Adam Lallana and Fabian Delph: Time for Roy Hodgson to take notice of players at smaller clubs in England

Adam Lallana: An integral part of Southampton’s great start to the season

“If Matthew Le Tissier was Brazilian, he’d be in the Brazilian first XI every game.” - Pele

The England squad for the friendlies against Germany and Chile is expected to be announced later this week, and two names who should (but mostly won’t) make the list are Adam Lallana and Fabian Delph.

These are two splendid players, who have done marvellously well for their respective clubs, but have ZERO international caps between them. At the same time, players like Ashley Young, Tom Cleverley, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, etc. have been selected to represent the Three Lions.

What does Young have in his game that Lallana doesn’t? The ability to produce a Tom Daley-esque dive on a football pitch? I can’t really think of much els… oh wait! I nearly forgot. Ashley Young plays for mighty Manchester United and Lallana plays for a wee club like Southampton.

Looking at England’s assemblage of squads in the recent past, it doesn’t require a rocket scientist to note that lesser players from bigger clubs have been preferred to better players from inferior clubs. Needless to say, it hasn’t worked out well for the team either.

Lallana: Consistency is the key

Lallana has managed to make a key pass every 49.3 minutes in the Premier League this season. On the other hand, we have Milner who makes a key pass every 59.3 minutes and there’s Danny Welbeck who has made just one key pass in 376 minutes of football. Milner and Welbeck have often started at Lallana’s preferred position on the left wing for England over the past couple of years.

A look at take-ons in the league, and again you find that Lallana is clear of his competition. The Southampton player has completed 16 successful take-ons this season in 789 minutes of football. Milner, Young and Welbeck have enjoyed 935 minutes on the pitch and have only succeeded seven times amongst them.

There’s one line of thought that Hodgson likes players who are sound in their defensive duties. And anyone who’s watched Southampton play will tell you how impressive the Saints have been at pressing and winning the ball back. Lallana has been an important part of the process too.

He has made 9 interceptions and 11 clearances. Whilst you could say Welbeck has done better as he made 7 interceptions and 11 clearances in just 376 minutes on the pitch, Milner and Young still lag behind Lallana in this category.

Lallana’s disciplinary record is also exquisite, having not been booked so far this season.

Based on these stats, there simply isn’t any reason for Hodgson to continue to ignore Lallana, who has made the transition from League One in 2010-11 to the Premier League in sublime fashion.