In the early hours of July 16th Beijing time, England will face Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. Before the match, Alan Shearer shared his thoughts on England's starting lineup. He said that Madou Kei's performance against Norway was disappointing, and if Saka's physical condition is not up to par, Morgan Rodgers is expected to start as England's right winger against Argentina.
The Three Lions will face Argentina in the semi-final on Wednesday, and Tuchel faces several key personnel decisions. Throughout the tournament, the right-back and wing positions have been the biggest headache for the England manager, while Declan Rice's fitness also urgently needs to be addressed.
Anthony Gordon has recently regained his form and has essentially secured the starting position on the left wing, but the choice for the right wing remains undecided.
Saka never quite reached 100% physical condition throughout the tournament, and he didn't start in the quarter-final victory against Norway; Arsenal winger Madou Kei had a poor first half and was substituted by Saka at halftime.
Based solely on form, Saka is highly likely to secure a starting position. Shearer stated that Madou Ke has contributed little on the pitch and has fallen behind Aston Villa player Rodgers in the pecking order, who was originally selected for the national team as a number 10 attacker.
“I was surprised that Saka didn’t start against Norway, but it’s obvious he’s not fully recovered,” Shearer said in an interview. “When he’s at his best, he’ll definitely be in the starting lineup. I’m not surprised that the coach substituted Madou Kei for Saka at halftime because he didn’t provide enough support for the team in the first half. Whether Saka can play is still unknown, but I predict he will start once he’s fit.”
“My ideal starting lineup against Argentina is: Pickford, Reece James, Stones, Gue, O'Reilly, Rice, Anderson, Bellingham, Saka, Kane, and Gordon. I will most likely continue with Gordon on the left wing; however, if the coach judges that Saka is not fit enough to start and Maduekhe is not up to the task, he may also have Rodgers play on the right wing, alongside Gordon and Bellingham. This is also a backup plan.”
Of England's four traditional wingers, Madou Ke is the only one who has yet to contribute a goal or assist in this tournament, and he has even played more minutes than Saka and Rashford.
Gordon and Saka each provided three assists; apart from Harry Kane and Bellingham, Rashford was the only player in the team to score a goal.
When discussing their opponent Argentina, the focus will inevitably be on Messi. He has already scored eight goals this summer, tying with Mbappe for the lead in the World Cup Golden Boot standings.
However, Shearer reminded England fans that even though Argentina's defense has weaknesses, the team still boasts a host of talented stars besides Messi and should not be underestimated.
“No one gets to the semi-finals by luck,” Shearer said. “Argentina’s attacking prowess and determination to win should not be underestimated, and that’s what’s most admirable. They are the defending champions, and they have the confidence to get to the semi-finals. But I think we have every chance to break through their defense and create scoring opportunities. The most crucial question is undoubtedly: if we can contain Messi, our chances of beating Argentina will increase significantly.”
"But it's not as simple as just locking down Messi to win. Look at Alvarez, he scored a brilliant goal against Switzerland in the quarter-finals; the team also has talented players like Enzo Fernandez and McAllister, so the defense can't just focus on Messi alone. However, if we can successfully limit him, the probability of winning will definitely increase significantly."
"Messi doesn't make a lot of off-the-ball runs, but his football intelligence in reading gaps and controlling the pace of attack and retreat is superb. Now his teammates take on a lot of running for him, but once the ball falls to his feet, his lethality remains unstoppable."
