I know it’s been done to death in the media but the super-cautious Southgate dropping the only Englishman to make the FIFA World XI tells me what to expect from the summer ahead.
Beating San Marino and Albania does nothing to make me look forward to exciting football from the 3 Lions.
I know it’s been done to death in the media but the super-cautious Southgate dropping the only Englishman to make the FIFA World XI tells me what to expect from the summer ahead.
Beating San Marino and Albania does nothing to make me look forward to exciting football from the 3 Lions.
It's 2 routine wins and clean sheets, what else were you expecting? We all knew the test will be Wednesday v Poland.
Are many of the other countries putting in performances to write home about? Spain just scraped a last minute win v Georgia having drawn at home to Greece the other night. France laboured to a 2-0 win v Kazakhstan having drawn at home to Ukraine the other night, Holland only beat Latvia 2-0, Portugal only beat Azerbaijan 1-0. Croatia beat Cyprus 1-0 and lost in Slovenia.
Apart from Turkey (beating Holland and Norway) and Denmark (smashing Moldova 8-0) i don't think any country has been that good. Most countries just want to get the games over and done with.
I know it’s been done to death in the media but the super-cautious Southgate dropping the only Englishman to make the FIFA World XI tells me what to expect from the summer ahead.
Beating San Marino and Albania does nothing to make me look forward to exciting football from the 3 Lions.
It's 2 routine wins and clean sheets, what else were you expecting? We all knew the test will be Wednesday v Poland.
Are many of the other countries putting in performances to write home about? Spain just scraped a last minute win v Georgia having drawn at home to Greece the other night. France laboured to a 2-0 win v Kazakhstan having drawn at home to Ukraine the other night, Holland only beat Latvia 2-0, Portugal only beat Azerbaijan 1-0. Croatia beat Cyprus 1-0 and lost in Slovenia.
Apart from Turkey (beating Holland and Norway) and Denmark (smashing Moldova 8-0) i don't think any country has been that good. Most countries just want to get the games over and done with.
Funnily the annoying frustration is for a good few years now... England have actually been one of the best when it comes to Qualifying for major tournaments - Getting through these games have never been the issue, its how we handle the actual tournament we need to get used to.
Southgate almost found that formula for success in Russia (regardless if it was an easy route or not, other World Cups / Euros have shown it doesnt matter how easy or hard it is, we've not achieved anything like what we did in 2018), be curious to see if it was just a fluke three years ago or whether it is the difference between him and the previous England Managers.
Its why I dont get the rush to instantly go back to a fancied Manager
I'd argue that Hodgson is a better club Manager than Southgate, but you have to argue that Euro 2016 was even easier than the 2018 World Cup, and oh look what happened there... Same with Capello in 2010, that was a piss easy Group that we should have won and look at what the KO route would have been: Ghana | Uruguay | Holland | Spain.
It's a bias just because of how often they see them clearly. Because Sancho is on another planet to Rashford and really at par with Sterling. But no one cares because he plays in Germany.
Man City, Liverpool, Man United all play a back 4.
Why shoehorn those players into a back 5?
Because I don't think we have strong enough centre halfs, our only left sided one is a very mediocre mings, stones has cost us lots of goals on England duty, maguire is too slow.
Our front players are the string point, I think we should be playing more on the front foot. And I'm a big fan of Grealish, offers something different.
Would be tempted by Trent Alexander-Arnold over Walker v the likes of Scotland & Czech Rep too, but Walker has the tournament experience and is probably more solid.
Probably rest of the squad as:
Henderson & Pickford TAA, Keane, Mings, Chilwell (albeit I'm not fussed by either CB, options aren't great!) Phillips (it's him or Dier I guess, again not fussed much by either), Mount Rashford, Barkley or Bellingham (I'd risk the latter, I've been impressed so far), Foden Calvert-Lewin.
Think that's 23!
Harshest on Tripper maybe as I believe he's been playing well for Atletico, may be fresher after an enforced break, and I like him as a player, but we've just got decent options at RB.
We may take all 3, especially if Southgate feels Walker is that option in a back 3. Might be one of the attacking midfielders missing out if so.
It's a bias just because of how often they see them clearly. Because Sancho is on another planet to Rashford and really at par with Sterling. But no one cares because he plays in Germany.
Rashford is overrated too. Decent player but I'd play Sancho, Grealish, Foden all before Rashford.
Yeah this is what I think it will likely be, with Rashford/Shaw the possible changes for Chilwell or Foden
What I'd pick squad wise, based on what seems realistic as to be honest I'd rather have someone line Ben White rather than those back-up centre backs, and probably someone like Sam Johnstone over Pickford but changes like that just seem very unlikely at this stage. I'm not really sold on Kalvin Phillips yet either but seems he's a cert at this stage with the games he's got recently.
Henderson Rice Mount Phillips Foden Grealish Lingard
Kane Calvert-Lewin Rashford Sancho Sterling
Then if there are 2 extra spots as mentioned on the CL coverage today, then Bellingham and Saka as well. Harsh on Maddison but he's just unlucky that Grealish/Foden are similar players who I think are just slightly better, and might as well give Foden game time now when he should be our best player in a couple of years
Pope
Walker Stones Maguire Shaw
Rice Foden Mount
Sancho Kane Sterling
Would be my team, but I get why Southgate is a bit more cautious, but I think Mount and Foden are more than good enough and put in enough work defensively to make it work.
