World Cup 2018

[speeeeeeedie]

England squad is named;

Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope

Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Cahill, Delph, Jones, Maguire, Rose, Stones, Trippier, Walker, Young.

Midfielders: Alli, Dier, Henderson, Lingard, Loftus-Cheek.

Forwards: Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Vardy, Welbeck

[SBlue]

Best of a bad bunch I suppose. But can't believe there's no-one better than Welbeck up top.

[Mozzer]

10 defenders ??, don't know how Danny rose is in the squad either,  hardly played 

[roverandout]

Good options everywhere but center midfield and central defence is appalling..against the top teams dier and henderson will be slaughtered....to think we used to have scholes, gerrard, beckham, lampard.

[roversfan99]

The squads really unbalanced, 3 central midfielders including one whose played left back this season and its a massive concern. Surely leave out Cahill or Alexander Arnold and put Wilshire in, or for whatever reason if he cant, theres Shelvey or even at a push Cook.

[SBlue]

Just now, roverandout said:

Good options everywhere but center midfield and central defence is appalling..against the top teams dier and henderson will be slaughtered....to think we used to have scholes, gerrard, beckham, lampard.

That's the Champions League finalist captain Henderson isn't it? The one that's been outstanding?

[roverandout]

More down to their egyptian

[Bigdoggsteel]

1 hour ago, roverandout said:

Good options everywhere but center midfield and central defence is appalling..against the top teams dier and henderson will be slaughtered....to think we used to have scholes, gerrard, beckham, lampard.

Ya, and ye persisted with trying to fit them all in the same 4 man midfield! Drop one and put Duff, Giggs or even Pedersen left midfield and that is one hell of a midfield. Who to drop though...

Edited May 16, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[speeeeeeedie]

I grabbed the squad from the BBC website. My guess is that Southgate will look at it like this.

Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope

Central defenders: Cahill, Jones, Maguire, Stones, Walker,

Wide men: Alexander-Arnold, Rose, Trippier, Young.

Holding Midfielders: Dier, Henderson, Delph, Loftus-Cheek.

Attackers: Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Vardy, Alli, Welbeck, Lingard,

Delph, Lingard, and Welbeck can all do the wide man job too.

Let's see what this lot can do.

   

[joey_big_nose]

2 hours ago, speeeeeeedie said:

England squad is named;

Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope

Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Cahill, Delph, Jones, Maguire, Rose, Stones, Trippier, Walker, Young.

Midfielders: Alli, Dier, Henderson, Lingard, Loftus-Cheek.

Forwards: Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Vardy, Welbeck

Hmmm.. to leave out all of Lallana, Wilshire and Shelvey excludes a lot of quality. You'd think taking one of them over a defender makes sense. We've got six players who can play full back/wing back, and six who can play centre back, that seems like pretty extreme overkill...

Southgate will be thinking Delph can provide cover in midfield also. 

 Looking at that squad Lingard and Kane are going to be absolutely critical, also a lot of expectation is being heaped on Loftus-Cheek. Seems he is likely to play a major role if we need creativity. I am bemused why we don't take at least one other wildcard.

[joey_big_nose]

1 minute ago, speeeeeeedie said:

I grabbed the squad from the BBC website. My guess is that Southgate will look at it like this.

Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope

Central defenders: Cahill, Jones, Maguire, Stones, Walker,

Wide men: Alexander-Arnold, Rose, Trippier, Young.

Holding Midfielders: Dier, Henderson, Delph, Loftus-Cheek.

Attackers: Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Vardy, Alli, Welbeck, Lingard,

Delph, Lingard, and Welbeck can all do the wide man job too.

Let's see what this lot can do.

   

I think Delph will primarily be seen as backup for Rose at left back. Where he plays for Man City. 

[speeeeeeedie]

Just now, joey_big_nose said:

I think Delph will primarily be seen as backup for Rose at left back. Where he plays for Man City. 

Would that not be Ashley Young? He played left back for Mourinho most of the season. I put Delph in the middle as without him there are only 3 which doesn't give much cover, and they all may play too.

 

 

[grizfoot]

Does look like a squad devoid of creative players doesn't it. Kane only scores so many goals for Tottenham because he's got the likes of Eriksen and Dembele pulling the strings. Sterling only scores so many goals for Man City because of the creative genius of David Silva and De Bruyne. 

