England

[Husky]

Considering Sky basically run football these days - it isn't half poor scheduling to put an England friendly on at the same time as one of the games the neutral England fan would have the most interest in (Croatia v Spain). Poor effort.

[Husky]

England have never ever lost 4 international games in a row . . . .could Southgate achieve that record tonight?

Hopefully playing at Leicester in front of a real crowd instead of the stale Wembley might give England a bit more ooomffff!

[roverandout]

Not watching it..theyre predictable shite

[joey_big_nose]

Certainly looks like we could lose this one.

I really really don't like our system in midfield. 3 very average midfielders who are totally out numbered and out skilled. What purpose does it serve to have Welbeck on the pitch in the place of a midfielder?

[Husky]

1 minute ago, roverandout said:

Not watching it..theyre predictable shite

Spain out playing teams again?

[Husky]

17 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

 What purpose does it serve to have Welbeck on the pitch in the place of a midfielder?

I'm waiting for another Geoff Thomas moment.

[joey_big_nose]

Much better second half. Think changing to two sitting midfielders has helped us a lot.

 

[SBlue]

Harry Kane - England’s Jordan Rhodes?

[roverandout]

Why call up demari gray and not play him? Oh yes because southgate likes robotic players

[joey_big_nose]

6 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Why call up demari gray and not play him? Oh yes because southgate likes robotic players

To be fair he has rotated virtually the entire squad. 

Decent result in the end - Switzerland are roughly our level. 

Rose looks like he should start, and  against Spain and Croatia we should play both Henderson and Dier together as we looked a lot better when that change was made.

Still looks a total toss up between Rashford and Sterling on who will partner Kane. Rashford got a goal but didn't do too much else.

Probs best team atm

-------------------------Pickford

----------Walker-----Stones----Maguire

Trippier------Dier--------Henderson----Rose

--------------------------Lingard

-------------------Kane---------Rashford

Spain will beat us soundly on home soil.

 

 

[SBlue]

2 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

To be fair he has rotated virtually the entire squad. 

Decent result in the end - Switzerland are roughly our level. 

Rose looks like he should start, and  against Spain and Croatia we should play both Henderson and Dier together as we looked a lot better when that change was made.

Still looks a total toss up between Rashford and Sterling on who will partner Kane. Rashford got a goal but didn't do too much else.

Probs best team atm

-------------------------Pickford

----------Walker-----Stones----Maguire

Trippier------Dier--------Henderson----Rose

--------------------------Lingard

-------------------Kane---------Rashford

Spain will beat us soundly on home soil.

 

 

Not far wrong but I just cannot get on with Dier - so cumbersome and slow witted - would prefer Delph in there for more energy and quality on the ball - he’s still a good defender. Probably not the most sensible idea, but that’s why I’m not England manager!

As you say, toss up for who partners Harry Rhodes as I think either are good, but there’s a gnats cock between Alli and Lingard too and I’d probably prefer the former.

And to say he never plays, RLC is changing my mind a little every time I see him.

Decent performance second half, nowt wrong with the Swiss, and look at what Spain did to Croatia tonight!

[Husky]

Good day all round. Clean sheet, a win against a team at our level and we're also off the bottom of our Caribbean Cup league.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Husky

[roversfan99]

Not sure how Loftus Cheek is near an England squad. Hes ok technically and physically but he doesnt ever do anything with it, plus his work rate and his general demeanour is very poor. Add to that a lack of playing time at Chelsea and even with a lack of alternatives hes probably had one too many chances.

If we are to continue with this formation then it goes without saying that its key to try and find the correct balance in midfield. We have to somewhat accept as well that when we play teams like Spain, we wont win the war for possession. We usually play with one pivot (Henderson was very progressive in his passes again when he came on tonight) but I think we need 2 together to try and exert a little more control and give a little more stability. Will Hughes for me would be the man from a very limited choice to partner him. Then have 3 attacking players, with Kane a given. Id probably have Sterling and Lingard either side of him, which could change to Lingard as the 3rd midfield man and Sterling around Kane. 

Butland should be well down the pecking order, didnt really have much to do but hes looked poor in the last year whenever ive seen him for Stoke, he obviously cant play out and he certainly makes his mistakes. Goalkeeper is a weakness in general but McCarthy at Southampton should be over him, as should Pope when fit again.

Tarkowski isnt an England player either, its difficult being an England centre back in that Maguire, Stones and Joe Gomez all are not the best defenders youll either see but are obviously good on the ball, Tarkowski isnt really, but he plays in a system at club level that guarantees him far more protection than for England.

Feel like players such as Welbeck, Butland, Loftus Cheek and Delph were selected tonight as a reward for being part of the world cup squad without contributing anything. Honourable in a way but we should be looking to the future and how we can improve.

Kane contributes very very little when he doesnt score but his goal record has to make him the first name on the team sheet.

I also feel that Southgate needs to at times compromise on his strategy of not just picking players because they are doing well in the Prem, solely looking for young players. In areas that we are weak, such as up front and in central midfield, if any of the likes of Shelvey and Wilshire put some form together then we cant be pompous enough to ignore them.

[RevidgeBlue]

2 hours ago, S8 & Blue said:

Harry Kane - England’s Jordan Rhodes?

