Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former England defender Danny Mills has looked ahead to the Nations League decider with Spain and the bigger picture under Thomas Tuchel .
Mills has urged Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to think hard about his international future, and made the case that only Harry Kane would get into the golden-generation squad he played in.
The former right-back has also assessed Ezri Konsa 's gamble at Arsenal , how the full-back role has changed, and what Trent Alexander-Arnold should do next at Real Madrid .
The Nations League
How Can England Break Spain Down in the Nations League Decider?
The Nations League fixtures are glorified friendlies, aren't they? If you lose to Spain, it doesn't matter, and if you beat them, it doesn't really matter. It's all about what happens in eighteen months' time; that is far more important. But it's a good marker and a good learning curve.
Thomas Tuchel will have to see what players are available; a lot of players had a lot of games after an international tournament, and the end of October into early December is when a lot of players pick up injuries.
There's a physicality element, and a psychological one too, where you've had nearly two years of straight football, and the body starts to get tired. You have to manage the squad and the load, but whoever plays, it's a great opportunity to showcase what you can do against the very best.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall Has Been in Fine Form for Everton.
What you don't want is for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to get a token gesture of two minutes to stop him playing for somebody else, and then never play again, one of those players who becomes a one-cap wonder. There needs to be a clear pathway. He needs to have a serious think and ask what his realistic chances are of being in the England squad for twenty or thirty caps.
Does he want two or three substitute England caps, or fifty for Ireland ? That's the decision he'll have to make. It's a very competitive midfield with young players too, Jude Bellingham , Cole Palmer and Phil Foden , all in their early to mid-twenties.
Morgan Gibbs-White , Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon are going to be around for some time. There are a lot of players he's up against, which makes it very difficult to get in and stay in with longevity. He's done fantastically well for Everton , but he probably needs a realistic chat with himself about whether he's going to the next major tournament with England and playing, or going to play for somebody else.
The Golden Generation
Which Player From Your England Days Would You Add to the Current Squad?
There are lots of players I played with who would get in. I'd have to go with Wayne Rooney , and I'd play him; you could play almost two centre-forwards with Harry Kane , which would be fantastic. Then I look at that midfield and think Declan Rice is a decent player, but Steven Gerrard , in my eyes, is better than that.
At centre-half, do I look at Rio or John Terry ? Left-back, Ashley Cole . From 2002 until 2008 was probably, apart from '66, the best squad around. Look at the squad I was in: Seaman , Neville , Rio , Sol Campbell , John Terry , Jonathan Woodgate coming through, Ashley Cole at left-back, Beckham , Scholes , Butt , Owen Hargreaves , Steven Gerrard , Frank Lampard , Joe Cole off the left, Owen , Rooney coming through, and whoever else.
A sensational squad. The argument today is whether the current squad is better, and everyone says you look back with rose-tinted glasses. Not really, just facts. Harry Kane is the only player who possibly gets into that squad. Rooney was unbelievable. Would I rather play against prime Harry Kane or prime Wayne Rooney ? Prime Harry Kane all day long, because Rooney could eat you alive in six or seven different ways. Kane is a fantastic goalscorer with great movement and intelligence, but Rooney could do all that and more.
The Modern Game
Does Ezri Konsa's Form Make Him England's First-Choice Centre-Back?
Ezri Konsa has gambled in joining Arsenal , a similar situation to Ben White , who was in and out of the Arsenal squad and in and out of England . You need to be playing; you need to show form, otherwise you lose a certain sharpness, and you need to be playing in those big games and in the Champions League against the best teams.
If you're not, it's hard to perform at the highest level when you go and play for England . He's backed himself and believes he's good enough to force his way in and stay in that Arsenal team, so he's got to prove it. If Saliba comes back in, it's bad news for England too, because if you're playing at right-back every week and then suddenly go to England and play centre-half, it's not the same.
The way you're coached becomes a learned instinct; you do the same things day in, day out until it's second nature. So doing all those things at right-back and then going to centre-half is a different position, a completely different remit. Body positions are different; your vision of the pitch is different. You might get away with it for one game, but it takes a while to get back into that mould if you've not been playing there.
Would You Have Fared Well as a Right-Back Under Tuchel?
I wouldn't have been in that squad, that's for sure! I was a defender, out and out. The role of the full-back has completely changed; there's a lot more emphasis on being on the ball, attacking and coming inside. Having said that, you get much more time and space on the ball now. I'm sure I'd have adapted at some stage, but if you look at who I was in my prime, the game was different; it was far more physical.
People say the game is faster now, but it's not. How many times do you see teams with possession just passing the ball around the back? That didn't happen back in the early 2000s and into the mid-2010s. The game was a lot more cut and thrust at times.
The role of full-backs has changed completely, the game has changed completely, and personalities have changed too. You see a lot of older players; Roy Keane is very vocal on it, talking about how it's different: responsibility, leadership, understanding. It's just a different game.
What Should Trent Alexander-Arnold Do to Turn His Career Around?
Jose Mourinho is an exceptional coach, and I know a lot of people say he's past it, but I don't believe that's the case. He's defensive-minded, though; if you're a defender, defend- that's what he expects.
That's not Trent 's forte. His forte is getting forward and picking passes, so maybe playing as a wing-back might be a better option, with a little bit of security behind him. You can't blame him for going to Real Madrid in the slightest; who wouldn't, with that on the table?
It hasn't worked out as well as he'd expected, which happens sometimes in football. So maybe he'll be looking at it, thinking he does want to leave and just go and play somewhere.
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