Manchester United and England legend Bryan Robson has delivered a bold World Cup verdict – insisting the current Three Lions squad has what it takes to go all the way… if they fix one key problem.
With 90 caps, 65 as captain and 26 goals to his name, Robson knows exactly what it takes to lead England on the biggest stage.
And with the tournament opener against Croatia on June 17 in Texas only a couple months out, he’s laid down his XI for success.
On the latest edition of Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, in partnership with BOYLE Sports, he said: “As long as England gets the defence sorted out, we’ve got a good chance.”
ROBSON’S ENGLAND XI FOR WORLD CUP OPENER
GK: Jordan Pickford
DEF: Reece James, Harry Maguire, Marc Guehi, Luke Shaw
MID: Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Jude Bellingham
FWD: Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Morgan Rogers
Robson has backed England’s midfield to go toe-to-toe with anyone in world football – naming a powerful trio of Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson and Jude Bellingham.
“In the centre of midfield, we’re pretty strong, as strong as anybody else,” he added.
It’s a huge vote of confidence, and one that underlines just how important control in the middle of the park could be against top-level opposition.
Further forward, Robson believes England are blessed with game-changers, but only one name is guaranteed.
“With our forwards, we have got flair players. It doesn’t matter what the manager starts with, if they aren’t on form, apart from Harry Kane, you can change it about because we have got top players who can come on and make a difference when the game starts to stretch.”
But for all the attacking firepower and midfield strength, Robson keeps circling back to the same concern.
“The balance of the squad is good, but I still think there’s a bit of work to do with the back four.”
It’s the one area that could define England’s chances.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
