England

[RoverDom]

Its frustrating how many decent right backs we have whilst centre back is so lacking. 

[roversfan99]

6 hours ago, Paul Mani said:

Great result. Second half very strong...

individual comments - I like the formation because I don’t think we have 2 x cb’s that can do the job. I’d also play Coady over Dier. I don’t know what Rice brings to the party at all...reminds me of Keith Andrews as every game seems to pass him by. We need a CM who’s willing to pass forwards. Winks? Chilwell and Saka capable on the left and TAA on the right.

Excited with the forward options in Sancho, Kane, Sterling, Rashford, DCL, Grealish, Foden, Greenwood, Hudson Odoi etc ??

England have the potential to Dominate international football for a decade if they can find / develop a top CB (Terry / Ferdinand) and a top CM (Scholes / Gerrard)...I think Gomez and Maguire have potential to be excellent. Not sure on the CM options tbh...hopefully something coming through.

Its a hell of an ask to expect a top CB and a top CM to suddenly emerge of that standard!

There is plenty of scope for excitement with the current crop of players especially at the front end but there are also a couple of glaring weaknesses and also I am not convinced by the shape in which the manager is moving towards. 

I think that there may be a realisation that none of the centre backs are particularly good, but playing a third to compensate means that you have to select one more in the first place. Maguire's struggles are well documented, I think Gomez has talent but is so lucky to have Van Dijk next to him at club level and the rest are equally flawed.

Our central midfield options by comparison are much healthier, purely down to Henderson who people vastly underrate in spite of captaining and being critical to that Liverpol side. Foden I cant see where he plays in the current formation, in a 4-3-3 he can be the third man in there along with Henderson and perhaps Winks.

We also have a ticking time bomb in net as long as small arms Pickford remains there.

[speeeeeeedie]

3 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

I think you are getting a bit carried away here! We've got a fantastic crop of attackers and midfielders - but then so have France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands. I wouldn't say there is much between any of those top countries. If you had to pick one as the strongest France is the obvious nation.

We've got some obvious weaknesses we need to sort out - Goalkeeper, Centreback both look weaker than the other top nations. And we also look vulnerable to what happened with the "golden generation" where we had a lot of good attacking players - Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Joe Cole etc - but they all ultimately wanted to play in the central 10 role and ended up crowding each other out and we never looked a balanced team.

That said I have to agree England looked much much better after half time. It was tactically very clever switching the full backs inside. So huge credit to Southgate. Looking forward to the game in Brussels.

I thought this was a good summary of the half time tactical changes : https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.skysports.com/amp/football/news/11096/12102076/england-2-1-belgium-how-gareth-southgates-half-time-tactical-changes-completed-comeback

Next years Euros (hopefully it goes ahead) is wide open. Any of the teams you listed can win it, as well as England. In tournaments past there has been a clear favourite, although they didn't always end up winning it. For me since 2000 it's been France, Spain, then France again. In the 90's it was Germany (how they lost in 92 was a feat).  

Pickford is almost universally disliked on here. He hasn't put a foot wrong for England though. He may at some point but Southgate likes him. If Ancelotti can get him wired right his club errors will reduce too.

I think that Gomez is a tremendous player. He is understated playing next to van Dijk, but he can do it all. He was woeful against Villa, but they all were. He was the best player on the park the week before against Arsenal. Klopp will straighten him out. If Mourinho sees Dier as a central defender and plays him there every game he too will improve. He's another who is much maligned but has tournament experience and isn't that old.

England have some real attacking talent. As someone said maybe go for the win 5-4 approach.

I would play 4 at the back. 3 and wing backs looks disjointed.

[joey_big_nose]

20 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Next years Euros (hopefully it goes ahead) is wide open. Any of the teams you listed can win it, as well as England. In tournaments past there has been a clear favourite, although they didn't always end up winning it. For me since 2000 it's been France, Spain, then France again. In the 90's it was Germany (how they lost in 92 was a feat).  

Pickford is almost universally disliked on here. He hasn't put a foot wrong for England though. He may at some point but Southgate likes him. If Ancelotti can get him wired right his club errors will reduce too.

I think that Gomez is a tremendous player. He is understated playing next to van Dijk, but he can do it all. He was woeful against Villa, but they all were. He was the best player on the park the week before against Arsenal. Klopp will straighten him out. If Mourinho sees Dier as a central defender and plays him there every game he too will improve. He's another who is much maligned but has tournament experience and isn't that old.

England have some real attacking talent. As someone said maybe go for the win 5-4 approach.

I would play 4 at the back. 3 and wing backs looks disjointed.

Aren't you missing Germany out there? They were unbelievable between 2014 and 2016? Unlucky to be knocked out in 2016 semis by France.

[speeeeeeedie]

1 hour ago, joey_big_nose said:

Aren't you missing Germany out there? They were unbelievable between 2014 and 2016? Unlucky to be knocked out in 2016 semis by France.

I thought about them but my memory of Euro 2016 - aside from England's Iceland disaster - had France been odds on favourites. They were at home and were firing on all cylinders. Germany were reigning world champs but they weren't the same side. They got lucky against Italy in the quarters. Zaza's penalty in the shootout is one of the worst I've ever seen.

