Key positions up for grabs in England’s starting XI at the World Cup

England’s opening game against Iran is undoubtedly their easiest on paper throughout the group stages of this year’s World Cup. Gareth Southgate’s men are overwhelming favourites to come away with the win when looking at the England v Iran odds, with the Three Lions garnering a short price at 2/7– while Iran are outsiders at 11/1.

Beginning their campaign in Qatar with a straight-forward victory could prove crucial in the context of the England squad’s run at the title, as it provides them the opportunity to play themselves into some much-needed form. Additionally, given there are expected to be a number of new faces in the England side since their deep run at Euro 2020, it allows Southgate the chance to fiddle with various combinations and formations in preparation for their tougher group match-ups against Wales and USA.

Given England’s terrible form in the Nations League games, which saw them fail to win a single game in six appearances, there are very few spots in the final XI that are guaranteed. Therefore, it’s imperative that Southgate utilises their game against Iran to see what works and what doesn’t. With that in mind, let’s take a look at two of the incumbents from Euro 2020 whose position in the team could be in jeopardy.

Harry Maguire

While Harry Maguire’s performances for the Three Lions have been solid for the most part, the Manchester United defender’s form at club level has been less than stellar in recent years. His poor reads of defensive assignments and subpar positional play has oftentimes plagued the Red Devils at the back.

As a result, there have been calls from prominent analysts within the sport to not play Maguire in the opener against Iran. Former England international Alan Shearer is one of those pundits who believes Maguire’s form doesn’t warrant selection.

“Maguire has barely been playing, while his performance in England’s 3-3 draw with Germany in the Nations League draw back in September hardly inspired confidence,” he said.

“Picking him in your starting XI would represent a huge gamble…”.

Jordan Pickford

While Jordan Pickford’s play at the international level in the past will most likely see him retain his position as England’s goalkeeper, Newcastle United’s Nick Pope is hot on his heels.

When comparing the pair’s statistics in the Premier League this season, Pickford has 55 saves and three clean sheets, while Pope has 41 saves and six clean sheets. Most impressively, Pope has the best save percentage at 74.83 of the three keepers selected in the 55-man squad – while Pickford’s is next best at 68.83.

Whether those numbers influence Southgate’s decision remains to be seen – however – given the admirable job Pickford has done for his country in years gone by – the 28-year-old is widely tipped to start their first group game. One thing is for certain though – it’s a good headache for Southgate to have heading into the World Cup.

While many expect both Maguire and Pickford to start against Iran, Southgate can’t afford to fall into the trap of selecting players purely on experience. If both the aforementioned players aren’t performing early on – the English manager has to be willing to make tough decisions as the tournament progresses.