Southgate plots England's World Cup plan with some enviable decisions to make

For much of Gareth Southgate’s lifetime, England have been better at qualifying for World Cups than playing in them.

One of the outstanding results of his playing career, when Southgate formed part of the resistance in a 0-0 draw with Italy in Rome, booked a place in the 1998 tournament. He was an unused substitute when David Beckham’s free kick secured a dramatic draw with Greece to guarantee their spot in the 2002 World Cup.

Each was a nervy affair. As manager, Southgate steered England to the 2018 World Cup with a game to spare. In effect, with their last fixture against San Marino, they had ensured they would be at this winter’s World Cup before their final match. The harder part, as Southgate knows, is going far against the world’s best. Expert planning, both in terms of formation and set-pieces, took them to a first semi-final on the global stage in 28 years in Russia.

If Southgate’s preparations start for Qatar now, with Switzerland and Ivory Coast awaiting in friendlies, the sense is that some of the groundwork must be done early. The Premier League only pauses eight days before the World Cup begins in November. Training-ground work in March may need to be remembered for the next nine months. Lacking the luxury of many friendlies, Southgate will have to make his mind up earlier.

As England are blessed with riches in plenty of positions, some of his decisions are enviable. Yet his attempts to experiment and learn have been hampered by withdrawals now.

Kyle Walker was rested to allow younger right-backs a chance and one of the more valid criticisms of Southgate was an inability to get Trent Alexander-Arnold to replicate his remarkable Liverpool form. If the Merseysider and Reece James looked the younger