Gareth Southgate’s side have been drawn alongside Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in the group stage of the upcoming competition, with most Three Lions supporters anticipating a second-place finish. There is not a great deal of positivity surrounding the national team at present, with the so-called golden generation of the 2000s now a thing of the past and a talented younger crop of players not yet ready to do battle at senior level.
While the likes of Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling are among Europe’s best players in their positions for their age, there is a lack of quality and strength in depth elsewhere. The absence of Kane for this friendly and the upcoming meeting with Italy on Tuesday has dampened optimism further, but Southgate will be fully aware of how important these matches are as he continues to build a team for the challenge ahead.
The Netherlands’ failure to qualify for the World Cup means they have now been absent from the last two major tournaments. In the end the three-time runners-up missed out on the play-offs on goal difference alone, but although they were drawn in a touch group it is still a major disappointment for the country to have missed out on Russia.
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There is desperate need for reform within the nation’s football structure and it is to be hoped that the arrival of Ronald Koeman as manager will bring about the change which is required to restore the Netherlands to the pinnacle of the world game. Indeed, while there are some talented young players emerging, national team stalwarts such as Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie have all now departed and it is clear that the current Dutch squad does not possess as much individual quality as previous versions.
The key selection issue for England is between the sticks, where Jack Butland, Joe Hart, Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope are all battling it out for the No.1 jersey ahead of the World Cup. Jamie Vardy looks set to start up top in the absence of Kane, with support provided from Rashford, Alli and Sterling, and Southgate has pledged to continue with the three-man defence he employed towards the end of qualification.
With Sneijder not selected and Robben having retired from the international game, the most experienced members of Koeman’s first squad are Ryan Babel, Kevin Strootman, Jasper Cillessen and Georginio Wijnaldum, with Memphis Depay among the most-capped players despite still being just 24. Virgil van Dijk will be an important figure in the heart of the hosts’ backline, while Bas Dost will look to cause England problems at the other end of the field.
A low-scoring encounter could be on the cards in Amsterdam, so under 2.5 goals looks like a sensible selection. Elsewhere, Sterling – who has been a consistent threat in and around the penalty area for Manchester City this term – would be a wise choice for anytime goalscorer.
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