Harry Maguire continues to divide opinion among England fans after he was booed by a section of Wembley against Ivory Coast.
It was a reception that clearly angered Gareth Southgate, who blasted the boo boys post-match, but regardless Maguire’s continued selection has not gone down well with some England fans. There are two sides to this debate - one being that the centre-back’s woeful Manchester United displays mean he is not deserving of a place in Southgate’s squad; the other being that the 29-year-old has, on the whole, been a solid performer for England for a number of years.
After all, this is a player who was included in the team of the tournament at last year’s Euros despite missing the first two games of the tournament. The Three Lions conceded just two goals in the five matches he featured in - one of which was a brilliant direct free-kick that he had no involvement in.
With Kyle Walker being rested from England’s most recent squad so Southgate could give other players a look, perhaps there is an argument to say the same should have happened with Maguire, particularly with Fikayo Tomori a notable absentee despite excellent form for AC Milan.
Yet that’s not to say he should be booed - particularly when the booing came pre-match, before Maguire had even had a chance to do anything right or wrong. Southgate has gone out of his way to improve harmony in the England squad from the dark days of the 2000s, where club divisions reigned supreme, yet it’s difficult to see how that morale will be improved by players seeing a teammate booed by their own fans.
There is no doubt that Maguire retains the support and backing of Southgate, such was the England manager’s response to hearing his defender being booed. Southgate branded Maguire’s reception ‘a joke’, hitting out at England fans who booed the centre-back, and arguing his record for the national team deserves better.
It was a stance that was backed by Maguire’s teammates, with Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson putting club rivalries aside to blast the boo boys on Twitter. Alongside this, the argument that club form should be used to decide England squads can only go so far. If Southgate were to select every player in his squad based on their performances at club level, then he would constantly be chopping and changing and any sort of the continuity that helped England to thrive in the last two major tournaments would disappear.
The likes of Marc Guehi and Kyle Walker-Peters, making their debuts in the most recent England squad, may have been called up for their club form, but, should they make the squad for Qatar, they will be relying on players with major tournament experience like Maguire to help guide them.
Maguire’s selection is not just about loyalty to a player, either, as he has proved to be a crucial part of England’s attacking threat from set-pieces. He’s England’s all-time leading scorer from defence with seven goals from 42 appearances, which is a scoring rate that some midfielders would be pleased with.
You take that out the side and England are shorn of a player who carries such a threat that he distracts opponents from focusing on other players at set-pieces. Why are people booing that?
Ultimately, Maguire will be on the plane to Qatar and will no doubt play a crucial part in Southgate’s side - and no amount of booing would or should change that.
Do you agree? Have your say in the survey above where you can select the squad that will go to Qatar, and then debate your choices in the comments below.
My provisional 23-man squad
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Nick Pope
The first two pick themselves, with the debate over whether Pickford should be number one ended for the time being thanks to his excellent England form. Pope edges out Dean Henderson for the third slot due to game time - Henderson’s three games so far this season is not enough to win selection for a World Cup place.
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Reece James, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, John Stones, Conor Coady, Fikayo Tomori, Luke Shaw, Ben Chilwell/Kieran Trippier
England’s depth in defence is very impressive and there are certainly a few 50/50 calls on this list but the biggest call here is leaving out Tyrone Mings for Tomori, who has been in excellent form in Italy, and whether Chilwell is fit or not after a long-term injury. If he is not, Trippier’s start to life at Newcastle and tournament experience gives him the edge over the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters and James Justin.
Midfielders: Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice, Jack Grealish, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Mason Mount
Kalvin Phillips’ exclusion from the squad is harsh, but an injury-hit season has seen him drop down the pecking order. Bellingham can be the midfield star alongside Rice, with plenty of options over who to pick in the attacking midfield role or on the wings. Saka’s versatility could also play a huge role.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho
Whilst other players have been left out of this squad due to an injury-hit season, Calvert-Lewin gets the nod over Ollie Watkins due to his ability in the air despite having a stop-start campaign at Everton. Watkins is unlucky to miss out, but feels a little samey to England’s other forwards - he’d be first reserve ahead of Marcus Rashford. Sancho is also included after growing into life at Manchester Utd.
Agree? Have your say in the comments below and don’t forget to take part in the survey.
