Gareth Southgate and Maurizio Sarri both have a battle between Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley. Can either win for Chelsea and England?
A large part of why Gareth Southgate chose the 3-5-2 was because England, at the time, lacked a creative midfielder. They had an abundance of defenders and aggressive fullbacks so a 3-5-2 made a lot of sense.
Since that decision was made, both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley have returned to both full fitness and form. Maurizio Sarri (more than any other spot in the squad) has expertly juggled playing time between the two. Both are fit, in form, and ready to impress.
Their strong showings for Chelsea have turned into international callups. They both offer the creative midfielder that Southgate previously lacked. Thus, their battle for minutes goes from club to country.
The two fill similar roles. At Chelsea, that is generally on the left side of a midfield three where they are tasked with breaking between lines and playmaking. Southgate could use them the same way, or he could opt to use them in a more traditional number 10 spot. Their skillsets are similar with a few key differences.
Sarri seems to believe that Barkley is a “complete” player. By this he means that Barkley can do what is needed on and off the ball offensively and defensively. That seems like a slight stretch, but does appear true when compared to Loftus-Cheek.
Sarri likes Loftus-Cheek’s offensive abilities but seems to lack trust in the midfielder defensively. This is perhaps why Loftus-Cheek’s more recent outings have come in a wider area of the pitch. That is not necessarily the best use of Loftus-Cheek, but it does help to hide his defensive lapses.
Southgate, however, will possible take the opposite view. Barkley is a bit silkier and more refined than Loftus-Cheek. But Southgate seems to appreciate the way Loftus-Cheek can barrel through a midfield. In a traditional 10 role, defense becomes less critical if the team is set up right, so Loftus-Cheek could get the edge there.
Both players are likely to feature during the international break. Both will return and feature in Chelsea’s remaining cup matches this year. Who is better between the two goes back and forth and Mateo Kovacic is the only player truly winning as a result.
How Southgate opts to use the two players could be key going into the long winter slog of games. Sarri will use both during the months of December and January, but how they do for England could tip the scale early.
The United States will not be the toughest of opponents but could be a good warm up for the Englishmen ahead of a rematch with Croatia. Coincidentally, Kovacic is likely to start on the other end in that match and be directly against Barkley or Loftus-Cheek (if either starts).
This friendly competition at club level is good for Chelsea. That it extends to international level is good for Southgate and Sarri. Loftus-Cheek and Barkley know they need to outperform one another to win more minutes. That fight will push both to be better players so long as it remains close and both get their chances.