Gareth Southgate puts his faith in youth as he looks to engineer England evolution

Out with the old, in with the new: finally unshackled from the demands of qualification, Southgate is now more focused on performance than results

Gareth Southgate is now focusing on performances after securing qualification (Getty)

Gareth Southgate launched the second phase of his England tenure at Wembley yesterday, cutting senior players from his squad and promoting youngsters as he tries to build a team who can play his football.

Finally unshackled from the demands of qualification, Southgate is now more focused on performance than results, at least until the World Cup starts in Russia next June. Only now, one year into the job, can he start to truly impose his values and vision on the squad and how they play. Southgate wants them to score more goals and dominate possession more than they have so far. That means building up from the back properly. Which means only picking players he trusts on the ball.

That is why relative veteran Chris Smalling is not part of the group for the friendlies against Germany and Brazil. He served his purpose in qualification, playing in the 2-2 draw against Scotland in June, but now England want to go in a different direction. They want to play out from the back, so Smalling will stay at home this month while Joe Gomez and Harry Maguire join up instead.

It is a bold and surprising decision from Southgate and he was happy to explain exactly why in his Wembley press conference on Thursday lunchtime. “We want to play a certain way,” Southgate said. “The players we’ve brought in we want to see using the ball from the back and building up in a certain way. That’s a style I want to have a look at.”

Southgate was asked whether he believes Smalling is incapable of playing out from the back. “I think [Smalling] can,” Southgate insisted. “We have players like Stones and Dier and Maguire who are even better. Until they’re given the chance to do it, we won’t know whether they can play at this level. Chris has proved it. He’s got 30 caps, he plays for Manchester United, so I know what he can do. The other guys I want to see. That’s an important part of how we want to play, building from there.”

Welcome to phase two of the Southgate era. England have seven months before flying to Russia and Southgate knows that the way they have been playing – not least in their dire 1-0 win over Slovenia last month – is nowhere near good enough to make an impression there. But now that qualification is booked, he is finally free to focus on making this England team entertaining and watchable. Which is why he took the job in the first place.

Southgate favours the style of play showcased by the likes of John Stones (Getty Images)

“We had to qualify, so to fiddle too much with the team while you are still having to win - and you’re not certain whether the lads are going to be able to go in and handle it - is difficult,” Southgate said. “Now we’ve got a phase where we can see what’s possible here, how can we evolve the team, how can we take it forward. How can we give some of the young players that we’ve seen over the summer, how can we start to make that a pathway that they believe in? And that gives them the opportunity.”

This new phase is about helping England to play the type of football Southgate has always wanted to see. “We are nowhere near the highest scorers [in European qualification] and so we’ve got to address that, and part of that is being able to build and create chances,” Southgate said.

“The way I want to play the game, and what’s needed to build from the back, and play through midfield in that, needs a certain sort of technical player. The players we are bringing in now, the likes of Winks, Gomez, Loftus-Cheek, they are comfortable with the ball, they are technically good footballers and we have got to be better in possession of the ball than we have in the last few games.”

Harry Winks has been handed an England call-up (Getty Images)

Smalling was not the only senior player to be left out of Southgate’s new-look England team. Nor did he find room for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has struggled to make an impression since he left Arsenal for Liverpool for £35m at the end of the transfer window. Like Daniel Sturridge, he is not playing enough to be included, and Southgate said he was also a victim of the switch to the back three, in which there is no obvious role for him.

“He suffers slightly from the change of system,” Southgate said. “Because the way we want to go, he becomes a possibility at wing-back, but I think [Kieran] Trippier was outstanding last night, Kyle Walker excellent. If we play him as one of the players just off the forwards, we’ve got Dele Alli, we’ve got Marcus Rashford, we’ve got Raheem Sterling. So there’s real competition for places in those areas of the pitch.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain could get back into the squad in March and other senior players could miss out as Southgate’s plans come together. “The speed of development of some of our young players and progress is eye-catching,” Southgate said. “I don't think anybody can sit and safely think they're going to be involved next summer.”