Tyrone Mings waits to see if Gareth Southgate agrees with Steven Gerrard on England call
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Gareth Southgate is set to name his England squad for the upcoming 2022 Qatar World Cup on Thursday, with the potential inclusion of Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings a huge talking point ahead of the announcement.
Mings, 29, has 17 international caps to his name already which included three strong showings during England’s last international tournament in 2021.
Mings started against Croatia and Scotland during the group stages of Euro 2020. During this time, England did not concede a single goal, with Mings influential at the heart of the defence in these fixtures.
The Villa man has made just four appearances for the national side since England were edged out by Italy in the final of the European Championships, with Southgate leaving Mings out of the past two England camps.
However, he is now making a strong claim to be included in the manager’s World Cup plans when his form is compared to competitors such as Fikayo Tomori, Ben White, Lewis Dunk and Eric Dier.
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The most obvious point to consider is Mings offers a natural and well-needed level of balance within the squad, given the fact he is left footed.
Tomori and Maguire both play on the left hand side of defence frequently but are both right footed, nonetheless. Mings’ foot preference could provide some well needed efficiency and fluidity as England look to build-up in fixtures throughout the group stages, where they will likely dominate possession against the likes of Iran, USA and Wales.
Which brings us to our next point, which is the ability to progress the ball amongst the options at centre back, which is a trait Southgate holds in high regard.
Amongst the aforementioned options, Mings has completed 31 progressive passes which is more than Dunk (24) and Maguire (4). However, less than White, Dier and Tomori who all operate within sides who average higher amounts of possession in each fixture than Villa at 48%.
Maguire’s figures are obviously skewed given the fact he has only started three Premier League games for Manchester United this season, which provides another reason for Mings to be considered, given the lack of game time Maguire has seen in the build-up to the tournament.
In terms of out-and-out defending, there are very few players amongst the English ranks that will provide a bigger helping hand than Mings. He’s recorded 52 clearances across the season which is the most out of the previously listed players, whilst also registered the joint highest amount of blocked shots (9) and is second for interceptions (17).
When discussing Mings’ chances of a call-up, moments such as his failed clearance against Chelsea last month will often get mentioned. However, this was the only time this season that he has seen a personal error lead to an opponents shot, which is the same amount as Dier for Tottenham Hotspur.
When called upon by England, as shown in the Euros, Mings is a reliable option for Southgate to lean on. With tournament experience under his belt and his ability to organise the backline through his natural leadership skills, Mings is an asset for his country who should be considered. And his former Villa boss Steven Gerrard agrees with BirminghamLive here.
Speaking prior to his departure from the club, Gerrard made a strong claim for Mings to be included in Southgate’s World Cup squad, after highlighting the unique attributes the former Villa captain offers his side.
“I watched the England games really closely and, me, personally, there was one player on my mind through them games and it was Tyrone Mings,” said Gerrard.
“I know for a fact that Tyrone would have been thinking the same as me matching them games, thinking that if he keeps this form up, for me, he plays. He doesn’t just go in the squad, he plays. If he brings his best attributes and keeps his form, in a back three, Tyrone can play in that team, for sure.
“When he’s at his best, shows his attributes, 6ft 4, can run, can fight, tackle, win his duels, he’s got all of the attributes in his locker. In the last two league performances we’ve seen that.
“If he continues and Gareth decides to go into the World Cup with three centre-backs, who gives them the natural balance, the best profile and who gives them the speed? I know it’s debatable and I’m not in a position to say but, in my opinion, when Tyrone’s at his best, for me, he should be in the England squad.”
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