[roversfan99]

Absolutely crazy that there is another round of nations league games this midweek. The initial pre-pandemic concept was nice, as an alternative to friendlies. Totally unnecessary burden at the moment on players for a competition that no one really gives a shite about. Should have been scrapped this time but that would have required common sense.

[joey_big_nose]

2 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Absolutely crazy that there is another round of nations league games this midweek. The initial pre-pandemic concept was nice, as an alternative to friendlies. Totally unnecessary burden at the moment on players for a competition that no one really gives a shite about. Should have been scrapped this time but that would have required common sense.

I disagree - nation's league is a decent short form competition which is far more enjoyable than qualifiers or friendlies. Long may it continue!

[roversfan99]

8 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

I disagree - nation's league is a decent short form competition which is far more enjoyable than qualifiers or friendlies. Long may it continue!

But friendlies obviously are also unnecessary at this point too. Qualifiers ultimately are a lead to the only popular aspect of international football, summer tournaments, and the process beside play offs was completed before this season.

Like I said, the idea of the nations league pre pandemic is a good one, simply as a slightly more competitive alternative to friendlies. At a point in which the season is starting late and there are already major risks in terms of fixture congestion, the nations league (or indeed any friendlies) are totally unnecessary and a needless addition to an already overly packed schedule. 3 games within the break is bonkers.

[Mattyblue]

Just play less internationals full stop, then you don’t have to make up a convoluted competition to replace friendlies. All you need is Qualifiers, a few warm up games before a tournament and the tournament itself.

Having three two week breaks to the season by November is beyond tedious and the majority of fans dread international breaks from what I can see.

Edited October 13, 2020 by Mattyblue

[roversfan99]

Its also very difficult to manufacture importance for a new tournament. The World Cup and a tournament for each one is enough. That feeling of a summer tournament with numerous games a day ,(in the same location, not across Europe with an asymmetrical format!) the beer gardens, the wallcharts, mapping out your route to the final, the build up, thats all worthwhile. The Nations League will never have that.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Did I hear that right that Trippier  is now suspended because of allegations of betting ? 

[speeeeeeedie]

2 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Did I hear that right that Trippier  is now suspended because of allegations of betting ? 

Yes. He allegedly told pals via WhatsApp that he was going to Atletico Madrid before it was public knowledge. Said pals allegedly then placed bets on where Trippier would end up and cashed in.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

27 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Yes. He allegedly told pals via WhatsApp that he was going to Atletico Madrid before it was public knowledge. Said pals allegedly then placed bets on where Trippier would end up and cashed in.

That's what I heard as well .

[oldjamfan1]

59 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Yes. He allegedly told pals via WhatsApp that he was going to Atletico Madrid before it was public knowledge. Said pals allegedly then placed bets on where Trippier would end up and cashed in.

Some pals they were. Mind you, you've got to be some sort of total clownshoe to leak something like that. 

[roversfan99]

Harry Maguire is an absolute liability. Get him as far away from the England squad as possible. £80m my arse!

[Silas]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Harry Maguire is an absolute liability. Get him as far away from the England squad as possible. £80m my arse!

It's some decline. 

Warp speed.

He was the new messiah about 12 months ago. 

[AllRoverAsia]

That's what comes of playing a player who is in poor Club form who tries too hard.

Add in poor ball control and a slow thinking process and that's what you get.

Edited October 14, 2020 by AllRoverAsia

[philipl]

Harry Maguire was outstanding for Leicester.

Transferred to Man U and he's gone all David May/Phil Jones.

[Oldgregg86]

Only tuned in as he got sent off so can’t comment up to now but that seemed a fair tackle and was never a penalty in a million years 

[joey_big_nose]

4 minutes ago, philipl said:

Harry Maguire was outstanding for Leicester.

Transferred to Man U and he's gone all David May/Phil Jones.

It is remarkably similar to what happened to Phil Jones. Think they hang players out to dry there.

[G Somerset Rover]

6 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

Only tuned in as he got sent off so can’t comment up to now but that seemed a fair tackle and was never a penalty in a million years 

He could have had a red for the first yellow, while the follow through got him the second yellow. Hideous performance - looks like he needs some time out.

[matt83]

Maguire really is a lummox. What are United doing to promising centre halves.

[Oldgregg86]

didn’t see the first like I said I turned it on and it was a reply of the second one. Nothing wrong with that for me and never a penalty . Ridiculous decision

[benhben]

Cant knock recent results but you look at that starting line up and this weird defensive formation hes gone back to and cant help but think were no where near fielding our best team or best system. The bench would beat the starting line up. 

Not sure what hes aiming for at the moment. He found an exciting winning system and appears to have abandoned it. 

Edited October 14, 2020 by benhben

[speeeeeeedie]

34 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

didn’t see the first like I said I turned it on and it was a reply of the second one. Nothing wrong with that for me and never a penalty . Ridiculous decision

I too missed the first but agree with you on the others.

Maguire needs a rest. He's had a rough few months. He's a shadow of his Leicester self.