Football
ESPN staff 8y

Sol Campbell: England should not start John Stones at Euro 2016

Sol Campbell believes England cannot afford to start John Stones at Euro 2016 as the defender makes too many mistakes.

Stones, 22, endured a difficult season with Everton and appears to be behind Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill in the pecking order for a starting place in France.

However, Roy Hodgson is set to only take three central defenders to the tournament -- as well as Eric Dier -- which means Stones could easily be thrust into the team in a pressure situation.

"If you keep making mistakes at international level, you're going to suffer because one mistake in a tournament and you can be out," Campbell said.

"If you make mistakes at a domestic level, you have more time to learn. He is learning. He just has to understand there are moments to play the ball and moments to keep hold of the ball. He just needs to find that balance.

"I personally would go for Smalling and Cahill. I would go for the experience of those two guys. For me, something drastic would have to happen for Stones to start. You start with your most solid back four and go from there.''

England head to France with Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Wayne Rooney, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling offering a wealth of attacking options ahead of their opening game against Russia on June 11, but in defence Hodgson does not have as much choice.

Campbell believes that is symptomatic of a wider trend in football but he insists the foundations of a winning side remain in defence.

"Football has changed," Campbell said. "Players want to go forward all the time. There are so many attacking midfielders. Then there are centre-backs who want to be defensive midfielders and full-backs that secretly want to be wingers.

"When I played I didn't mind right-back and left-back going forward but one would stay and one would go. Now they both go. What is going on? Leicester have shown that a solid back four and people knowing their positions is key. You need to be flexible at the right time, not just, 'I want to go, go, go.'

"You'll get clever forwards exploiting those spaces so you have to get the balance right."

Campbell has been impressed with Hodgson's performance as England manager but after two disappointing tournaments he insists making it to the last four is the minimum requirement.

"I think England will get to the final, I really do," he added. "Success for Hodgson is semifinals plus. You have to look at what he has done, he ticks a lot of boxes for the FA, but he has to at least take England to the semifinals.

"You need to see progression and this England squad, which is an exciting squad, deserves progression in all departments."

Information from the Press Association was used in this report.

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