Wilshere, Hart snubbed in World Cup squad: Why Gareth Southgate's bold streak offers England hope

On small details can history twist and turn. Like a fateful pint of wine. In a parallel universe, it is Sam Allardyce who is today unveiling his England squad for the World Cup finals. Captain Wayne Rooney playing wherever he wants; No. 1 Joe Hart belting the ball forward at any sign of danger; Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling providing a muscular presence in the centre of a traditional back four.

Instead, Allardyce has been sacked by Everton on the exact day that the identity of the 23 men representing the nation in Russia will be confirmed, and explained, by Gareth Southgate, who on the eve of his big announcement put in calls to two of England’s biggest names and told Joe Hart and Jack Wilshere – owners of over 100 caps between them – that they would not be considered for selection. Meanwhile, uncapped 19-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, with one cap to his name, are both named in an exciting young squad.

Southgate makes for an unlikely iconoclast. But his quiet and careful persona – a stark contrast to the boastful and brash Allardyce depicted in the undercover Telegraph video which brought his reign as England manager to a close after one pitiful game – should not disguise a smouldering revolutionary zeal.

If Southgate was perceived to be an FA yes-man when the governing body turned to him in the crisis days of September 2016, someone to steady the ship and keep things ticking over, then he has consistently proved those pre-conceptions wrong. Hart and Wilshere are just the latest two big names, employed by big clubs, to get on the wrong end of one of Southgate’s ruthless decisions. Reputations be damned.

Southgate inherited Wayne Rooney as captain but carefully choreographed his removal from the squad and forced England’s all-time record goalscorer into early international retirement. Smalling and Cahill were squad stalwarts playing for two of the biggest teams in the country – but as soon as Southgate decided they were unsuitable for the passing game he wanted to play, they were gone. Cahill may yet earn a reprieve for the World Cup – but only because Joe Gomez and Alfie Mawson are injured. Wilshere wasn't up to speed in training and Hart's errors with West Ham made him unpickable. Both have been cast aside.

The results haven’t always been spectacular – England have only scored more than one goal once in their past seven matches, and that came in a narrow 2-1 win at home to Slovakia in September 2017 – but the story of Southgate’s England reign has been one of bold decisions, of putting foundations in place. The former England Under-21 manager is zealous in his promotion of young talents – Loftus-Cheek and Alexander-Arnold are the beneficiaries in Wednesday’s World Cup squad – and allied to that there has been a welcome evolution in style which simply would not have been possible under Allardyce.

The March friendlies were on the face of things non-descript – a 1-0 win over Netherlands in Amsterdam and a 1-1 draw at home to Italy – but something significant was happening across those 180 minutes. England were playing the ball out from the back. Not with a few token passes before giving up and booting it forward, but bravely committing to a short-passing style from the goalkeeper and back five as they constructed moves from their own penalty box. It was a clear departure from the past.

It was also a high-wire act at times, but another undoubted act of boldness from Southgate and a necessary change in direction. Trendy, too. No team encapsulates this approach better than the Manchester City side which have just finished the season with 100 Premier League points. Southgate’s decision-making process has even been informed by chats with Pep Guardiola. “I’ve spent time with him briefly,” he said in March.

England’s problem at international level has always been their inability to retain possession and control the game. Southgate’s preferred style of building patiently from the back, aping Guardiola's City and before that Barcelona, is a fundamental building block when attempting to live up to the England DNA manifesto that is the Football Association’s blueprint for future success. “England teams aim to dominate possession intelligently,” it reads. “Selecting the right moments to progress the play and penetrate the opposition.”

Contained within the document is another telling passage: “English football has a rich heritage and history that we want all England players to be aware and respectful of. History itself, however, must not become a burden. The future is the focus and the aim is to create new history. There are many examples of creative and technically excellent players who have played for England, as well as innovative coaches and managers – aspects of our history that we want to develop.”

Allardyce would not have been a break from England's imperfect past. But Southgate has shown signs that he is. The key now is to take this approach into the World Cup. England will not win the tournament but Russia is a chance to secure validation for Southgate’s approach. To consecrate his vision for England, learn some lessons, and then work towards Euro 2020, where the semi-finals and final will be played at Wembley. Following that cataclysmic defeat to Iceland at Euro 2016, expectations are as low as at any point in recent memory. For Southgate, this presents an opportunity. As early as his first press conference after replacing Allardyce, Southgate spelled out his intentions for this World Cup. “I think the potential is high but we need some of those experiences,” he said. “It is only failure if we don't learn from it and build on the good things that have happened.”

If Southgate has not won wider acclaim from the English public it is likely because his results haven’t exactly been electrifying. But those watching closely from inside the game are clearly impressed. In a speech delivered by proxy, on the night Mo Salah won the Footballer of the Year award, Jurgen Klopp dedicated a passage to England and Southgate. “You are blessed in this country with wonderfully talented, skilful, honest, committed and tactically astute players,” the Liverpool manager wrote.

The final part of Klopp’s address to the Football Writers’ Association also included a gentle warning to the press. “Maybe reduce the pressure a notch or two, that is where you can help I think. Maybe take the numbers 1966 off your computer keyboards for the summer and let this team write their own history and memories.”

With the assistance of Southgate’s bold leadership, they have a chance.