England caretaker manager Gareth Southgate gives a press conference on Monday. Paul Ellis / AFP / October 3, 2016
England caretaker manager Gareth Southgate gives a press conference on Monday. Paul Ellis / AFP / October 3, 2016
England caretaker manager Gareth Southgate gives a press conference on Monday. Paul Ellis / AFP / October 3, 2016
England caretaker manager Gareth Southgate gives a press conference on Monday. Paul Ellis / AFP / October 3, 2016

England v Malta preview: Gareth Southgate gets as good a chance as any to make his case


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England v Malta, Saturday, 8pm UAE time, Abu Dhabi Sports 3HD

Timing is everything in football.

Gareth Southgate insisted in the summer that he was not ready to become the next England manager, but he now unexpectedly finds himself in charge of the country he represented 57 times as a player following Sam Allardyce’s vacation of the post last week.

Had the former Middlesbrough boss been chosen as Roy Hodgson's successor immediately after Euro 2016, there probably would have been unrest among supporters at an underwhelming appointment. After Allardyce's misconduct, though, Southgate's image as a principled and dignified figure has worked to his advantage despite a relative lack of managerial experience.

The fixture list has also been favourable. England have already negotiated their toughest task in qualification for the 2018 World Cup, beating Slovakia 1-0 in Trnava last month, and have an excellent chance of picking up nine points from nine against Malta, Slovenia and Scotland in the next five weeks.

Overseeing three wins in those matches could be enough for Southgate to land the job on a permanent basis, even if England are beaten by Spain in a November friendly at Wembley.

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It is difficult to see Pietro Ghedin’s Maltese side causing the hosts too many problems at the same venue on Saturday. Only two members of the 20-man squad selected to face England ply their trade overseas – defender Zach Muscat represents Arezzo in the Italian third tier, while Andre Schembri plays for Boavista in the top flight in Portugal – with the vast majority participating in the semi-professional Maltese Premier League.

While England could therefore probably field a team of players from the Championship and still emerge victorious this weekend, it will nevertheless be interesting to see who former Under-21 manager Southgate names in his first starting XI in charge of the senior side.

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney was recently dropped by Jose Mourinho at club level but should be involved from the first whistle on Saturday, with Southgate hailing England's all-time record goalscorer as the "outstanding leader" of the group.

It is unclear what Rooney’s role on the pitch will be, though: he has played most often this season as a No 10 but was used in a deeper midfield role against Slovakia, while the absence of Harry Kane through injury could even lead to him being deployed up top.

Elsewhere, Joe Hart remains first-choice goalkeeper despite his jettisoning by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola in the summer, with Marcus Rashford, Fraser Forster, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Andros Townsend all recalled to the squad after missing out in September.

Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, West Ham United's Michail Antonio and Burnley's Michael Keane will be hoping to make their international debuts, meanwhile, although all three will probably have to make do with a spot on the substitutes' bench.

The identity of their opponents means it will be difficult to draw concrete conclusions from England’s clash with Malta, but fans will still want to see a positive performance featuring quick circulation of the ball and proactive rather than pedestrian possession.

Although a decision on the next permanent England manager will not be made after Saturday’s game, the opinion of FA chiefs and supporters will inevitably be shaped by the team’s showings in their next four outings.

Malta at home is an ideal place to start as Southgate seeks to state his claim.

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