3 players Gareth Southgate Should Have Selected For The Upcoming Qualifiers For England

3 players Gareth Southgate Should Have Selected – featuring Everton and Southampton stars

This has not been the greatest year for the England national team having sacked their manager after an early exit in the EURO16 in France. Things looked like they would be back to normal when Sam Allardyce’s team got all three points from the first qualifier but a sting operation from a UK media outlet was enough to seal his fate. He was removed from his post and Gareth Southgate, England’s U21 coach , has been asked to work as an interim manager for a couple of qualifiers; against Malta and Slovenia in the international break. Southgate announced his squad for the games and there were a few big names missing from this squad. Here are three such players who Southgate should have selected during these ties:

Troy Deeney (Watford):

With 14 goals in all competitions last season, Watford’s long-serving skipper Troy Deeney will be disappointed to have not made in into Southgate’s squad this break. He has made a decent start to the season and is one of the most experienced strikers in the country and though he has not been able to set the league on fire, his presence in the squad would have given Southgate plenty of strength and dynamism to go to. He is a fighter and can act as a sub that can make a difference in crunch games. Surely, Southgate will feel his absence at one point.

Ross Barkley (Everton):

A surprise exclusion from Roy Hodgson’s England’s squad, Southgate has decided to leave the Everton starlet out like his predecessors did. The 22-year old should have got his chance after injuries to Adam Lallana and Danny Drinkwater but Southgate decided not to tinker with the squad and has left Barkley out for these games. Though the midfielder has been out of form for some time now, he is an exciting player who can easily be a match winner on his night. Southgate has plenty of options to go to but it might turn out to be a mistake to have not added Barkley to those options.

Charlie Austin (Southampton):

Arguably the most unlucky player in the England domestic circuit, Charlie Austin, might just give up on a place in the England national squad now. He has finally moved into a team that is settled in the Premier League and has made a blistering start to the season. He has 5 goals in 4 games before the 0-0 draw against Leicester City and is close to being in the best form of his life. He is a skillful player who will suit the English play and could have been an impact player for the side. The likes of Sturridge, Vardy, Rashford and Rooney might not have given Austin a chance to start but his contributions might have made a difference for the side in crunch games. So it comes as a surprise that Southgate did not consider the 27-year old for these games.