Paul Merson hits out at Reece James snub insisting 'if it was Harry Kane he'd be going'

Paul Merson hits out at Reece James snub insisting 'if it was Harry Kane he'd be going',PAUL MERSON COLUMN: Gareth Southgate announced his England squad on Thursday with James Maddison's inclusion the headline maker but Chelsea's Reece James was left out

Paul Merson hits out at Reece James snub insisting ‘if it was Harry Kane he’d be going’

I'm so pleased for both James Maddison and Conor Gallagher for making England's World Cup squad. I did not see the latter's inclusion coming – nobody gave him a chance after a difficult season with Chelsea.

You had begun to wonder whether he'd shot himself in the foot returning to Stamford Bridge after such a positive loan spell with Crystal Palace but it's now paid dividends.

Maddison has the X-factor and I really think he's got a chance of playing otherwise he wouldn't be taking him. He's been bang in-form and it's great for Gareth [Southgate] as he was under pressure to select him. It's a feel-good story amid the difficulties of delivering the bad news to those not going to Qatar.

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It feels like Gallagher has been included as cover for Kalvin Phillips, who has barely played a football match this season. I just find it weird that he's willing to gamble on Phillips and Kyle Walker but not Reece James?

If it was Harry Kane he would be going – what's the difference? We aren't going to win the World Cup without having James in the team. He is a shoo-in to start and if we took him, he plays in England's team every day of the week. He is one of our best players.

If it was Kane, they would say 'right we'll take him and use him after the group stages'. We are as bad as anybody at the back so we need to take one of our best players. I just don't understand it. He is as important as Kane.

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Gareth Southgate named his 26-man squad for the World Cup earlier this week (Image: Getty Images)

Reading his statement, he feels like he is going to be fit in a few week's time. Now I would have only used him in the knockout stages anyway.

I'd have wrapped him up in cotton wool because you can use Trent Alexander-Arnold in the group stages where you have 70 per cent of the ball and he's going to look a world-beater. Then when we come up against France and he falls asleep and Kylian Mbappe scores we'll all be scratching our heads. I am shocked.

Having a squad of 26 players gives you a safety net to take a risk and bring an injured player. It's usually 23 and we still have taken injured players in the past.

England are hoping to go one further than their semi-final exit in Russia four years ago (Image: Phil Duncan/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)

I really feel for Reece and I also sympathise with the other lads as well who were cut from the squad. There's nothing worse than missing out on a World Cup, I would have thought.

My inclusion at France 1998 was a bit different to how things are done nowadays. The news was that Paul Gascoigne wasn't going and then everyone was saying 'Merse's is going to go instead.' I never got that enjoyment that I probably should have.

Arsenal Carabao Cup exit

Sometimes there are good losses and Arsenal losing to Brighton was a good loss. I like the League Cup, I've won it but I don't see the point in staying in it.

Arsenal's Carabao Cup exit might not have been the worst thing in the world (Image: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/REX/Shutterstock)

Arsenal are playing Thursday night football and haven't won a European trophy since we won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. They're top of the Premier League having won 11 out of 13 matches and those are the big ones.

To play on a Tuesday one week and a Thursday the next, it just wouldn't work. Their squad is not big enough. I think further down the line – later in the season, Arsenal will realise that losing to Brighton was a blessing in disguise.

It's also made Mikel Arteta's job easier. All the players that have been knocking on his door asking for a chance have now had their chance and blown it. People can't keep putting pressure on him. He can say 'I gave you a chance and we got beat 3-1 by Brighton.'

Brighton magic

Whoever is working upstairs at Brighton deserves enormous credit. They always get the right players and personnel in – it's never rushed.

Brighton are flying high in the Premier League and knocked Arsenal out the Carabao Cup (Image: Getty Images)

Their Achilles' heel has always been that despite being one of the best passing teams about, they can't score a goal for toffee. Look at them now. They're scoring threes and fours on a regular basis. Nowadays, if you want to finish in the top four, you have to beat Brighton.

Because you know for a fact they're going to beat one of the big boys. They beat Chelsea, drew with Liverpool and had a right go at Man City. That's why Tottenham beating them was three massive points gained for Antonio Conte.

I couldn't talk highly enough of what's going on at Brighton. They're putting the ball in the back of the net and cutting teams apart. Roberto De Zerbi is doing a fantastic job. It's exciting to watch.