23 March 2023 , 07:00
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Former England right-back Danny Mills has backed up Gareth Southgate's squad selection after the omission of Ben White and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Southgate spoke of being "blessed" on the right of the back four when explaining the decision to leave out the starting full-backs for Arsenal and Liverpool respectively. Kieran Trippier, Reece James and Kyle Walker have all made the cut, with Manchester City man Walker included despite off-field complications.
White's omission has been questioned by some, given his impressive form at right-back during Arsenal's title charge. However, Mills - who played 19 times for England and started every game at the 2002 World Cup - understands the manager's approach.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football courtesy of the TCS London Marathon, which he is running in aid of Cancer Research, Bowel Cancer and the Bobby Moore Fund, Mills played down the need to pick on form. Making reference to the three "outstanding" players who have made the cut, the former Manchester City man made the case for Southgate not using this moment to reintegrate the two men he has left out.
"He's not really been in the England squads - he's been left out before, hasn't he?" Mills said of Alexander-Arnold. "Does his form this season say he has to be picked? It doesn't. Let's be honest - you look at Liverpool's form, you look at Trent's form, no, even Klopp's left him out from time to time this season, so that speaks volumes.
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"Ben White is an interesting one. He's playing a little bit out of position at right back, I understand that, again is not 100 per cent guaranteed to be in that Arsenal team. There's also the issue that he left the World Cup early. No one's mentioned it. Why?
"We've had no answer or no reason why he left the World Cup early. There's been nothing confirmed as to why he left the England camp, so you have to put that down as well to either he left - and he didn't come out and say for himself it was personal reasons, he just left - so, I'm going to put two and two together and presume there's a slight issue in there.
"What that is, I don't know, but I'm not going mad by thinking clearly there's some sort of issue. So that might be one of the reasons he's not in and around it, but also there are better options."
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Ben White misses out despite his form for Arsenal (AP)Both before and after the World Cup, there have been calls for Southgate to call players up on form and leave out some of the more established faces who are struggling for regular football with their clubs. Some have earned spots, with Ivan Toney potentially in line for a senior England debut after impressing for Brentford, while James Maddison earned a World Cup call-up thanks to his Leicester form but didn't make it onto the pitch in Qatar.
Mills understands both sides of the argument, but recognises the differences between club and international football when it comes to the gravity of each competitive game. The 45-year-old was involved in Premier League relegation scraps during his playing career, while his former Middlesbrough team-mate Southgate had a similar experience as a club manager, and the right-back has drawn parallels between the Three Lions' task and that which faces the manager of a Premier League struggler.
"Everybody goes 'oh you have to pick on form' - you don't, and you can't only pick on form," Mills adds. "If you only picked on form the team would be different every week.
"What club managers pick only on form? They don't, especially when it comes to big games. There's a mix of form, experience, knowing how that player is going to perform under pressure, under the extra scrutiny.
"If you look at any manager who takes over a team that's struggling, they go with experience. If you're at the bottom of the table, not a single player is in form, but a new manager doesn't come in and say 'I'm going to make 11 changes and throw the kids in because they look more excited'.
"It never happens. And that's a little bit of the process that goes when you go into an England team, because you're always under pressure to win the next game."
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Former England defender Danny Mills has had his say on the England squad (BBC)It's this mindset which, as Mills sees it, has convinced Southgate to keep Kalvin Phillips in his squad despite the midfielder's lack of minutes. Phillips followed Mills' path of trading Leeds for Manchester City, but has played just 56 minutes in the Premier League this season.
After playing more than 50 league games for City, the pundit has kept a close eye on the club's approach under Pep Guardiola. And, while recognising Phillips' lack of game time is far from ideal, he understands Southgate's reasons for including a man who he was able to call upon at the World Cup.
"I always thought it was going to be very difficult [to get minutes at City] because Pep [Guardiola] is not one for changing the team up that much," he says. "He might do it in the forward areas, but you're bringing in world class for world class. Rodri was always going to be the big games, and it was Fernandinho in that role before Kalvin came in. he's had injury problems as well so he's not really had an opportunity to show what he can do at Manchester City,
"Again, Gareth knows what he can do, he knows what he's like in and around the environment, he will know he's still training at the highest level. He may be a little short or match fitness and match sharpness but again that will be monitored.
"But again we are not blessed in that position of holding midfield players. Henderson's [been] out injured, if Declan Rice gets injured who would you put into that holding role? Do you start putting square pegs in round holes and then you get criticised if that goes wrong?
"Or do you think 'You know what, I'll bring somebody in in case we need him - unlikely maybe to start but if we do need somebody then I know what I'm going to get from this player. I know the levels he's been at, I know the sort of performance I'm going to get within that'."
Gareth Southgate's squad have a big two games up ahead (AFP via Getty Images)
Southgate himself has raised the subject of the decreasing pool of English players in the Premier League making it tougher to pick an England squad. That's not an issue at right-back, where if anything he is spoiled for choice, but Mills recognises the tough situation faced by his ex-colleague.
"Unfortunately as an international manager, unlike a team manager, you can't pick and choose," he notes. "You can't get rid of a couple of midfielders and bring in a centre-forward.
"You can't get rid of two right-backs and suddenly say 'can we have a left-back instead?'. You can do that with club football, and that's one of the challenges of being an international manager."
England will need to provide a quick response against Italy to put the disappointment of an early World Cup exit behind them, while also looking for revenge over their Euro 2020 conquerors. Ukraine, too, will be no pushovers despite struggling against Southgate's side in the last Euros.
With two from five to go through to Euro 2024, Southgate's team should have enough quality to book their place in Germany. However, the time for experimentation might come later on once that place is assured.