Gary Neville has had his say on who he thinks should be England’s starting right winger at the moment.
When Noni Madueke was named in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad ahead of the likes of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, there was plenty of scepticism.
His performance against Croatia showed exactly why he was picked when you consider what kind of player he is.
His direct running and pace, much like Anthony Gordon on the opposite flank, allowed Harry Kane to drop into a quarterback-style role and dictate play from deeper positions — something the England captain relished throughout the game.
🏆 Which Arsenal star will go the furthest at this summer’s World Cup?
Zubimendi and Spain? Saka and England? Saliba and France?
There may now even be a case for Madueke to keep his place ahead of Bukayo Saka, regardless of the latter’s fitness.
Gary Neville reveals who he thinks should be England’s starting right winger
Rating England players’ performances on the Stick to Football podcast, Neville rated Madueke fairly highly for his display in the 4-2 win.
“Madueke, I’m giving him seven,” Neville said, before Ian Wright responded: “I’m giving him 7.5.”
Neville agreed. “I’ll give him 7.5 as well, happy to move up. I thought he was very good. I like him, direct, quick, and by the way, I’m gonna say it — he’s England’s number one right winger right now.
“Bukayo is number one, but right now, Madueke, because of his fitness. I love Saka, you know I love Saka. It’s just right now.”
It’s a fair shout. Against decent opposition, such as Croatia, who look to play once they win possession and leave space in behind, Madueke’s directness and pace make him arguably more useful than Saka in that specific context.
Saka comes into his own when England need to unpick a settled, compact defence and require quality crossing into the box, which we have seen him do for Arsenal time and again.
But in games where there’s space in behind, Madueke’s profile and attributes are better suited to exploiting it.
Of course, we know exactly how good Saka is once fully fit.
He made an instant impact off the bench against Croatia, setting up Marcus Rashford’s late goal, and will undoubtedly be in Tuchel’s thoughts. He will make it extremely difficult to be left out for long.
It is a good selection headache to have, though. Not just for England, but for Mikel Arteta too, given how this tournament could change perceptions of both players heading into next season.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
