Southgate was right to rest England first team

Racing Post Sport’s team of football experts give their verdict on whether Gareth Southgate made the the right call by not going all out for a group win, where they stand on the key selection issues and finally, who will qualify and what the best bet is for the big clash

Mark Langdon
It was a no-brainer on so many levels to give players a rest, even before it became beneficial because of the draw. It will have helped the squad players keep morale up – for some of them it will have been the only minutes they will get at the World Cup – and the key men are rested.

The team virtually picks itself and should revert to the side who started the first half so impressively against Tunisia.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has not done enough to displace the returning Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford is the perfect super-sub to replace Raheem Sterling in the latter stages. Danny Rose does not look fit enough to start ahead of Ashley Young.

These are two different questions. England are more likely to qualify but I could not be overly confident of backing them to win in 90 minutes, although they could be more dangerous against tired limbs as the match wears on.

Harry Maguire (40-1) and Yerry Mina (25-1) would be my two first goalscorer picks seeing as set-pieces are increasingly important.

Steve Davies
Gareth Southgate definitely made the right call. It’s quite likely that a full-strength England would not have beaten Belgium anyway. And given how dependent they are on a core of key players, it made good sense to give them a rest. Throw in the added bonus that the bottom half of the draw has a softer feel to it and the manager did exactly the right thing.

I see no reason why Southgate would lose faith in Ruben Loftus-Cheek ahead of Dele Alli, who is fit again. Weighed against that move is the fruitfulness of the Alli-Kane combination which works so perfectly at club level.

I don’t particularly rate Rose or Young but given that Southgate intends to ‘set-piece’ his way to glory, the United man has to get the nod. RLC for Alli, otherwise same team which started the tournament.

The value has to be Colombia, who have enjoyed two decent wins to nil since their defeat by Japan, which was ruined by an early sending off.

I’d have a bet on over 2.5 goals. England love to attack while Colombia have gems galore on the counter and neither defence is to be trusted. The space the Japanese got between the Colombian lines was seriously worrying. The laughable lunacy that is VAR could also be a factor in a game between two sides who thrive on set-pieces.

Mark Langdon's Colombia v England match preview

Michael Cox's view

Liam Flin
It was the right option to put out a weakened side against Belgium. Not only did it allow for more squad players to get minutes under their belt but it has also resulted in a far better draw on paper. No team should be underestimated at this World Cup but Colombia are arguably the toughest side England could face leading up to the final.

Colombia’s best feature as a unit is their pace and physicality so England should look to field the side most able to cope with that. Jordan Pickford was unconvincing against Belgium but he is England’s number one and Southgate should stand by his man and start him in this game.

Both sides will approach this game well aware of the generous pathway to the final ahead of them so it’s likely to be a cagey affair. The teams are pretty evenly matched in all departments but Harry Kane is the difference for me – Falcao is dangerous but Kane is world-class and backing the English forward to score at any time at odds-against is an obvious bet for me.

Match reports

Tunisia 1 England 2

England 6 Panama 1

England 0 Belgium 1

Ian Wilkerson
I don’t think they went out of their way to finish second but with Spain being knocked out by Russia it has worked out well. Potential injuries have been avoided and Southgate handled the situation as well as possible as it was one he really couldn’t win. The way things have transpired there would have been plenty of people willing to jump down his throat had they won.

I don’t really know where the big team-selection issues are. Dele Alli gives England an extra edge and I’d have him back and I don’t think Marcus Rashford’s performance against Belgium merited him suddenly jumping over Sterling in the queue, which may have been the case if he had coolly finished that one-on-one he was presented with.

I wouldn’t be in a hurry to make a change between the posts either, even thought Jordan Pickford will probably be disappointed with the goal he conceded in the final group match. Picking the same team as Southgate started with against Tunisia would not be an issue for me.

The value probably lies with Colombia given the confidence about England’s chances. I’d rather be on them to qualify because they are a dangerous side and the draw has opened up for them as well.

They would probably have gained three wins from their group games had they not been reduced to ten men against Japan in their opener. It could be nervy so it wouldn’t be a surprise to me if extra-time is required. I’ll go for a draw.

Joe Champion
Yes, Southgate got it right. For all that winning matches is great for confidence, these players have had a long club season and giving the bulk of the first team a rest is a good move if England are serious about winning this tournament, particularly now the draw has opened up.

I’d bring Dele Alli back into the team as he is a great foil for Harry Kane and Ruben Loftus-Cheek be best utilised as an impact substitute, particularly if extra time is required. Jordan Pickford may not be the next Gordon Banks but he’s the best available.

James Rodriguez will not be 100 per cent even if he does play and that is a massive boost for the Three Lions. Southgate’s boys should also benefit from the extra rest if the game goes past 90 minutes but I wouldn’t back them to qualify at the prices. A 90-minute draw could be the value.

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