Gareth Southgate once said that he prefers to have six right backs in his England squad, in which case national teams are rich.
A look at the attacking stats in this season’s Premier League shows just why.
No player in England’s latest squad has scored more goals in the league than Reece James, Chelsea, with four.
Who has scored the most goals in the squad? Well, that would be another right back, Liverpool Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has four assists. He also scored on Sunday with a brilliant free kick against West Ham.
Then there is a third right back, Kyle Walker, who is the epitome of consistency and is in the best form of his career at Manchester City.
Regular for Spanish champions Atlético Madrid and starter for England in the European Championship final, Kieran Trippier did not make it to the squad this time.
Another talented English born in the Premier League, Aston Villa’s Matty Cash opted to change nationality to Poland last month. He may have seen the line of players ahead of him.
So how did England become so loaded into one position?
Great question! James said with a laugh on Tuesday. I really don’t know.
James said the situation has changed compared to five or 10 years ago, when being a right back was probably just a defender.
So the answer may lie in the influx of so-called super coaches from overseas, bringing new ideas to the Premier League and revolutionizing the role of a full back who attacks as much as defends. Suddenly, it’s an exciting position to play in for a young player.
Of course Pep Guardiola, City’s widely acclaimed manager of Spain, used his full back in his previous jobs at Barcelona and Bayern Munich as an assistant midfielder and attacker, and at City since joining in 2016. Have done so too. Joo Cancello, currently starting City left behind, often has half a touch more in opposition than any of his teammates.
The 23-year-old Alexander-Arnold has basically been Liverpool’s chief playwright for the past three years under German coach Jurgen Klopp.
And at European champions Chelsea, another German manager Thomas Tuchel deployed James and left behind Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso virtually as wingers. Chilwell is also in the England team and scored four goals in a five-match spell in October.
He wants everyone to be attacking, non-stop, constantly attacking the box, 21-year-old James said of Tuchel.
Walker, Alexander-Arnold and James are pushing each other, it seems, as the right-hand side of the three best teams in England that look set to battle for the title this season. James also picks Walker as someone who has mentored him in lesser moments, urging him to work hard to get his opportunities.
James feels he is currently in the form of his life, scoring three goals in his last three league games for Chelsea and giving Kai Havertz a pinpoint cross to score against Burnley on Saturday. He is back in the team at the expense of Trippier and is trying to put the club rivalry aside for the benefit of the entire group.
But it’s not easy, James said. We play most of our football for our clubs and we want to win wherever we are.
Southgate recently said that defenders’ priority should be to defend, which is why he has long favored the more practical trippier in his squad.
This time the selection of James and Alexander-Arnold proved irresistible, however, for World Cup qualifiers against Albania on Friday and San Marino on Monday.
This is an area England should be the envy of European football.
At the end of the day, you are a defender, not a striker, James said. But if you can incorporate aggressive play in your game, I definitely think it helps and benefits the team.
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