We've not won a major tournament in 55 years playing defensively. Cannot see France or Portugal playing 2 DMs vs Albania!
Good thing Albania were in France’s group for Euro 2020 qualifying... Last game of qualifying in November 2019, France played with three centre backs and two holding midfielders.
They played their B-team though I suppose.
My main issue with us playing two defensive midfielders is that we're just so boring to watch. Lots of possession football 30 yards out from goal with little end product. It's boring.
Yes, having already qualified!!!
This argument might hold if they hadn’t just played two defensive midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation away at Kazahkstan today...
I am watching this Albania V England game and keep drifting into thinking it Albania v Charlton,
Totally. Tapping it around at the back, whenever a player looks up, no one running into space, whenever someone runs into space the players don’t look up...
I think the problem with the 'two defensive midfielders' is that neither of them are particularly mobile and neither of them are capable of making decent passes longer than 5 yards.
This leads to a very negative way of playing, we don't have anyone capable of driving the ball forwards from deep and no-one capable of playing those diagonal balls into space that open a game up.
Rice being underestimated yet again. He reads the game extremely well (watch how many times he steps forward to intercept) and he can actually pick a pass. Has to start in CM for me.
I think the problem with the 'two defensive midfielders' is that neither of them are particularly mobile and neither of them are capable of making decent passes longer than 5 yards.
This leads to a very negative way of playing, we don't have anyone capable of driving the ball forwards from deep and no-one capable of playing those diagonal balls into space that open a game up.
Bellingham, Henderson, Mount, Grealish, Foden all could from central midfield.
Rice being underestimated yet again. He reads the game extremely well (watch how many times he steps forward to intercept) and he can actually pick a pass. Has to start in CM for me.
Phillips offers nothing.
Rice is a good option in there. We’ve definitely not seen his best yet either.
The other has to be Mount. Can’t believe I’m saying it but wouldn’t hate JWP in there purely for the set pieces. Can make all the difference in tight games.
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If our DMs were Pogba and N’dombele I wouldn’t complain.
if they were Rice and Bellingham I wouldn’t complain.
It’s negative football.
This leads to a very negative way of playing, we don't have anyone capable of driving the ball forwards from deep and no-one capable of playing those diagonal balls into space that open a game up.
Phillips offers nothing.
Is it thrilling? No, but then again I don’t think it’s realistic to be when you’re up against teams who park the bus.
Some people will still be complaining no matter how many goals we were to win by.
We'll ignore how average and boring we look, then act shocked as we get knocked out early in a major tournament.
It's the same cycle England go on every single tournament other than 2018."
Literally called it ten minutes in.
The other has to be Mount. Can’t believe I’m saying it but wouldn’t hate JWP in there purely for the set pieces. Can make all the difference in tight games.