Why Isn’t Gibbs Going To The World Cup?

Regular readers of the blog know I have no love for international friendlies and bitch about them so often it would be easy to misinterpret that as hate for all international football. Truth is, I quite enjoy the World Cup and the Euros. I won’t lie, I much prefer club football and would do away with international football in favour of a summer club competition but whilst it is the only summer football available I will watch it with the same fervor as I do club football.

I don’t have any strong affiliation with any national sides. I have a Scottish father and an English mother and their patriotism kind of cancelled one another out so I’m equally comfortable supporting either country – not that there’s anything to shout about with either country.

Being an Arsenal supporter I tend to lean more towards England during competitions both countries are competing in as there are usually many more Arsenal players playing for England than for Scotland (I can’t remember the last time we had a Scottish player – I think it was Charlie Nicholas).

This summer could have seen a host of Arsenal players lining up for England in Brazil but sadly Theo is injured, Wilshere is struggling for fitness, Jenkinson is nowhere near contention and Gibbs won’t be selected either leaving Oxlade-Chamberlain as our only Englishman looking to head to Rio. It is strange considering we could have had almost half the team! But we have a lot of German players so I’ll probably spend most of my time watching them and between Germany and Spain, with our Euro-influenced team I have my world cup betting taken care of.

I know he isn’t fit at the moment but I still can’t get my head around Kieran Gibbs not being considered for the England squad. Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw have both been excellent for their clubs this season but so has Gibbs. I know they usually only pick two players per position but I don’t see why they haven’t considered Shaw or Gibbs as an auxiliary left winger.

Both are excellent in attack and for many years now the left side of England’s midfield has been a huge issue. Ashley Young has been pants this season and is a bit of a liability anyway so why not use an attack-minded left-back there instead.

Of course, Hodgson could still use that system without taking Gibbs but it makes me wonder what more the lad has to do to get into the team? I’m not complaining of course because it means one extra fit player at the start of next season for Arsenal but World Cups are often the pinnacle of many players’ careers and not being selected must sting Kieran a lot.

It might not happen for him this tournament but he should at least make the 2016 Euro’s as Baines will be over 30 by then. This World Cup will be a good one to watch but I’m also looking forward to the 2016 Euro’s as the Emirates might host a few games and in Jenkinson, Wilshere, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gibbs and the rising star of Crowley we might just be providing most of the England team.