I’d imagine you’ll see 2 players from the “midfielders” and 4 from the forwards.
There is a decent team somewhere in there. The question as always is how you get balance out of it and find the right way to make room for players who might want to take the same role (Bellingham and Foden)
with so little midfielders, definitely not the 4-2-5-1 @Noo_Noo advocated.
Which is why I think he has ruined his career staying at Turnstile United. At 26, he is the same player he was at 21, he has added nothing to his game but is less energetic.
The most remarkable thing about his absence is it is not remotely controversial. When you look a the talent in that BIG collection of players listed as forwards, how are you going to argue Rashford unfairly missed out?
There is a lot of talent in there, but the achilles heel of that squad is the goalie position imo. Central defence looks a bit light too (Maguire still in there ffs… 
).
Excuse me. You of all people must appreciate my deranged method of counting as art in its finest form.
There is a quality defense that can be put together from that lot the problem is Southgate just hasnt tried them together yet and so it is unlikely he will this summer either
Agree - the likes of Branthwaite, Dunk, Gomez, Guehi, Qunasah, an Stones are all capable. We all know the limits of Dunk, Gomez and Stones. Would be good to see the younger lot given a go. From the stuff I’ve seen from Branthwaite, he’s a real talent.
Not sure why I keep posting in here - I don’t care for international football or the national team!
That he has persisted with Maguire who hasn’t been able to hold down a role in the worst Utd side in the lifetime of all of the players, when there were young players with the potential to take the team in a new direction being overlooked feels like an opportunity that has been pissed away.
Braithwaite and Quansah have both made very rapid rises this year so there is some excuse for not recognizing them sooner, but there has been Guehi and even Tomori doing well in a competitive Milan side being repeatedly overlooked. However, his hands are not completely clean over the young players either. Both are well credentialed youth internationals very familiar to everyone at St George’s and play in a known problem position. Any England manager, especially one who was hired with a view to creating continuity from the youth sides to the senior side, should have been all over those players from the second they made their prem debut. These are not unknown quantities to Southgate and co and so especially with them both taking to first team football so well they should have immediately implemented operation fast track for both of them.
Decent squad, hope some of the young players impress and get in the plane.
I’m really looking foreword to this tournament after the long goodbye.
Yeah, other than the CB/keeper issue, the biggest challenge will be how to get the best out of Bellingham, Foden and Saka who have some overlap in where they most like to play.
Bellingham would ideally want to be the most advanced midfielder in a 3, which limits your ability to play Foden centrally behind Kane, which is want everyone is now clamoring for. That alternative for Foden is to play him off the left allowing him to come infield on his left foot, which is where Saka plays.
Rashford has always been the guy who never builds on the back of a successful season. That’s just who he is. Lazy player who thinks its beneath him to play for the team.
I’d be looking at starting Palmer too.
Recent form matters. End of.
I’d say Trafford, Quansah, Dunk, Wharton and Eze will be the most likely to be left out. Curtis will go, the third midfielder is probably the biggest issue for England and he arguably is the one who would balance it out the best.
Reckon he might leave Gordon and Maddison behind as well.
Trippier lucky to be included, he’s been absolutely awful this season. Likely to start as well given the big question marks over Shaw’s fitness.
Palmer instead of Saka and thats decent
Palmer instead of Saka is a brave call, but a defensible one, but still doesnt solve the Foden-Jude issue or (maybe the same question maybe not) who plays on the right side of the attack.
Think I’d move Jude back alongside Rice, he can do it very well, and will be a huge asset coming from deep.
My 11;
———-Pickford———-
TAA-Walker-Stones-Shaw/Gomez
——-Bellingham-Rice—-
Saka—Foden—-Grealish
———Kane—————
Which would really be a three at the back with TAA in a free midfield role when in possession.
England actually has the bones of a good side there. Obviously there’s nothing in goal, but apart from that, you can make a good side out of the players, with a few decent permutations laid out above.
However, they will probably play a timid brand of football, amounting to less than the sum of the parts, and will go no further than the semis.
For whatever reasons, after a bright-ish start years ago, I can’t really warm to Southgate. He’s not a pantomime villain we can all hate. He is vanilla. Shoulder shrug. Meh. Nothing to write home about.
Southgate, and his coaches, won’t help the team find that last 5-10% and I fully expect them to fall just short. Going through the list of individuals would leave you feeling fairly hopeful, but somehow, when it comes to tourney time, it’s not quite there.
Prove me wrong Gareth!
@GermanRed has Bellingham and Foden. Bellingham with Rice and Trent in midfield.
He has Saka, Kane and Foden as a front 3.
If you were going to play Foden wider, you would consider Rice and Jude as double 6 with Foden/Trent wide…Kane and Palmer as a two.
I don’t rate Saka as high as some, I can’t see how him or Grealish come into the equation with what England have.
I see this Englands team as having an achilles heel in Maguire and Pickford.