-
Wayne Rooney names the England team Gareth Southgate should pick against Wales and rates Three Lions’ World Cup chances.
Wayne Rooney has advised Gareth Southgate to make three changes for England’s last World Cup group game against Wales, and he has rated the Three Lions’ prospects of lifting the title in Qatar as “quite good.”
In their first game of the competition, England defeated Iran 6-2, but they were brought back to reality on Friday night when they drew to the United States.
Anything less than a three-goal defeat ensures England’s spot in the next round. However, the manner of the USA draw has raised questions about Southgate’s team’s World Cup prospects.
England’s all-time leading scorer, Wayne Rooney, thinks his country has a “decent chance” of winning the World Cup but has urged Southgate to make changes for their match against Wales on Tuesday night.
Ahead of an important round of 16 match, the former Manchester United striker believes Three Lions captain Harry Kane should be rested. He also believes Chelsea’s Mason Mount should be benched.
That would enable Phil Foden of Manchester City, whose omission against the USA was questioned by some analysts, to make his first start in the competition.
Writing in a column for The Times, Rooney said: ‘England’s performance was not great on Friday and there is no getting away from the fact that they will need to play a lot better to have a chance of winning this World Cup.
‘Gareth Southgate needs to make changes for Tuesday’s game with Wales and given that it would almost take a miracle not to qualify, it’s the perfect opportunity for him to give minutes to players who have not been used much so far.
‘Top of the list is Phil Foden. I found it very strange that Foden did not come on as a substitute against the USA. He would be a key part of my starting XI if I were the England boss. Technically, he is the best footballer England have.
‘I think if you have a talent like Foden, you simply have to play him. He is now a different player from the one we saw at Euro 2020, when he struggled to make an impact.
‘He is more mature and came into this tournament on the back of a long period of brilliant performances for Manchester City. He has the form to go with the ability.
‘If I were him, I would be very frustrated that I didn’t get on the pitch at any stage of Friday’s game.
RELATED:
- Marcus Rashford sends message to Cristiano Ronaldo following Manchester United exit
- The 2022 World Cup of shocks delivers again as Morocco defeats Belgium.
- Jack Grealish reveals favourites to win World Cup and reacts to Lionel Messi’s heroics
‘My starting XI would have Foden on the left and Bukayo Saka competing with Raheem Sterling for a place on the right.
‘I would also bring in another holding midfielder to play alongside Declan Rice, releasing Jude Bellingham to play as a No 10.’
Rooney, who scored 53 goals in 120 appearances for England, added: ‘For the Wales game, I would also take out Mason Mount and bring in Kalvin Phillips if he is fit, and otherwise Jordan Henderson.
‘I know Mount did very well against Iran and that he gives you a lot in terms of work rate and energy, but sometimes you need to just let your flair players and your better footballers go and influence games.
‘That is why, if I were the England manager, I would make sure to get Foden on the pitch. Another of Foden’s strengths is his flexibility. If you need to change a game without making a substitution you can do that with Foden, because you can bring him inside if you need to, or you can play him out wide.
‘The other big change I would make for the Wales match would be to rest Harry Kane. Against the USA, he looked like he may have been suffering the effects of a heavy knock he took in the Iran game.
‘It was from a tackle in the second half and in that match I felt that Gareth should have considered taking him off at half-time. England were leading 3-0, the game was already won and Harry is our most important player.
‘When there are opportunities to protect him and help him stay fit, I believe Gareth should take them — and that is why I would keep Harry on the bench against Wales.’
England remains one of the favourites to win the World Cup alongside the likes of Brazil, France and Spain.
Assessing England’s chances after their first two games in Qatar, Rooney said: ‘My overall message to everyone who follows England? Keep calm.
‘Before the tournament, if you had offered England the chance to have four points after two games and be practically through to the knockout rounds, they would have taken it.
‘The clean sheet against the USA is something to build on, and getting a decent result while not playing so well still has its positives.
‘The overall picture for England is that we have seen nothing to fear in the rest of the tournament. England have a great blend of youth and experience and arguably the best squad at the World Cup in terms of quality.
‘I think you still need a bit of luck, with draws and in individual games, but I do think England have still got a good chance in Qatar.’
While England is very certain to go to the round of 16, Wales, who lost to Iran after drawing with the United States in the tournament’s opening match, will need to defeat their neighbours to have any hope of moving on.