THEY were supposed to be the future of English football.
Jack Wilshere and Ross Barkley were our Xavi, our Andres Iniesta.
That is what we were told when they made the breakthrough, and we were more than happy to believe it.
Big Sam has blown that idea to bits. As statements go, this is not quite in the same league as Steve McClaren dropping David Beckham from his first England squad in 2006.
Still, England’s new head coach has defined his tenure because Wilshere and Barkley will watch England’s World Cup qualifier in Slovakia on Sunday from the sofa like the rest of the country.
One is not starting for his club. The other is not playing well enough to be picked for England.
It is a brutal, but brave decision.
Out go the ball players in the centre of midfield. In come the worker bees.
It is only a matter of time before an ex-England player says that they lack identity.
What a quandary for the FA, watching this drive-by from St George’s Park last night after Allardyce kicked the pair out of the England squad. The flak will be flying for a while because they are two of the most skilful, yet inconsistent, players in English football.
