Southgate has no excuse starting Maguire over Tomori for England

England’s recent Nations League games did little to restore confidence in coach Gareth Southgate and his decision to rely on Harry Maguire instead of trusting in Fikayo Tomori continues to baffle, writes Apollo Heyes.

The Three Lions looked fairly disappointing in their two outings in this international break, putting in a dire performance in their 1-0 loss to Italy and failing to look convincing in their 3-3 draw with Germany. The pressure is starting to mount on Southgate heading into the World Cup, which could be his last tournament in charge should things not go to plan in Qatar.

One player who looked particularly weak in the two matches was Manchester United’s Maguire, who has continued to draw frustration from supporters due to his work on the pitch. The Englishman gave away a sloppy penalty in the draw with Germany and his form remains in the ditches after a difficult time with the Red Devils, but despite this Southgate’s belief holds firm.

Southgate’s resilience in this regard is incredibly confusing when Scudetto star Tomori remains relegated to the bench, watching his fellow defenders fail to impress. The 24-year-old was a core part of Stefano Pioli’s Milan squad in their title-winning run last season and he’s only grown stronger and stronger since arriving in Italy in January 2021.

The English coach’s insistence is even more baffling when hearing his justification. “I know everybody says Harry is important to me but he’s important to us. Why do we pick him? Because he’s one of the players who gives us the best chance of winning,” He said recently, an argument that seemingly makes no sense considering Maguire’s clear weaknesses and Tomori’s strengths.

England’s World Cup campaign is now also apparently a vehicle for Maguire to recover his confidence and he’ll most likely start regardless of his actual level, leaving a rock-solid Tomori stuck on the sidelines, forced to grit his teeth and bare it.