My Thoughts On: The Attacking Midfield Position for England

Hodgson and Cleverley after the Moldova match

Glenn Hoddle - "I thought Cleverley did very well. I like the way he plays and moves; he creates space for himself and for others, which gives the team more options."

The England midfield in a 4-4-2 has been the same for years now, Lampard and Gerrard. In recent times however, with Hodgson's introduction of a 3rd midfielder and the two England legends getting on a bit, we are bound to soon see a new midfield for the Three Lions, but the question is who?


 

Hodgson's main concern over the midfield at the moment is (or should be) the attacking midfield slot. He recently compared the Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley to World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas, who plays a false 10 role for Barcelona.

The false 10 is a player who moves from midfield to attack, like a false 9 moves from attack to midfield.

Rooney and Cleverley in their possible roles

This comparison indicates that Hodgson is looking towards Cleverley to play the attacking midfield role, and in my opinion, he could be incredibly effective alongside his United teammate Wayne Rooney, who could play a false 9 role.

It would be unfair though, if Hodgson had chosen his next attacking midfielder for the foreseeable future already. There are a few other candidates worth a shout.

Option 1 - Danny Welbeck

One of the most likely players to play behind Rooney is Danny Welbeck. Like Cleverley, he plays with Rooney for Manchester United so he already has a good understanding with the England star player. Welbeck is more of a striker than Cleverley, he possess a better shot, and would definitely be more likely to get on the scoresheet than his teammate. On the other hand, the striker who scored 12 goals for United last season lacks Cleverley's creativity and accurate passing, and for that reason I would still choose Cleverley over him, especially since we will miss the accurate passing from Lampard and Gerrard in the years to come. 

 

Option 2 - Adam Lallana

If Hodgson were to choose Lallana as the new number 10 in his system, I think everyone would be surprised, but it wouldn't be the worst decision he's made. Yes he has no international experience outside of the youth groups, but he possesses a lot of the qualities that Hodgson will be looking for in this role. The Southampton player has got an accurate long shot up his sleeve, and a good eye for a pass, with the technique to match.

Option 3 - Ashley Young

The 25 year old is another Manchester United player who could do well in the false 10 role. Out of the previously mentioned players, Young is the best dribbler and also has a good shot and passing ability. The winger is often seen out on the left for England and United, but played behind the striker at times during England's Euro 2012 campaign.

He would probably be the best option for the role if he had to immediately come in and perform, but at 27, Hodgson would definitely be better off with choosing a young prospect to grow into the role and make it his own for the next few years.

Thanks for reading what I have to say! You can follow me on Twitter to keep update with my blog and have a talk about football if you want! Please tell me what you think of this series of sorts, should I continue with them?