Morgan Rodgers has made 58 appearances for club and country this season.
And it shows. According to Soccerbase, the Aston Villa midfielder is on track to reach an astonishing 70 appearances if he continues playing from now until the end of the World Cup.
That can never be right. Rodgers is running out of gas and may be losing his place in the starting lineup. Cole Palmer’s decline in form must raise doubts about his inclusion in the squad, but the same can be said for Phil Foden.
It’s no surprise that much attention has been focused on the rest of Villa’s players following Sunday’s defeat to Tottenham ahead of their Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham’s victory dropped West Ham to the bottom three and raised questions about the health of the league, with Forest manager perhaps feeling extra pressure ahead of Monday’s game against Chelsea. There was no rest for them.
But if there’s one player who really needed a break and couldn’t get it, it’s Rodgers. He had a great season at Villa.
He scored goals and became a key figure in the side’s bid to qualify for the Champions League and then the Europa League.
A few months ago we talked about how Rodgers was a real candidate to start the World Cup as England’s number 10 over Jude Bellingham.
That was when Rodgers was at his peak, playing his best and shining for club and country. Manager Thomas Tuchel may still feel he can still do the job for England.
But Mr. Rogers wears a heavy strap on his wrist and just looks tired. Yes, he works hard and gives his all.
However, he is not the player who shone for England in the autumn. And he looked dynamic and powerful, an attractive combination of skill, flair, intelligence and strength that made him look truly sensational.
Rodgers worked hard against Tottenham and if there was one player who stood out, it was him. But even he can’t do everything.
The issue of fatigue is very worrying and provides an argument against Unai Emery resting players for Villa’s run-in, even if his rivals don’t see it that way.
Declan Rice is in for an exhausting season. Harry Kane played a huge number of games. However, Mikel Arteta was an interesting presence in the classic match between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Arsenal manager claimed that the match was not possible for the English team at this stage of the season due to injuries, fatigue and the demands of the Premier League.
That may or may not be true. It may have something to do with the attitude of both managers. But he’s right…we’re in serious danger of overplaying our best players.
Obviously, Rodgers isn’t the only problem here.
Cole Palmer’s statistics are difficult to read: he has just three assists in all competitions this season, lower than any of England’s number 10’s rivals (Image: Javier Garcia/Shutterstock)
Concerns about Palmer are growing. The most striking statistic concerns the big chances created. According to Opta, he has only created seven big chances this season. Compare this to 24 in 2023/24 and 32 in 2024/25.
Suddenly it feels like Jude Bellingham, who has played fewer games due to injury, is up front, Rodgers firmly behind, and then Palmer is sweating in his place thanks to Eberechi Eze’s excellent form.
My assessment reflects the possibility of Foden stalling, Bellingham at the top and Rodgers falling, potentially leading to a head-to-head battle between Palmer and Eze.
One thing is for sure: England manager Tuchel cannot take it all in, and there is no doubt that form and fatigue will be decisive.
Here, Cross talks about the players he saw live this week – Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa – and his latest assessment of the team as a whole.
You will have the opportunity to express your opinion in the article, so please participate.
This week’s England player ratings
Morgan Rodgers was given a rating of 8/10 for the England team (Image: Getty)
Morgan Rogers:
Match Rating: 5/10
They looked tired and running ragged, but just couldn’t make things happen in a much-changed Villa line-up that looked very disjointed and disorganized. poor.
Current form: 6/10
He became extremely depressed. He looks far from the form that made him a candidate to start at the World Cup.
England team rating: 8/10
Although he is in the squad, there is no doubt that Jude Bellingham will be in pole position as first-choice number 10 this summer.
ollie watkins
Match Rating: 7/10
It was lit just on the hour and had an immediate positive impact. He gave Villa a good edge and looked sharper.
Current form: 7/10
His form in front of goal (six goals in eight games) has improved even more and he is in the mood to prove a point.
England team rating: 7/10
It was telling that he was hurt by not being selected for England in March and admitted it had motivated him. He’s a player with a great attitude and outlook. He’s always trying to prove people wrong. It should be there.
Jed Spence
Match Rating: 5/10
He only came on as a substitute for 67 minutes, coming on just as the game was reaching its final stages. But clearly, Tottenham were better on the pitch with their natural right-footed and left-footed full-backs, Pedro Polo and Destiny Udogui.
Current form: 5/10
Very spotty. I really lost ground. It’s hard to see him getting on a plane this summer. His level has dropped.
England team rating: 5/10
With Nico O’Reilly and Lewis Hall leading the way on the left, and Reece James and Tino Livramento leading the way on the right, it’s hard to imagine him getting ahead of any of the other full-back options.
Do you agree with John Cross? Share your opinion on the England national team’s slider below, both internally and externally.
England player ratings – Likelihood of getting on a plane
goalkeeper
Jordan Pickford 10 Dean Henderson 9 James Trafford 8 Aaron Ramsdale 6 Jason Steele 6
defender
Mark Gehi 9 Ezri Konsa 9 John Stones 8 Trevor Chalobah 8 Dan Byrne 7 Harry Maguire 6 Jarel Quansah 6 Fikayo Tomori 4
right full back
Reece James 8 Tino Libramento 8 Ben White 5
left fullback
Nico O’Reilly 9 Lewis Hall 8 Jed Spence 5
midfielder
Declan Rice 9 Elliot Anderson 9 Jordan Henderson 7 Koby Mainu 7 James Garner 7 Adam Wharton 6 Alex Scott 6
No10s
Jude Bellingham 9 Morgan Rogers 8 Cole Palmer 7 Eberechi Eze 7 Phil Foden 5
right wing
Bukayo Saka 8 Jarrod Bowen 8 Noni Maduke 6
left wing
Marcus Rashford 8 Anthony Gordon 8
strikers
Harry Kane 10 Ollie Watkins 7 Dominic Calvert-Lewin 5 Dominic Solanke 4 Danny Welbeck 4
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