Ashley Cole vs Leighton Baines: Roy Hodgson's outlandish left-back England choice?

With Cole looking vulnerable and Baines excelling, the England manager has described the left-back position as one of the more troublesome choices of his professional life.

For the majority of his 12-year career in an England jersey, Ashley Cole has remained virtually unchallenged at left-back.

As one of the few Englishmen to excel at major tournaments, especially during Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006, he has rightly been one of the first names on the team-sheet for the best part of a decade. Many view him as one of his nation’s few genuine world-class performers, which is certainly a justified tag given his long list of achievements.

At his peak, he was often the lone English representative in many World XIs; however, in England’s current lineup, his place is no longer be assured.

“I will use one in one game and one in the other,” said Hodgson. “I do have enormous faith in Ashley and Leighton. They are fantastic quality players and when they get on the field, it is good they play 90 minutes.”

With Cole now 32, a change at international level is long overdue. Roy Hodgson needs to start permanently selecting the nation’s premier performing left-back and relegate Cole to the sidelines to deputise.

Leighton Baines has began surpassing the Chelsea man over the past number of seasons, emphasised by his presence in the PFA Team of the Year as the Premier League’s best left-back of last season—an accolade he’s the hot favourite to receive again this year.

Baines excelled in the World Cup qualifying wins against Montenegro and Poland last month and will get the chance to reassert his credentials in one of the upcoming friendly matches.

Baines is being tipped for the starting berth because he crosses the halfway line more frequently and produces great goals with his wonderful set-piece ability.The two he scored for Everton at West Ham were a master class in taking free-kicks.

What did Roy Hodgson make of everything? Ashley Cole has had a radiant career and it could be argued that he is the best English left-back of all time but, on current form, he cannot measure up to Baines.

With England’s World Cup ambitions still on a knife edge, however, would Hodgson be so bold to leave Cole on the bench? He should do. Baines, after all, is the full package.