Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa insists he doesn’t take his England place for granted after the Three Lions’ disappointing send-off series saw them draw with Uruguay and lose to Japan at Wembley
Thomas Tuchel’s England team struggled during the international break(Image: Getty Images)
Ezri Konsa followed the expected script after England’s so-called send-off series proved to be the most uninspiring farewell conceivable.
“It’s not the end of the world,” remarked the Aston Villa defender following the most feeble of Wembley defeats to a composed Japan side that faded considerably in the latter stages. “There is always going to be noise outside. We’ve got to make sure we stick together as a team, and that is something we have done.”
Many Liverpool fans didn’t pay much attention to England’s March games after no Reds players were included in the squad, with Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones overlooked by Thomas Tuchel. There wasn’t even a place in the squad for former Reds vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is in danger of missing the World Cup.
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It may not signal the end of the world, yet the stalemate with Uruguay and the defeat to Japan ought to have furnished Tuchel with considerable food for thought ahead of naming his definitive World Cup squad. England’s central defensive partnerships in particular should feature prominently on the manager’s radar.
“I don’t think I’m cemented in there,” admitted Konsa. “I don’t take it for granted. I have to make sure I keep working, keep improving. There is a lot of competition, a lot of top-class center-halves. I have to make sure I go back and stay consistent for the last two months.”
Yet assuming he remains fit, Konsa is “cemented in there.” Indeed, prior to the forgettable Uruguay-Japan double header, the sole debate was whether he would feature in England’s opening game.
Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones were overlooked by Thomas Tuchel(Image: Getty Images)
Marc Guehi, who captained the side against Japan, appears a certainty, alongside either Konsa or John Stones as his partner. Though in the estimation of most pundits, Harry Maguire produced a thoroughly creditable international return, despite Tuchel remaining notably reserved in his praise of the Manchester United stalwart.
For the final 10 minutes of the Japan fixture, the England manager did introduce Maguire and Dan Burn — his equivalent of a rugby bomb squad. The pair certainly posed problems for the Japanese defense.
“It’s always good to have that. Set pieces are really important,” said Konsa. “If it works, it works. For us, that is the main thing.”
When addressing his central defensive options, Tuchel has also spoken favorably of Trevor Chalobah and retains Fikayo Tomori as a further possibility. Despite Tuchel likely having a reasonable grasp of his final squad’s composition, the forthcoming weeks of club soccer could yet influence his selections, particularly in the center-half department.
“So many players at the moment are playing for so many trophies and fighting for so many things,” said Guehi following the Japan defeat. “So it is important we leave this where it is and pick it up when it’s time.
“You can’t be thinking about one thing when you are doing another. I think it’s important we go back to our clubs and make sure we are ready.”
Konsa concurred, adding: “Everyone is gonna go back, focus on club football, and when we meet up in the summer, we’re going to make sure that we are fully prepared for what is to come. We wanted to win these games — unfortunately, we didn’t.
“We played against very good teams, and I’m sure the boss knows what he’s doing. We will go into pre-camp before the World Cup, play another two friendlies, and make sure we are fully prepared.”