Paul Parker: England are no better under Gareth Southgate – but kids can change that

Here’s a hard truth: England aren’t any closer to beating the world’s best teams than they were before Gareth Southgate took charge.

The summer was great. The World Cup lifted a country and millions of people will never forget that, but it hid the fact that we’re still lacking on the pitch. The defeat to Spain and narrow win over Switzerland proved that England are still struggling.

Here’s another hard truth: England reached the semi-finals in Russia as a result of circumstance rather than ability. If I said anything different I would be a liar. Say they had topped Group G and faced Brazil in the last eight, as Belgium did. Would we really have been able to beat them? Forget about it.

When it really matters, England are not able to compete with the very best – either individually, or as a team. This isn’t a criticism, it’s just a reminder that our World Cup run probably came too soon.

And yet off the pitch, Southgate has a vision that could turn us into a very good team – something that could never be said during the procession of foreign managers who saw the youth setup (U17, U19 etc.) as a completely different organisation. It’s these off-pitch details, re-engaging with the fans, fixing the penalty process, that carried England past similar opposition in Russia. But it can only take them so far…

What was the point of England fielding the usual crop of middling players against Switzerland? Was it not an opportunity to give a chance to some fresh faces as we look towards Euro 2020? We know what Danny Welbeck can do. We know what Jordan Henderson can do. We know what Eric Dier can do.

If Southgate wants to improve England as an attacking force – and his comments after the Spain match suggest that's his aim – he’s going to have to take a punt on younger players who aren’t getting many minutes for their clubs. With time, they could take England closer to the next level. The current squad can’t do that.

Manchester City’s Phil Foden looks a very bright player, so why not take a gamble on him? Sure, he’s not getting many minutes under Pep Guardiola, but he would have benefitted from 45-90 minutes against the Swiss far more than Messrs Henderson and Dier. We can’t wait until he gets regular football at City as it’s not going to happen soon. Friendlies, perhaps even the UEFA Nations League, are the perfect setting to blood these youngsters.

The likes of Henderson and Dier aren’t going to make England any better. If you look at the top European nations, Spain for example, they are filled with midfielders who are light on their feet and cover a lot of ground. Standing still and passing the ball is not enough. Even Sergio Busquets gets around the pitch and looks to pass forward.

We’re too caught up with the idea of a holding midfielder. I played with a midfield of Paul Ince, Bryan Robson and Roy Keane at Manchester United. They were all incredibly dynamic, reacting to each other’s movement and using their football brains. Nowadays, there are designated holders, whose primary concern is shielding the defence and keeping a high pass percentage.

That’s not progressive. Busquets gets forward; if England want to go to the next level, they have to unearth players who are comfortable alternating positions and sparking attacks. Sadly, we’re producing too many Hendersons and Diers – stats-driven players who are comfortable in a limited role. There’s space for them in the game, absolutely, but not if you want to be amongst the very best.

It’s a lot of pressure to place at Foden’s door, but without this sort of player England will continue to struggle. There are other youngsters I would like to see integrated too. Jadon Sancho is playing regularly at Borussia Dortmund; Ademola Lookman did really well at Leipzig last season. These are players who were prepared to take a risk to prove themselves, so why not get them involved and see if they can do it on the international stage?

Marcus Rashford has to ask himself a question: ‘am I really going to get a run in this Manchester United side?’

He must be thinking that even if he plays fantastically, he’s never going to get a regular place. It must be a peculiar feeling to represent and score for his country, then barely get a sniff at Old Trafford. In my time, if you came into the side and did well, the manager would stick by you. It’s how I lost my place at United. Gary Neville deputised at right-back when I was injured and did well. Bang. My place was gone.

It might be time for a loan move. If he can find a side that passes into feet and gives him balls to chase in the channels – Everton or Tottenham, maybe – he could really benefit from the run of games. It’s impossible for players to switch on and switch off – i.e. the life of a substitute – and make a consistent impact.

And Rashford is good enough to comfortably cut it in the Premier League, regardless of people moaning about him missing chances. You have to get in the position to miss them, remember, and Rashford is always popping up in the right areas. A carpenters bangs nails into a plank of wood, but they don't always go straight in – sometimes it’s a little off and it bends.

There are too many people who expect him to score every chance and get on his back. ‘Oh, he misses one in six straightforward chances’. There isn’t a striker out there who has a 100% strike rate. Lay off him.

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