In our latest mini-pod about the U19 euro draw we touched on the subject of which Arsenal players will make the finals in August.

Intro

Here are the reasons why I believe three of the six Arsenal Ladies will be on the plane to Belfast.

All Arsenal fans, including myself of course, would love to see all the Arsenal players selected in the 18-player squad, but it is tough as Mo Marley said. She prefers to use players with experience, be it tournament or first team football, as it is so much more competitive than Development team football.

Let’s have a look at the tournament and the first team football experience accrued during the Spring Series for the 24 players selected for the USA friendlies.

If we base the 18 players on the logical distribution of two goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders and four forwards and look at the table on the final page, based on the players experience, the squad could look as follows:

Keepers

Ellie Roebuck should be number one considering her first team experience with Manchester City.

Sandy McIver played more games than her during the Elite round though.

Sian Rogers has no first team experience and was not at the Elite round, so will need to be excellent during the next camp to take one of the two available places.

Defenders

Anna Patten and Lotte-Wubben Wubben-Moy were ever-presents at the heart of the Arsenal Ladies defence that finished unbeaten.

Megan Finnigan did the same for Everton in the team that won the FA WSL2 Spring Series.

Those three players should be selected as centre backs.

Mayumi Pacheco has played consistently during whole season 2016 in WSL1 and added another 10 games with the Belles in the WSL2 Spring Series. If she is in direct competition for a place with Arsenal’s Taylor Hinds, as they are both left footed full-backs, she has more experience than the young Gunner, who has only made a couple of appearance on the bench.

Mo Marley might actually take both players as they can also play together on the left side of the pitch if needed.

Danielle Brown at right-back played 17 games in FA WSL 1 with Sunderland – that’s a lot of experience for a young player – and will likely be selected.

Sam Tierney also has a lot of experience with Doncaster Belles, playing many games in WSL1 and WSL2 with them.

Zoe Cross, who was a central midfielder as far as I know, and Grace Fisk played in America in the last year, so it is hard to evaluate their performances as it is a different system.

Midfielders

Chloe Peplow, Georgia Stanway and Niamh Charles have a lot of FA WSL1 experience and should be on the plane to Belfast according to that criteria. Peplow is a defensive midfielder, Charles a winger and Stanway a playmaker.

Mollie Rouse has played 25 FA WSL 2 games with Aston Villa over the last season and a half and is also a defensive midfielder. She could compete for a place with Peplow or be selected alongside her.

Georgia Allen, the former Arsenal Ladies midfielder, moved to the USA last summer, originally for ETSU but now with Syracuse University, so it is hard to know if she has done well or not over the last season.

Like Stanway, she is a classic playmaker, technically strong and a player who orientates the team game.

Alessia Russo is another winger who performed well in the Spring Series with Brighton. For me, she is competing for a place with the forwards rather than in midfield, the same situation as Charles.

Forwards

There is enormous competition and Rianna Dean who has improved greatly throughout the season has no first team experience to compare with other players, but has performed superbly for the Development Team.

It was puzzling to say the least to see Pedro Losa leave her out of the entire Spring Series with Taylor rarely playing 90 minutes and Mead injured for a while.

Dean was the perfect understudy for Taylor with similar skills, while Mead brings a different style of play, and a proven goal scoring record as well.

Arsenal’s Chloe Kelly got a lot first team game during the Spring Series in WSL1. During a loan spell in WSL 2 with Everton she also saw plenty of game time, so should be on the plane to Belfast.

The two Blues forwards, Ellie Brazil and Charlie Wellings, managed a good number of appearances with 10 for Brazil and 25 for Wellings over the last season and a half. They are both centre forwards with different styles.

Rinsola Babajide has a powerful and creative left foot and played 17 games in WSL2 with Millwall last season and nine with Watford this term. She scores and create goals and should also be on the plane as she brings a different style to the other forwards.

Ella Toone played the whole 2016/17 season with Blackburn Rovers in the FA WPL before going back to Man City at the end of the Spring Series and getting one appearance there. She is a winger and that full season playing first team football has helped her develop a lot more than playing development team football.

There is an embarrassment of riches in the attacking position and form in the last camp might the deciding factor  between all those excellent attacking players, who all deserve a chance to be in the finals squad.

Conclusion

So, looking at the 24 players selected for the USA double-header and allowing for form in July, I would actually expect Mo Marley to take two goalies, six defenders, four midfielders and six forwards.

After all, the usual system is 4-3-3 so it makes sense to double up all the attacking positions.

My guess for the final 18-player-squad would be:

Ellie Roebuck, Sandy McIver; Danielle Brown, Anna Patten, Lotte Wubben-Moy, Mayumi Pacheco, Megan Finnigan, Sam Tierney; Chloe Peplow, Mollie Rouse, Georgia Stanway, Georgia Allen; Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo, Rinsola Babajide, Niamh Charles, Ellie Brazil, Charlie Wellings

To be honest, all the players in the squad for the double header deserve to be there and will need to perform well, especially those who are on the fringe of the final 18-player-squad.

It means England are one of the big favourites to win the tournament and should qualify for the u20 world cup.

Table