Should England look at bringing back B internationals?

In football circles, World Cup tournaments work in four-year cycles, with the plan being to
enter every major final in the best possible shape. Plenty of tactical tinkering will take place
in the build-up to any given event, with coaches shuffling their packs before settling on what
they hope is a winning formula.

That process is never easy as form, fitness and suspensions have to be factored into the
equation, with best-laid plans often having to be ripped up as collective focus drifts back to
the drawing board and a completely fresh start.

Major silverware

1966 – @England
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— FIFA World
Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 7, 2022

Eventually, a star-studded group will be pieced together and asked to go in search of major
silverware. Many of those involved will be seasoned internationals with bags of experience,
but others will find themselves thrown in the at the deep end.

In 2022, with World Cup betting beginning to take shape, Gareth Southgate is contending
with a selection headache. England to win World Cup odds of 15/2 suggest that the Three
Lions are fancied to go well in Qatar, with there plenty of depth to the talent pool from which
they will be plucking 26 names.

Those asked to don the colours of their country in the Middle East will be well versed in the
demands of elite competition having graced Premier League and Champions League stages
on a regular basis. For them, pressure and expectation cannot be used as an excuse for failure.
It is, however, easy to argue that England would be even better prepared for the challenges
that lie ahead had some of those at their disposal seen more international minutes over recent
months and years. The odd shot in the dark may be taken by Southgate and his fellow
international bosses, but those experiments can only go so far – especially when qualification
points and UEFA Nations League standings are on the line.

Nobody at the highest level is going to agree to more national team fixtures being added to an
already stacked schedule, but more could be made of the domestic breaks that already exist.

With windows of opportunity in short supply, those that do swing open need to get as many
bodies through as possible.
Which begs the question as to whether benefits could be found in the reintroduction of B
internationals. Said outings were commonplace in the 1940s, 70s and 80s, but England have
not taken one in since facing Albania at Turf Moor in May 2007.

Household names

It was November 1978 when Anderson, aged 22, made his debut in a friendly against Czechoslovakia at @wembleystadium.

Anderson’s first cap marked an important moment in #ThreeLions history. pic.twitter.com/WfGgEulNbx

— England (@England) October 23, 2020

Plenty of household names have graced such stages in the past, from Viv Anderson to Paul Merson, while Bristol native Gary Mabbutt – a club captain and FA Cup winner at Tottenham – took in nine B outings alongside his 16 first-team appearances. Only legendary Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Corrigan (10) has more caps to his name at that level.

The games in question may not have a lot riding on them, with there very much a second-string feel to them, but experience is not easy to come by and all avenues to it should be explored. While Southgate, or whoever is at the helm, works with a smaller group in competitive action, those on the fringes of the fold could see useful game time elsewhere. Plan A will always be prioritised, and rightly so, but should greater emphasis be placed on the odd Plan B?