Looks like a squad set up to counter attack which in my opinion is the correct way to go about things about the top sides. But first England have to get past the likes of Tunisia and Panama who are going to be set-up to defensively.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, speeeeeeedie said:

I grabbed the squad from the BBC website. My guess is that Southgate will look at it like this.

Goalkeepers: Butland, Pickford, Pope

Central defenders: Cahill, Jones, Maguire, Stones, Walker,

Wide men: Alexander-Arnold, Rose, Trippier, Young.

Holding Midfielders: Dier, Henderson, Delph, Loftus-Cheek.

Attackers: Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Vardy, Alli, Welbeck, Lingard,

 

   

I like the squad apart from one extra centre back in there, when I wouldn't took Cahill and pick either Wilshere or Shelvey or Cook(who has been good for Bournemouth). Tho I can understand why neither Wilshere and Shelvey have

my team from that squad would be in a 3-4-1-2 formation

Pickford; Walker Stones Maguire; Tripper Dier Henderson Rose; Sterling; Vardy Kane. Kane would be my captain. 

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

The squads really unbalanced, 3 central midfielders including one whose played left back this season and its a massive concern. Surely leave out Cahill or Alexander Arnold and put Wilshire in, or for whatever reason if he cant, theres Shelvey or even at a push Cook.

the squad suggest we will be playing 3 at the back with Wing backs. maybe against the 2 weaker teams in our group he will play Dier or Henderson as holding midfielder with Loftus Check or Ali next to him with Sterling in the hole or Lingard in the hole with Kane and Sterling

I can understand why Wilshere or Shelvey haven't pick in the squad. Wilshere has been injured recently and needed a rest. Shelvey has disciplining issues in this past season. I been very impress with Cook this season and will be regular after the world cup in the England squad/team. I can understand why Lallana has been left out again due to injuries in the past season. But surprise he has tbh

 

[roversfan99]

Just now, chaddyrovers said:

I like the squad apart from one extra centre back in there, when I wouldn't took Cahill and pick either Wilshere or Shelvey or Cook(who has been good for Bournemouth). Tho I can understand why neither Wilshere and Shelvey have

my team from that squad would be in a 3-4-1-2 formation

Pickford; Walker Stones Maguire; Tripper Dier Henderson Rose; Sterling; Vardy Kane. Kane would be my captain. 

the squad suggest we will be playing 3 at the back with Wing backs. maybe against the 2 weaker teams in our group he will play Dier or Henderson as holding midfielder with Loftus Check or Ali next to him with Sterling in the hole or Lingard in the hole with Kane and Sterling

I can understand why Wilshere or Shelvey haven't pick in the squad. Wilshere has been injured recently and needed a rest. Shelvey has disciplining issues in this past season. I been very impress with Cook this season and will be regular after the world cup in the England squad/team. I can understand why Lallana has been left out again due to injuries in the past season. But surprise he has tbh

 

You are allowed to disagree with individual decisions without then going on to excuse the manager for making them decisions. 

[chaddyrovers]

2 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

You are allowed to disagree with individual decisions without then going on to excuse the manager for making them decisions. 

And you are allow to agree with a manager if that's your opinion. 

I already posted why probably certain players haven't been picked. given a reason for each player left out and detail. 

also why I agree with most of the squad Southgate has picked and how we will play in the main. Also said who I would taken instead and why. 

 

 

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Ya, and ye persisted with trying to fit them all in the same 4 man midfield! Drop one and put Duff, Giggs or even Pedersen left midfield and that is one hell of a midfield. Who to drop though...

Don't think even with a proper left winger it would have worked that well. Tactically any team would struggle to accommodate more than one of Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard effectively. All three of them expected total freedom to do as they please in midfield, lacked the versatility and pace to play out wide, and the discipline and defensive quality to be effective holding players.  In essence they were all far too similar to one another. But then if an England manager left one or two of them out (say for Hargreaves or Carrick who were more balanced choices) he would get pilloried, so really whoever was in charge was onto a hiding to nothing.

The best teams not only have good players, they also have good balance across the team and an effective system to deploy those players. Spain and Germany in recent years have epitomised that. England have had some good players between 2000 and 2010, but never a good balance,  nor an effective system.

