West Ham: Roshane Thomas speculates on Kalvin Phillips, James Ward-Prowse England chances
Roshane Thomas has speculated on West Ham United duo Kalvin Phillips and James Ward-Prowse’s chances of being called up to the England squad.
The Athletic journalist wrote that the “forecast looks bleak” for Manchester City loanee Phillips, who has had a torrid time since moving to the London Stadium in the January window.
However, he thinks that Phillips might have a better chance of keeping his spot than Ward-Prowse has of muscling into the squad.
England face friendlies against Brazil and Belgium this month and have another two with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland prior to Euro 2024 in Germany this summer.
Writing for The Athletic on Wednesday (13 March), Thomas said: “As a dejected Kalvin Phillips left the London Stadium last Sunday, it was easy to wonder what has become of him and where it all goes from here.
“A talent that David Moyes coveted for so long is low on confidence and match sharpness. The forecast looks bleak.”
He added: “Ward-Prowse was also in good form at the beginning of the calendar year, scoring in successive games against Sheffield United and Bournemouth, but barring an assist in the recent 3-1 away win against Everton, he has been unable to impact games as a No 10.
“He has occasionally played out of position as a left winger and, like Phillips, was substituted at half-time against Burnley. With so much competition for England midfield places it is unlikely Ward-Prowse, who turns 30 in November, will add to those 11 caps.
“But Phillips is a different story. Such is Southgate’s trust in him, he will have confidence he can overcome his club-game struggles.”
Do the West Ham United duo deserve England call-ups?
If the two were to be compared at the London Stadium, there is no doubt that every fan would say that Ward-Prowse is much more deserving of a spot in the England squad than Phillips.
Former Leeds United midfielder Phillips has found it difficult to settle into life with the Premier League champions and he struggled to earn the trust of his manager Pep Guardiola.
The hope was that a loan move to West Ham would help him rediscover his prior form and hit the ground running before Euro 2024. However, Phillips has continued to struggle, with many fans not understanding the point of loaning him in.
The 28-year-old’s confidence will be at an all-time low, understandably, but with England’s current hopes of lifting an international trophy, they may not be able to afford to play favourites this time as the squad prepare for the summer tournament.
Ward-Prowse has been regularly ignored, even despite captaining the Saints during his 12 years at St Mary’s Stadium, managing to claim just 11 caps for his nation.
Everyone is aware that Southgate is a very loyal manager, sometimes ignoring in-form players to choose his previous stars. However, having finally left Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling out of the last squad, it could be the start of a change at St George’s Park.
In other West Ham news, sources have claimed a Premier League manager is now in the frame to replace Moyes.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.