Henderson is someone I'm not too sure about either.
I'd probably rather have Rice + Bellingham over a player that has recently been out for a while with a groin injury and has been poor most of the season before that.
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bolder,bonds,went,reeves,Kinsey,bowman,bowyer,Jackson kenning hales,peacock.😂
No need for two tonight.
Beating San Marino and Albania does nothing to make me look forward to exciting football from the 3 Lions.
Are many of the other countries putting in performances to write home about? Spain just scraped a last minute win v Georgia having drawn at home to Greece the other night. France laboured to a 2-0 win v Kazakhstan having drawn at home to Ukraine the other night, Holland only beat Latvia 2-0, Portugal only beat Azerbaijan 1-0. Croatia beat Cyprus 1-0 and lost in Slovenia.
Apart from Turkey (beating Holland and Norway) and Denmark (smashing Moldova 8-0) i don't think any country has been that good. Most countries just want to get the games over and done with.
Southgate almost found that formula for success in Russia (regardless if it was an easy route or not, other World Cups / Euros have shown it doesnt matter how easy or hard it is, we've not achieved anything like what we did in 2018), be curious to see if it was just a fluke three years ago or whether it is the difference between him and the previous England Managers.
Its why I dont get the rush to instantly go back to a fancied Manager
I'd argue that Hodgson is a better club Manager than Southgate, but you have to argue that Euro 2016 was even easier than the 2018 World Cup, and oh look what happened there... Same with Capello in 2010, that was a piss easy Group that we should have won and look at what the KO route would have been: Ghana | Uruguay | Holland | Spain.
Lingard over Sancho and Grealish on what planet?
Any manager that picks Lingard over Grealish should be nowhere near football let alone the England job. Makes me feel a little sick just reading that.
Shit like this does Southgate no favours.
It's a bias just because of how often they see them clearly. Because Sancho is on another planet to Rashford and really at par with Sterling. But no one cares because he plays in Germany.
Carragher talks utter rubbish - picks two defensive midfielders in the starting line-up then gets annoyed about playing on the back foot.
Why shoehorn those players into a back 5?
Pickford
Walker - Maguire - Stones
Tripper Young
Henderson
Lingard Alli
Sterling Kane
I could see a similar 11, just swap out Lingard/Alli for Foden and Mount in my opinion.
Then we have players such as Sancho, Grealish, Calvert-Lewin to come off the bench if we need to chase the game.
Young gets swapped out for Chilwell too and it looks like a decent first eleven.
Pickford
Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell
Henderson, Rice, Mount
Foden
Sterling, Kane.
Then
Pope
Henderson
Tripper
Keane
Mings
Shaw
Phillips
Dier
2 of Barkley/Grealish/Sancho
Rashford
Calvert-Lewin
Making up the squad if all fit, etc etc.
Personally I'd prefer something more like:
Pope
Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw
Rice, Henderson
Sancho, Grealish, Sterling
Kane.
Our front players are the string point, I think we should be playing more on the front foot. And I'm a big fan of Grealish, offers something different.
Would be tempted by Trent Alexander-Arnold over Walker v the likes of Scotland & Czech Rep too, but Walker has the tournament experience and is probably more solid.
Probably rest of the squad as:
Henderson & Pickford
TAA, Keane, Mings, Chilwell (albeit I'm not fussed by either CB, options aren't great!)
Phillips (it's him or Dier I guess, again not fussed much by either), Mount
Rashford, Barkley or Bellingham (I'd risk the latter, I've been impressed so far), Foden
Calvert-Lewin.
Think that's 23!
Harshest on Tripper maybe as I believe he's been playing well for Atletico, may be fresher after an enforced break, and I like him as a player, but we've just got decent options at RB.
We may take all 3, especially if Southgate feels Walker is that option in a back 3. Might be one of the attacking midfielders missing out if so.
Pickford
Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw
Henderson, Rice, Mount
Sterling, Kane, Rashford
He should absolutely go.
Yeah this is what I think it will likely be, with Rashford/Shaw the possible changes for Chilwell or Foden
What I'd pick squad wise, based on what seems realistic as to be honest I'd rather have someone line Ben White rather than those back-up centre backs, and probably someone like Sam Johnstone over Pickford but changes like that just seem very unlikely at this stage. I'm not really sold on Kalvin Phillips yet either but seems he's a cert at this stage with the games he's got recently.
Pope
Henderson
Pickford
Walker
Trent
Maguire
Stones
Keane
Mings
Shaw
Chillwell
Henderson
Rice
Mount
Phillips
Foden
Grealish
Lingard
Kane
Calvert-Lewin
Rashford
Sancho
Sterling
Then if there are 2 extra spots as mentioned on the CL coverage today, then Bellingham and Saka as well. Harsh on Maddison but he's just unlucky that Grealish/Foden are similar players who I think are just slightly better, and might as well give Foden game time now when he should be our best player in a couple of years
Pope
Walker
Stones
Maguire
Shaw
Rice
Foden
Mount
Sancho
Kane
Sterling
Would be my team, but I get why Southgate is a bit more cautious, but I think Mount and Foden are more than good enough and put in enough work defensively to make it work.
I'd probably rather have Rice + Bellingham over a player that has recently been out for a while with a groin injury and has been poor most of the season before that.