Gareth Southgate has many decisions to make when it comes to choosing his England squad for this summer’s European Championships, and one of the biggest mysteries comes into play.
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Captain Harry Kane is the consensus starter, but behind him the situation becomes a bit murky. Right now, the role of deputy manager seems to be Dominic Calvert-Lewins losing, but Southampton’s Danny Ings is doing everything he can to make it his own.
Southgate has decided to do | Catherine Ivill / Getty Images
Ings has played in a bad Saints side and has shown the ability to change his team’s fortune on his own, and his showing in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Burnley was clear proof of that.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men sank early. They were 2-0 in the first 30 minutes, but that was when Ings exploded.
An exquisite girl for James Ward-Prowse gave Southampton a lifeline before Ing’s glorious solo drive had the Saints level heading into the break. He then helped complete the turnaround with a shot that started the move for Nathan Redmond’s eventual winner.
Danny Ings delivers against his former club! ⚽
Southampton’s principal produces an ice-cold surface to draw the host level at St Mary’s!
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England do not have too many strikers who can have that kind of influence. In his day, Kane can do better than anyone else on the planet, but when the Tottenham man does not shoot, not many can take a game by the neck and force a positive result.
Calvert-Lewin’s goal has dried up somewhat, while Ollie Watkins’ inclusion in the latest squad in England raised some eyebrows due to his latest dry spell in front of goal. Southgate may need to reconsider its strategy.
A place for Leeds’ Patrick Bamford would make sense, while adding Ings to that duo would give England an impressive firepower – good enough to compete with most of the squad in this summer’s competition.
Ings forces himself into England Pool / Getty Images
Ing’s club situation does not exactly help him. Being part of a Southampton team that has not yet decided to join a relegation battle or is not definitely working against the 28-year-old, but if it only depends on his performances, they would probably still be in the top ten.
Southgate must look beyond the Southampton situation and take in what Ings is doing at the individual level. He is a top-class striker, and someone who can really make a difference on an England side often starved of enthusiasm in the final third.
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