Just three months after being appointed England manager, Gareth Southgate insisted that he would pick his teams based on form, and not reputation. Previous Three Lions bosses had been criticised for constantly selecting big name players even when they were underperforming, but Southgate promised to buck that trend.
“I never pick on reputation - form has to come into it," Southgate said in February 2017. "You have to look at the opposition and the type of game you’re expecting and select the players best suited to that."
However, Southgate's England squad selection for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany suggests that he is somewhat picking on reputation rather than form. Arsenal defender Ben White, who has started all six games so far this season for the Premier League table-toppers, has been left out of the squad.
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White has demonstrated his versatility - a quality that Southgate values in the likes of Bukayo Saka and Kyle Walker - by playing right-back this term, and he has impressed in the position.
But despite his consistent performances in the Gunners' backline, the likes of Harry Maguire have been preferred over the former Brighton defender in the squad, which is a decision that has baffled former Tottenham Hotspur striker Darren Bent.
“How can Maguire be in the squad and Ben White not be?" asked Darren Bent on talkSPORT. "I need someone to tell me a reasonable argument. By trade, Ben White is a centre-half. Maguire’s got no form and he’s not playing.”
Maguire has not enjoyed a good start to the season with Manchester United, with the club captain failing to start their last four Premier League games.
The defender was dropped by Erik ten Hag after United's shocking 4-0 defeat at Brentford last month, and he has played just 10 league minutes since, as a substitute against Arsenal. However, the 29-year-old has still been selected by Southgate despite being short on game time.
Providing White continues his form in the lead up to the World Cup, he will be hoping that Southgate makes a U-turn on his selection, and sticks to his word that he will pick players based on performances and not reputation.
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