I think it matters little what I think. Southgate has this massive sense of loyalty to his players even though in some cases it perhaps goes too far. I think the first problem you have to solve is who are the first choice front 3. Kane is an obvious choice, which I'm sure you'll now agree on. And Saka probably is too on the wide right. So wide left? Well Rahford didn't do his chances any harm last night and he's been pretty much bang in form for a good while. I'll gladly admit I lost faith in him a couple of years back. I don't know what's changed but he seems totally focussed on his football again and it's shows and is paying dividends. So at this point in time that's what I think is Southgate's likely front 3. So no place there for Foden and perhaps expectedly so also Grealish. Now for me, i think as an attacking midfielder that is definitely Grealish's best position but clearly Southgate and Pep don't as they start him out wide. So Foden. Where is his best position. I think he is more suited to the wide role than Grealish is but Foden can also play in that central midfield role.
Now without doubt Bellingham and Rice are absolute certainties for two of the midfield 3. I want to discount Henderson but Southgate doesn't even though I think he'll start to get less and less minutes from here on in.[ He'll probably be captain against Malta though] but once qualifiers are out of the way then preparation starts in earnest. So who do we have left of the possible candidates[ I'm now discounting Mount] We've got Phillips, Maddison, Foden and TAA for just one position. Of those four, I don't think Southgate sees Maddison as a regular starter, although current form would definitely have him in there. I also don't think he sees Foden as first choice there too and that's harder to see why not. His loyalty to Phillips is imo way over the top and it's hard to criticise anyone after last nights game but he was the one who never had any sort of positive impact on the game. But Southgate does like that tigerish quality in players. Players who can put a foot in but for me against the other best teams n the world Phillips is the one who'll struggle.That leaves TAA who can play that defensive role and for me he can add much more than Phillips can. He's so mch better on the ball than Phillips, and even though he sits deep, is always forward thinking and can play much more penetrative balls through than Phillips. So he'd be my choice but as it stands Phillips has the shirt and Southgate won't change that.