One thing I will say for Southgate is we do actually look better balanced than we have for a long time, and I do like the 343 system he has put together which is a lot more fluid than I've seen from the national team in a long time. It's just a shame the players available are pretty weak.

[MarkBRFC71]

21 hours ago, speeeeeeedie said:

England isn't blessed with talent at the mo. If Southgate goes with Livermore it's because he thinks he's worth a spot. I doubt that he'll play much though.

For comparison here's Germany's provisional squad; Germany Provisional squad. They will be hard to beat, although if Neuer and Boateng aren't fit they won't be as solid.

Compared to ours, their midfield options are frightening .....

Midfielders: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen)

Every one of those would walk into our first 11.

Edited May 16, 2018 by MarkBRFC71

[speeeeeeedie]

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

Don't think even with a proper left winger it would have worked that well. Tactically any team would struggle to accommodate more than one of Scholes, Lampard and Gerrard effectively. All three of them expected total freedom to do as they please in midfield, lacked the versatility and pace to play out wide, and the discipline and defensive quality to be effective holding players.  In essence they were all far too similar to one another. But then if an England manager left one or two of them out (say for Hargreaves or Carrick who were more balanced choices) he would get pilloried, so really whoever was in charge was onto a hiding to nothing.

The best teams not only have good players, they also have good balance across the team and an effective system to deploy those players. Spain and Germany in recent years have epitomised that. England have had some good players between 2000 and 2010, but never a good balance,  nor an effective system.

One thing I will say for Southgate is we do actually look better balanced than we have for a long time, and I do like the 343 system he has put together which is a lot more fluid than I've seen from the national team in a long time. It's just a shame the players available are pretty weak.

You are absolutely right about Southgate in that regard. He has an idea of how a side should look. He gets lambasted as the FA's man and a failed manager, but he spent years with the u21's and has brought some of that experience with him. England doesn't have Germany or Spain's talent, but they'll be organised, quick on the break, and possess a top notch striker.

 

[roverandout]

1 hour ago, MarkBRFC71 said:

Compared to ours, their midfield options are frightening .....

Midfielders: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen)

Every one of those would walk into our first 11.

Whats your point? We know germany are light years ahead of england..blame the greed of the premierleague and its clubs..german players are rife in the bundersliga then they go abroad which makes more room for new generation of german players to come through whilst prem clubs buy up top foreign players including germans making our youngsters obselete!

[Oldgregg86]

2 hours ago, MarkBRFC71 said:

Compared to ours, their midfield options are frightening .....

Midfielders: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Leon Goretzka (Schalke), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Julian Draxler (Paris Saint-Germain), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen)

Every one of those would walk into our first 11.

Goetze and emre can didn't make the squad. That in itself shows the pool of quality available to them

[Raya4espania]

6 hours ago, roverandout said:

Good options everywhere but center midfield and central defence is appalling..against the top teams dier and henderson will be slaughtered....to think we used to have scholes, gerrard, beckham, lampard.

Who achieved nothing under so called 'top managers'.

Let's embrace south gates new approach and see how it goes. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Maybe after this world cup, some of our players will be viewed in similar awe as the Germans on this thread.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Raya4espania

[roverandout]

15 minutes ago, Raya4espania said:

Who achieved nothing under so called 'top managers'.

Let's embrace south gates new approach and see how it goes. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Maybe after this world cup, some of our players will be viewed in similar awe as the Germans on this thread.

Really hope so

[Baz]

Poor squad choices I feel, overloaded with defenders when we look like our weakness will be creativity going forward. 

Is Shelvey or Wilshere as much a risk as Ruben-Cheek? I'd say less risky, albeit both are not ideal.

I can't see as bigger a disaster as under Woy but even then I hope we don't need anything going into Belgium game.

[Husky]

It's shocking when you look at the squad . . . Welbeck? Jesus!!! Then the defence . . . .some of the Prem clubs most mistake laden defenders are there (Jones, Stones etc. - then OTT Cahill - may as well have called up John Terry too).

Not much hope in midfield too - loads of lazy players that go missing (Ali) and 1 in 5 Sterling (who will get 1 chance at best against a decent team).

Well at least the press shouldn't be bigging us up as potential winners, which I've found has really waned in recent years . . . Even they got the message that we're a minnow amongst the better countries.