England National Team

No don’t get me wrong I am quite happy too when they don’t get picked as they need rest but on a personal level TAA must get miffed and feel disrespected that he was overlooked when other players are selected purely based on the clubs they play for. Curtis Jones was selected for the U21s but sat on the bench unused I am sure he would have made a difference?

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England have 5 good RBs who would all deserve to be in the final squad. Not all of them can go and so Southgate needs to get to grips with who he should pick. For this round of fixtures, ones that are relatively unimportant, he picked the 3 players who have had significant breaks throughout the season and let the two who have been overplayed stay at home.

But southgate’s a know nothing cunt

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:joy:

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Don’t know if this had been covered but when was the last time an England team had no Liverpool players in a competitive game? Last couple obviously.

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You really think an England manager would prefer to pick players from teams other than Liverpool rather than qualify? Moving into conspiracy territory there.

The truth is that TAA has not been playing so well this season …he can hardly complain…

I am pretty sure if Gareth left players out from United or City that would be called out as suspicious for different reasons.

Cracking goal from Harry Maguire …

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If Henderson was fit he would be there to be fair

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Hazard does a really good impression of him haha

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I think this round of games has shown that TAA is needed for his set piece delivery alone! Also, if Kane knew TAA was on the wing putting in first time crosses, I’m sure he would make sure he was ready to receive.

Thought England looked ok though, it was good to see them giving the high press a go, even if it didn’t last long!

Put TAA, Hendo and Sancho into the mix and I can start my usual, unfounded optimism that always consumes me at the start of an international tournament.

I think England are in a difficult situation. We’re not going to regularly beat the top sides by trying to outplay them with an English brand of front foot football. If we’re going to beat the likes of Spain, Germany, France or Brazil in the latter part of a tournament we’re most likely to do that by allowing them to have the amount of possession they are used to having, but staying defensively well organized and having enough dangerous players to hurt them when we get the ball. That means that players like Rice and Phillips are needed to give the midfield solidity, and with the options available now it manes talented players being kept on the bench.

The problem is the majority of our games are played against sides where that sort of selection seems overly conservative, and we end up being brought down the level of lesser sides who are content to let our functional midfield have a lot of the ball.

given the above, any england manager is faced with an alternative of trying to develop a pattern of play that would be needed to beat sides like Germany even if it looks too conservative against teams we’re favoured to beat, or approach the qualifiers with a different approach than we’d use in the games that are going to define the success of this group. You can see why you’d go with the former, but it will also result in the majority of the time you’re together looking pretty stodgy.

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Coming from the TAA thread.

23 players squad for the EUROs.
3 GKs
7 or 8 defenders

Means 12 or 13 players for the front 5 or 6.

Which 12 or 13 players would you pick? 3 of them should be able to play that defensive midfield part.

Good luck and don’t kill each other :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

It depends also what formation will Southgate pick, or will he opt to change during the tournament as well.

Could be more defenders if he wants 3 at the back to be his main system, or less if he wants to go with 4.

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If CBs, Fullbacks and Wingbacks count as defenders - doesn’t matter if back3 / back4 / back5 - then surely at least 7 players are needed.

Do you consider Southgate as an capable manager? I consider him as an equivalent of Roy Hodgson, good to keep you floating but not the person if you are considering about going forward.

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Look at it this way. You have Trent and a resurgent Shaw as full backs, Henderson and Rice behind Sterling, Sancho, Grealish and Kane. That should be the basis of an incredibly attacking and vibrant team. Granted there are weaknesses in central defense and Southgate’s insistence in keeping Pickford but more has been done with less.

From what I have seen England have been as pedestrian as ever despite having some of the best attacking players going around while having defensive and/or controlling players around them to provide balance. The Euros will be the test I suppose but nothing about Southgate’s demeanor or tactics thus far give any indication that he is anything but a dinosaur.

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Pope
TAA-Stones-Macguire-Chiwell
Henderson-Rice
Sancho-Maddison-Sterling
Kane

Subs: Pickford, Recce James, CB, Grealish, DCL, Mount, Abraham, Vardy

Suits the national job but aren’t good enough at club level, why that is who knows

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From a german point of view I am a bit jealous that England has such big pool of talented players to chose from at the moment.

But once again not worried because the team will self destruct again.

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I haven’t watched an England game since we got routed by Germany at the World Cup. That was the last fucking straw for me. I don’t know how many games that means I’ve ‘missed’ in the last 11 years but I’m fucking glad I was doing something else, instead of watching that useless shower of shit :slight_smile:

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I’ve already decided on the 23 man squad below after the Poland game. Difficult decision to leave out Trippier, could include at the expense of Shaw, but I think it is better balance that we have left-footed left backs. Another difficult decision to include Dier, but midfield is where England are weakest, and he can play CB just as poorly if we go to a back three. If Hendo or Rice aren’t fit in time or pick up another injury, I think England are in big trouble, and would prob rather see Mount drop back and partner Philips than play Dier.

Attacking wise, I think this provides the best balance in the squad, Ings and Maddison just fall short for me. Ings because of injury risk and the fact that Calvert-Lewin is more of a direct replacement for Kane, Rashford can be used to change things up if needed. Maddison, just hasn’t been involved with England enough.

Kane
Calvert-Lewin

Sterling Mount Sancho
Rashford Grealish Foden

Hendo Rice
Philips Dier

Chilwell Stones Maguier TAA
Shaw Coady Mings Walker

Pickford
Pope
Henderson

I can still make a few tweaks before I send over to Gareth, so let me know.

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You’re not far from what I think Southgate will go with, but I don’t think Dier is a midfield option. Maybe not forever from now, but at the moment. Especially since England do have a few #6 there in Rice, Phillips if he goes and Hendo can do both roles. It’s between the #6’s and a whole bunch of #10’s (or players who come towards the ball between the lines) where I think England lack a quality option. Hence why Ward-Prowse got a chance lately. Hendo will probably start alongside Rice in a double pivot when they’re all fit and ready, but those partnerships in midfield and the goalkeeper spot are the two areas where I think England are missing some better quality and cohesion.