Oh do give over. Double golden boot winner in the Premier League and Golden Boot winner at the World Cup wasn't he?

Edited September 11, 2018 by RevidgeBlue

[roversfan99]

11 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Oh do give over. Double golden boot winner in the Premier League and Golden Boot winner at the World Cup wasn't he?

His all round game is average but he scores a ridicilious amount of goals year in year out. 

That said, the importance of goalscoring seems to somehow have become underrated in a striker. 

His all round game is obviously more complete than Rhodes when he was here, plus his goalscoring is not only more impressive in terms of the numbers but also the standard hes playing at.

I feel that Kane is better suited to playing as a lone striker, as I did with Rhodes here, with people supporting from deep. He has played alongside Lucas this season who has played more centrally than usual and im not sure it best suits him.

If people compare him to Rhodes as he was here, ie someone who scored stupid amounts of goals regularly, for me thats a compliment, especially as obviously Kane is far better.

Also, @joey_big_nose would you think Switzerland are our level if we both had our strongest teams out? Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker, Jesse Lingard, Dele Alli, Kieran Trippier, Jordan Henderson and John Stones are for me a class or 2 above what they can offer. Just look at their clubs. Key players for Switzerland include Shaqiri, a Liverpool sub whose a liability more often than a threat, Xhaka who is a really average player lucky to have a regular spot in a patchy Arsenal side and Schar who has been signed as a squad player in an underfunded Newcastle squad. Id suggest we are in the middle of them and the likes of Spain in terms of quality.

[RevidgeBlue]

20 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

That said, the importance of goalscoring seems to somehow have become underrated in a striker.

Absolutely, those that can score do, those that can't run about a bit and bring others into play.

Also a bit of an unnecessary swipe at Rhodes I'd have thought. I really Don't understand this revisionist slagging him off , the history books will record him as one of our best players. 

[Stuart]

7 hours ago, Husky said:

Good day all round. Clean sheet, a win against a team at our level and we're also off the bottom of our Caribbean Cup league.

Oddly, last night’s game was just a friendly, not a Nations Cup match.

[roverandout]

6 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Oh do give over. Double golden boot winner in the Premier League and Golden Boot winner at the World Cup wasn't he?

Agreed...Harry kane's allround game is very good..but theres no service from midfield..ive said it before, our midfield is shit. Every other area of the team is pretty solid

[SBlue]

7 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Absolutely, those that can score do, those that can't run about a bit and bring others into play.

Also a bit of an unnecessary swipe at Rhodes I'd have thought. I really Don't understand this revisionist slagging him off , the history books will record him as one of our best players. 

It was a little tongue in cheek of course, and I was in fact one of Jordan’s biggest fans - but I am aware of the general consensus regarding his all round game.

I just think Kane must have a twin brother that plays for Spurs - he has the ability to affect games FAR more than he has been doing this year for England.

[K-Hod]

7 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Absolutely, those that can score do, those that can't run about a bit and bring others into play.

Also a bit of an unnecessary swipe at Rhodes I'd have thought. I really Don't understand this revisionist slagging him off , the history books will record him as one of our best players. 

To give them their due, all the people that criticised his all round game have been consistent in doing so! I remember it starting a pixellated World War 3 at the time....

[benhben]

37 minutes ago, S8 & Blue said:

It was a little tongue in cheek of course, and I was in fact one of Jordan’s biggest fans - but I am aware of the general consensus regarding his all round game.

I just think Kane must have a twin brother that plays for Spurs - he has the ability to affect games FAR more than he has been doing this year for England.

Probably because hes playing with better players. England would be tranformed with an Eriksson or Dembele in midfield. Alli, Lingard and Sterling run around a lot but they dont link defence to midfield and attack. Henderson is a much better player than Dier in that role. Agree with the Delph over Dier comment above. 

Still not convinced by 5 at the back formation. The two wing backs usually end up pinned into a 5 against anyone half decent and leaves our already weak midfield overrun.

The 2-1 loss to spain doesnt seem quite as crap after their result yesterday. 

[Husky]

I see the FA have rushed to give the underwhelming Southgate a pay rise and contract extension before the away games in Croatia and Spain (where one could seriously expect 2 more defeats).

[old darwen blue]

Do you seriously expect any different pal? He fits all their criteria and let’s face it, there’s no one else to replace him. 

[speeeeeeedie]

11 hours ago, old darwen blue said:

Do you seriously expect any different pal? He fits all their criteria and let’s face it, there’s no one else to replace him. 

What has he done wrong? He got a limited outfit to a World Cup semi final, got the squad to gel, and restored some pride in the shirt. He should be rewarded.

England's problems aren't Southgate. It's a toothless FA. They need to regulate their own league to enable more English players opportunities to play. 

Talent such as Rashford, Loftus-Cheek, Lingard, not to mention some of the promising youth cup winners are being wasted by Prem clubs necessity to stay on the gravy train.

[roverandout]

To be fair the likes of maddison sancho and mount are the kind of flair players we have been crying out for..with the talent coming through im sure in the next 5 or 10 years we will be serious challengers for major honours.  Our midfield will look better with those 3 players.  The likes of odoi and foden as well. Our current team is pretty good just lacking a few playmakers which will be remedied with these kids