Why Wolves star Conor Coady deserves a call-up to England’s squad
According to reports from the Mirror (h/t Sky Sports), Wolverhampton Wanderers captain Conor Coady could be in line for an England call-up, after having impressed for the Premier League newbies in the 2018/19 season.
The Three Lions will be in action next month, as they take on World Cup finalists Croatia and 2010 World champions Spain in the UEFA Nations League. And as per the report, Coady’s name is being seriously considered by England manager Gareth Southgate.
The previous set of international fixtures saw England pick Harry Maguire, John Stones, Joe Gomez, James Tarkowski and Kyle Walker as the centre-back options. So, the question beckons – does Coady deserve a call-up to the squad?
The 25-year-old former Liverpool man was a midfielder before being installed in the centre-back role last season by Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo. And since moving into the new position, the Englishman has never looked back. Coady played a vital role in Wolves’ promotion last season, leading the defence with great authority, as they conceded only 39 goals in 46 games – the best defensive record in the Championship for the 2017/18 season.
And he has continued in the same vein of form in the English top-flight. The 25-year-old hasn’t missed a single minute of Premier League action for the Midlands outfit and has been part of a defence that has conceded just five goals in five games. Only the top three teams – Chelsea (4), Liverpool (2) and Manchester City (3) have shipped in fewer goals this season.
Under Southgate, England have employed a three-man backline with the manager keen on selecting centre-backs who are comfortable playing out from the back and have solid distribution skills. And Coady would fit the bill perfectly, given that Wolves have been playing a similar system for more than a year now.
Deployed in the centre of the defensive trio, Coady has impressed with his range of passing and organization skills. In his five Premier League matches this season, the 25-year-old averaged 48 passes per 90 minutes at an impressive accuracy of 87.5%. In comparison, Tarkowski – the man whose position is most likely to be under threat in the national team – has averaged 42.2 passes per game with a success rate of just 76.8%.
The former Liverpool man has recorded 3.6 clearances every 90 minutes in the ongoing term for Nuno’s side, along with making 0.6 interceptions and tackles, whereas Tarkowski has made 7.4 clearances, 0.6 interceptions and 2.4 tackles per game.
The Burnley man may have done better than Coady in these aspects, but that has a lot to do with how the Clarets play – sitting deep and inviting pressure. In contrast, Wolves deploy a more possession-based approach which is similar to how England play under Southgate.
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In addition, Coady also possesses good ground speed and has been dribbled past on just 0.4 occasions per game. Meanwhile, Tarkowski has been dribbled past 0.6 times for every ninety minutes he’s been on the field.
The Wolves captain has had a fairly solid start to the season and has exhibited all qualities needed to excel in the national team setup. In addition, his organization skills and leadership will be a major asset, which is why he deserves a shot on the international stage.
Stats courtesy: Whoscored.com
