England's Left Side of Midfield - The Modern Dilemma

With the World Cup in Brazil a matter of weeks away, Roy Hodgson will have a good idea of  who will be on that much coveted flight to the land of sun, samba and football.

Arguably Hodgson's biggest problem remains however: how to fill the void on England's left hand side of midfield? This age-old conundrum spans generations, and was Inherited by Hodgson as part of Fabio Capello's failed regime. Frankly, It all feels a little... Déjà vu.

This is a problem that has perplexed and plagued England managers for what seems an eternity. It is a problem that saw the greatest midfielder of his generation, Paul Scholes, shamelessly shunted out to the left wing. It is a problem that has seen - whilst I mean no disrespect - inferior players such as Stewart Downing, frequenting international football. In fact, the closest England have come to some real permanence and quality on the left hand side in the last decade, was with 56-times capped, Joe Cole. With unquestionable natural ability, 'The Conjurer' certainly never let England down. He was and is however, right-footed. As is Paul Scholes, Trevor Sinclair, Steven Gerrard, and a host of other players to fill the role in recent years.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing for England enthusiasts is how tantalizingly close to our borders that great left footers have been developing. Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has been capped by Wales 68 times, scoring 13 goals in the process. I have no doubt that surrounded by superior players, and playing in more tournaments, these figures would be even more impressive. Giggs both could, and would have solved England's left-midfield problem for nearly two decades. More recently though, we England fans have gazed across the border enviously as the explosive Gareth Bale has emerged - he is not only one of the world's finest left-footers, but also the most expensive footballer of all time. Hoping and wising however, brings this man no closer to representing England.

Realistically, what England have at their disposal now, when both experience and form are accounted for, is a pool consisting of four candidates. These, in my opinion, are Man City's James Milner, Southampton's Adam Lallana, Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Liverpool's Raheem Sterling. It is highly doubtful that all four will travel to the World Cup, so Hodgson has quite the decision to make. A case can certainly be made for each of these four players though.

With 45 caps, 28 year old James Milner has a wealth of international experience, and has more caps than Lallana, Sterling and The Ox combined. Whatever Milner lacks in flamboyancy, he makes up for in effort. He has put some very credible performances in on the left flank this season, notably against Barcelona in the Champion's League - his appearances in the Premier League, however, have been more limited. Milner's style sees him deployed as something of a defensive winger; he offers more protection of the full back than the other three, which could be pivotal considering Leighton Baines's  tendency to bomb forward. Milner does only have one international goal though, which is simply not good enough. Whilst he may be effective in thwarting superior opposition, he does not offer the creativity or goal threat of the other candidates. Against sides such as Costa Rica, I feel the other options will be far more likely to bag England all 3 points.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, at the tender age of 20, has more international experience than both Lallana and Sterling. With 14 caps, The Ox has 3 goals to his name, already outdoing Milner in that department. Against Bayern Munich in the Champion's League we saw the fearlessness and power that he possesses. The World Cup cries out for players of his mentality - those who aren't easily phased, and will revel under pressure. Oxlade-Chamberlain also possesses two great feet, a powerful strike and unusual strength for a winger. His defensive work rate is not as good as Milner's, but it is also not poor. This is a player who will take a game by the scruff of the neck, something that cannot be said of all Englishmen.

The two remaining candidates, Lallana and Sterling, are both relatively unknown entities at international level. With a meager 5 caps between them, they cannot yet be judged on their  capabilities for England. At domestic level however, both players have been absolutely outstanding - more so than both Milner and Oxlade-Chamberlain. Lallana is Southampton's talisman, whilst Sterling has provided Liverpool with 6 goals and 3 assists, often coming off the bench to change a game. Lallana's South-American type flair may provide the spark that is needed in tournament football, whilst Sterling's lightning pace is enough to give even the most hardened fullbacks nightmares. Sterling's downfall is perhaps his inexperience at both club and international level. He is also very lightweight, and this tournament may be one too soon for him. Adam Lallana's performances merit his place in the squad and his versatility could prove invaluable to Roy Hodgson.

For the starting line up, ideally I would see Oxlade-Chamberlain or Lallana staring for England. If England were to progress though, I do believe Milner's experience and work rate may be necessary to grind out results. In the absence of a left-footed midfielder, these are certainly the best options we have.