he should go to Germany. He has wowed Southgate and team-mates. Could he even make it for the opening game against Serbia?