Ok Pickford is not liked on here. I get it but he actually plays well for England. He is the best English keeper at present and I can’t remember him letting us down particularly.
Southgate himself is even weaker than them.
England has the best squad in the tournament but that will probably not help.
It’s tricky. I try to be fair but I’m not sure how much I see Pickford or Everton’s Pickford or Everton’s Pickford who snapped VVD in two.
He has a big left boot, I’ll give him that!
I like this a lot!
Allows Bellingham and Foden to both get forward while TAA sprays passes upfield. They can score score goal opportunities Kane provides. Saka can defend well and chips in with goals Grealish runs at players and draws fouls.
TAA scores the free-kicks 
Kane has been very good for Bayern but there is an over reliance on him at times. I think that is the same for a fair few of the players remember when Grealish coming on was treated like some kind of expectation at the last euros.
England will struggle because most people don’t understand it’s a team game not a player game.
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I like this a lot except for Grealish who is overrated and has had an indifferent season. In fact, he’s basically lost his place to Doku. I’d start with Foden on the left and Bowen as the no.10 but allow them to interchange to their hearts’ content.
Grealish shouldn’t have gone to Man City. He could have actually developed into a better player by going elsewhere after Villa. He would also probably be a key player under Emery if he had stayed.
But yeah the guys sort of wasted and I don’t think his antics around the celebrations help his performance
Trippier potentially out of the Euros. Had to be subbed off in the first half of Newcastle and Tottenham’s not at all stupid end of season friendly in Australia.
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I’d say that’s too open right now.
Exactly the sort of mistakes England did in the past, just throwing the best individuals and not having enough balance, not taking enough care about the collective and how much sense it makes. Hoping it all somehow works out.
Rice has had a season where he’s not even been a clear #6 all the time. Some of the best stuff he’s played this season was more as the deeper LCM, to balance Odegaard playing very high at RCM (and recently basically one of two second strikers).
And Bellingham had a very offensive role at Real, basically playing #10 or false #9 with freedom and defending narrow left in a 4-4-2 without the ball.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be perfectly aligned from club to international football, it’s not even possible. Rice is well capable of being England’s main #6 (in whichever structure).
But between a key player like Rice and all those nice offensive options between the lines, England lack more proper midfielders. Trent might be useful, but we’ll see what’s his form like. He’s had like 2-3 games in midfield.
It’s better to have sweet problems than lacking that calibre.
I understand if their media and fans now have a wankfest over any idea with Rice and a bunch of offensive players in front of him.
But they can risk with their wishes and stay alive.
For sure proper midfielders are not something we have plenty of. But Bellingham is more than capable of fulfilling that role and played more reserved for Dortmund at times I believe (that could be bull).
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The Hendo thing is sad, but that is the thing with good reputations - take a lifetime to build and just a single decision to throw them away.
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Reputation aside, I wonder if it’s simply a recognition that he’s no longer a top level midfielder, something that wouldn’t have changed even if he stayed with us.
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You reap what you sow Jordan… pretty sure he will regret that decision for the rest of his life.
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There is an arrogance to being a squad player in the worst Ajax team in modern history, yet believing you should automatically be in the England team.
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The not on the plane 11:
Sterling—Rashford—Sancho
—Mount—Hendo—Phillips—
Chilwell—Dier—Tomori—James
——————Pope——————-
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Henderson had faded away pretty badly by last season. I understand he feels the need to move to a lesser club or a lesser league even if moving to join the Saudis was a car crash and one that was avoidable.
To still expect to make the England team is mind boggling though. And Southgate still gave him chances which for me was daft.
I don’t see the big deal here and we also have no evidence(?) that Hendo expected the call.
To be in contention, he should’ve had regular football and his physical stats to be on the level needed. That’s what Southgate said when he moved to Saudi.
Now, with him not having that football lately, the decision went the other way.
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Not much surprises there to be honest.
Out of that lot, maybe only Tomori was closest.
Didn’t he move to Ajax from Saudi because he wanted to play international football ? And because he absolutely sucked at the Saudi pro league level too.
The fact that Southgate picked him for international friendlies gave him fake expectations.