Sky Sports pundit throws weight behind Everton pair James Tarkowski and Conor Coady for England
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James Tarkowski is in with a shot of joining Everton teammate Conor Coady in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup, says Kevin Campbell.
After a tough run of three straight losses the Toffees have now kept back to back clean sheets and picked up four points from an excellent win over Crystal Palace (22 October) and a goalless draw at Fulham (29 October), with the defence showing signs of the miserliness that opened the campaign.
Sky Sports pundit Campbell is confident that Coady’s off the pitch influence has already secured him a place on the plane, but with the England boss in attendance for the Palace win he believes the former Burnley man Tarkowski has put himself well in contention to travel as well.
He exclusively told Goodison News: “I think Coady will go. I think Coady, for what he brings to the table, he’s great on the pitch and he’s great off the pitch as well.
“And that’s something that Gareth Southgate really respects, he likes that.
“So I think Coady’s going to go. But I think because of injuries going on Tarkowski’s got a shot.
“The key to all of it is, you’ve got to keep performing. Gareth Southgate was there the other day [vs Palace].
“You’ve got to keep performing. Obviously Crystal Palace were a good test for Tarkowski and Coady. Came out, clean sheet, flying colours.
“So now maybe it’s something like, ‘Alright, I’ve got my eye on Tarkowski’.
“If you keep playing well for your club, you’re in with a shout for England, that’s for sure, you are in with a shout.
“And he has done really well. They’ve sured up that Everton defence, both of them, so why not Tarkowski?”
Despite the three defeats the Everton defence has only conceded more goals than Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle, two of whom have played a game fewer.
Considering the fact that the defence became somewhat of a punchline during the relegation battle last season it is hard to overstate the job that Coady and Tarkowski have done since arriving, ably assisted by Vitalii Mykolenko, Nathan Patterson and then Seamus Coleman.
It may have been as much down to Jordan Pickford then anything else that the game at Craven Cottage ended goalless, but with the Three Lions keeper developing a formidable unit behind his two English centre-backs there is surely an argument that it should be transplanted as a whole into the international side.
With the likes of Harry Maguire and John Stones lacking football, and Tyrone Mings struggling with Aston Villa there aren’t a huge number of regular picks who deserve a place more than the Everton pair so a big decision looms for Southgate.