Harry Redknapp’s World Cup First Team
BetVictor Brand Ambassador, Harry Redknapp usually picks his Premier League Team of the Week but our eyes are now firmly on the QATAR World Cup.
Following Gareth Southgate’s England squad announcement, we asked Harry to pick his first team line up for the World Cup group stages. Stalwarts Harry Kane and Jordan Pickford make the cut, with Grealish and Saka up front, Rice and Bellingham midfield and Alexander-Arnold and Shaw in the wing back positions, but it’s the inclusion of Harry Maguire in the back three with Dier and Stones that makes for an interesting choice.
Do you agree with Harry’s picks, or is there a player you feel he’s left out? Maybe you agree that Ward-Prowse should be in the team? Let us know below and don’t forget to visit BetVictor for all the latest World Cup and Football Betting Odds.
What Do You Think of Gareth’s Squad Choices?
Gareth’s named his squad now, so exciting couple of weeks ahead for the build-up. We’re all looking forward to this World Cup. One or two not massive surprises, one or two of the lads will be disappointed not to go. I think Ivan Toney will be disappointed. Ward-Prowse, I thought he might have gone.
But in the main, I think it pretty much picked itself, so this is the squad.
I’m going to tell you the team I would’ve played and the system I would play. I’m sure Gareth will play a completely different system and probably a very different team, but this would be my team.
Who’s Your England World Cup Goalie?
I’d play three at the back; I think we’re well suited to playing that way. We’ve got a lot of attacking full backs who love to go forward. I think I’d start with Pickford in goal. I think we’re well off- All three keepers are in good form, all of them playing well for their clubs, but Pickford’s got the nod because of his experience in the England team. He’s been number one in there for a long time with Gareth; never let him down, never let country down, to be fair. I don’t see any way that Gareth would change him and I’d stick with him as well.
Who Would You Play at the Back?
At the back, I’d play Trent Alexander-Arnold as a right wing back. I think he’s perfect for that position, he gets caught out defensively at times, but I do think in the system that I would want to play that we can cover for him. And then you want somebody behind him on that right side who can get out there and feel comfortable if they’re drawn out in that right side.
“I don’t see any way that Harry [Maguire] doesn’t go.”
Big problem we’ve got is it’s a very right sided group of players. There’s no left footer, there’s no out-and-out left sided, we’ve only got Shaw and that is your problem at left sided centre half. But the three I’d go with at the back, I’d go with Dier, Maguire – which I know a lot of people wouldn’t agree with, but I don’t see any way that Harry doesn’t go. He’d still be in my team and I don’t see anybody else around. And I’d play Stones. I don’t really see anybody else who I can play that jumps out at me that is in better form than Harry Maguire. There’s no young centre half’s around that you can say ‘yeah he should be in the team’, so they’d be my three at the back. Obviously, Luke Shaw would left-back. We’re short a left-back, so that would be how I set up at the back. Playing three, pushing the two full back’s on.
What About the Midfield?
In midfield, I think I’d play- I love Bellingham. I think he’s an absolute star. A massive talent. To be captain in Borussia Dortmund at nineteen years of age tells you just how good he is. You don’t go to Germany and captain the top German team, or the second best team in Germany, if you’re not a great player and you’ve got something about you, and that’s obviously been proved weekly. He’s gone over there and he’s the captain of Dortmund. I’d play him in midfield with Declan Rice. There’s plenty of young energy with the two of them. Declan’s already got loads of experience. They’d be my two that I’d start with.
“I’m a great Grealish fan, I just love Grealish.”
Then I’d want to get Grealish in my team. I’m a great Grealish fan, I just love Grealish. But with them two in the middle of the park, I’d probably play… you know, there’s different options with that system. You can either play three in the middle of the park, or you can play two in there with one behind which I quite like. If I’m playing one in behind, I’d play a split-front; two players I’d probably go with are Grealish, and I think I’d go with Saka. I think he’s a fantastic talent. I’d play Grealish off the left, and Harry Kane obviously play up front
That would be how I’d set up.
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