Some nonsense here tbh. I think we should have taken more natural wide players given that Sterling has been poor for a while. However, Ross has played for Hodgson as much as any other player for the last 2 years, (he also played in every game at the World Cup) but finds himself out of the team because Alli has overtaken him in the pecking order after having a better season (especially second half of it). Simple as that.
Stones, selected as third choice central defender seems fair enough, Smalling is a year or two ahead in his development and Cahill is a safer option.
Why on earth should England 'build their team' around Barkley? A player who is at best an inconsistent performer in a mid table outfit.
Was he played every game at the world cup? I don't remember him starting many but could be wrong.
Hodgson is a coward and I tell you why. At the turn of the year it was Barkley and Alli to play. Both performed very well in a midfield together and produced one of England best displays in years together against France. This "Alli V Barkley" rhetoric never existed. They are different players, offer different things and had performed well together.
Aspects of the media, started by that rat Carragher then introduced the discourse of Alli V Barkley. I remember him doing it and the Ingerland media bandwagon jumped on it. The sort of knuckle dragging, kopite buffoon that is the social base of England fans jumped on the bandwagon and operation attack Barkley commenced.
I would ask though, on what planet has Alli "overtaken Barkley". BY scoring less goals and having less assists in a better team last year? By scoring similar goals to what Ross has for England. To producing similar performances to Barkley while in an England shirt? By looking unconvincing in Barkley's role as a number 10? If one had to play, then it should have been Barkley without question. The largely southern fan base of Ingerland, and it's 4th estate media would disagree as they worship Spurs and their players. However the facts would indicate Barkley had a better season, was the man in position and had done little to deserve to be dropped.
I am not knocking Alli by the way. I have stated both should be playing. Hodgson is a coward though who is too scared to do the decent thing and play England most creative midfield player.
As for why England should build a team around Barkley? In truth because even half fit he can do things none of our other midfielders can. He can beat players for run, shoot from distance assist in the final third, break from deep and control play from central areas. In essence he has shown he has the ability to run the midfield. All of our midfielders have some of those attributes. None have the ability to run a game in the way he does, with the possible exception of Rooney who gets close.
There are drawbacks to Barkley. He can lose the ball cheaply and at times his defensive work rate isn't great. Top managers would see the positives of what he brings. I'm not saying he should walk into Barcelona. However when you look at that England team he should be one of the first names, as when he's playing well we don't have many players like him.
Hodgson is like Moyes though, he sees negatives in players and when you do that you end up with the least worst option, not always the best option. That's what a midfield of Alli, Lallana & Sterling is. The least worst options.
