The England Team - all the news, views…

[Exiled_Rover]

10 hours ago, Aqualung said:

I agree... Said it before on here that he's gone backwards since joining Citeh. 

Not his own fault but Peps insistence on playing him out wide on the left where he's extremely limited. Never beats a defender, always cuts back to play a pass. Frustrating to watch him. 

He was a better player when at Villa and I'm sure England can live without him. 

Can't see him being at city for much longer. 

He's said himself that when he was at Villa the manager told him to drift to wherever he could find space and the team would adapt around him.

At City his maverick nature has been nullified by the structure.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

14 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He's said himself that when he was at Villa the manager told him to drift to wherever he could find space and the team would adapt around him.

At City his maverick nature has been nullified by the structure.

He’s been stifled at City, he’s completely lost his natural game.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, DuffsLeftPeg said:

Well done Gareth Southgate for picking players in the best form and not on name alone. This sets a high bar for future squads and will encourage the likes of Grealish, Maddison and Rashford to either do better or move clubs to play regular football. 

Team to start v Serbia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇷🇸 

              Pickford

Walker Stones Guehi Trippier

       Wharton Rice

Saka    Bellingham   Foden

               Kane

COME ON ENGLAND!

Barring accidents I think that could well be our starting line up.

[Admiral Nelsen]

10 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Italy have quite a strong defence, Bastoni is a very good player at Inter and Mancini a regular at Roma. Although I would have them down as maybe 8th favourites.

The problem is not necessarily Guehi's ability at full fitness but its how he is now having barely played since a long term injury. Add in Stones' lack of game time and the main issue at left back and we can certainly be got at.

Such a shame that when we get such a plethora of attacking talent that we also have such issues in defence.

 

 

A real shame. We've done a full 180 degree turn in that respect - we used to have a CL winning centre half as fourth choice and not even take players like Johnathan Woodgate to tournaments, all whilst dishing out caps aplenty to forwards like Darius Vassell. The complete opposite situation now. 

[TheRevAshton]

1 hour ago, DuffsLeftPeg said:

Well done Gareth Southgate for picking players in the best form and not on name alone. This sets a high bar for future squads and will encourage the likes of Grealish, Maddison and Rashford to either do better or move clubs to play regular football. 

Team to start v Serbia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇷🇸 

              Pickford

Walker Stones Guehi Trippier

       Wharton Rice

Saka    Bellingham   Foden

               Kane

COME ON ENGLAND!

Palmer over Saka, otherwise it's pretty much spot on!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

29 minutes ago, TheRevAshton said:

Palmer over Saka, otherwise it's pretty much spot on!

Southgate likes Saka so I think he could start. Personally I’m not his biggest fan. He can murder second rate teams/players but when it’s the big boys he can be found wanting too often.

[AspRover]

To be fair if Saka can murder second rate teams he should be starting vs at least one of Serbia or Slovenia, you need to use the whole squad.

I think that if you are playing Kane and Bellingham through the centre (which we should be, and they should have license to change through the match - one drops deep, the other pushes forward) and Foden on the left then I'd probably play Saka over Palmer simply because I think he has a bit more pace and that's the one thing our front line is arguably a bit short of.

Palmer and Foden with Kane provides bags of technical play but you are relying on Bellingham to do a lot of running - It changes a bit if you play Watkins or Toney up front for a game.

 

I like the idea of having the option to go with a very front foot, fast and aggressive front line with players like Saka, Eze, Gordon against some of the weaker teams or even as a plan B if we find ourselves chasing a game. 

This might be one of the most well balanced squads we have sent to a tournament in a while - the only thing I wish we had was another left-footed left back. 

[DackDackGoose]

Didn't seem long ago that rb/lb back was our most stacked position, I'm not too worried about our defence however. Despite the hype I don't think Wharton will start. But going to be an interesting spot in the team for sure!

[Exiled_Rover]

28 minutes ago, AspRover said:

To be fair if Saka can murder second rate teams he should be starting vs at least one of Serbia or Slovenia, you need to use the whole squad.

I think that if you are playing Kane and Bellingham through the centre (which we should be, and they should have license to change through the match - one drops deep, the other pushes forward) and Foden on the left then I'd probably play Saka over Palmer simply because I think he has a bit more pace and that's the one thing our front line is arguably a bit short of.

Palmer and Foden with Kane provides bags of technical play but you are relying on Bellingham to do a lot of running - It changes a bit if you play Watkins or Toney up front for a game.

 

I like the idea of having the option to go with a very front foot, fast and aggressive front line with players like Saka, Eze, Gordon against some of the weaker teams or even as a plan B if we find ourselves chasing a game. 

This might be one of the most well balanced squads we have sent to a tournament in a while - the only thing I wish we had was another left-footed left back. 

Saka isn't fast. 

[AspRover]

13 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Saka isn't fast. 

I'd argue he is faster and more direct than Palmer, though I admit I haven't seen a ton of either outside of highlights so I might be wrong.

There's a EUFA page where you can compare player stats - unfortunately Palmer isn't on it, but it suggests that Saka is faster than Grealish, Foden and Bellingham, and about the same as Sancho in terms of top recorded speed and average top speed per match. Gordon is recorded as faster than all of them.

Edited June 7 by AspRover

[roversfan99]

4 hours ago, DuffsLeftPeg said:

Well done Gareth Southgate for picking players in the best form and not on name alone. This sets a high bar for future squads and will encourage the likes of Grealish, Maddison and Rashford to either do better or move clubs to play regular football. 

Team to start v Serbia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇷🇸 

              Pickford

Walker Stones Guehi Trippier

       Wharton Rice

Saka    Bellingham   Foden

               Kane

COME ON ENGLAND!

There are still a number of players who are not in good form, but mainly ones that still had to be picked of course like Stones and Trippier, plus Guehi and Shaw. Then players like Toney who are lucky.

[AllRoverAsia]

I would have taken Grealish and not Toney.

Grealish does have a trick or 2 and can do the unexpected but Eze can too.

Their are others like Gordon, Bowen and even Foden who can play centrally if really needed 

I do think it's a good squad overall and in with a chance.

Edited June 7 by AllRoverAsia

[speeeeeeedie]

7 hours ago, DuffsLeftPeg said:

Well done Gareth Southgate for picking players in the best form and not on name alone. This sets a high bar for future squads and will encourage the likes of Grealish, Maddison and Rashford to either do better or move clubs to play regular football. 

Team to start v Serbia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇷🇸 

              Pickford

Walker Stones Guehi Trippier

       Wharton Rice

Saka    Bellingham   Foden

               Kane

COME ON ENGLAND!

I agree with 10 of your 11. Wharton is the wild card. All of us on here want him to stat but I think it will be Alexander-Arnold. 

[speeeeeeedie]

5 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

A real shame. We've done a full 180 degree turn in that respect - we used to have a CL winning centre half as fourth choice and not even take players like Johnathan Woodgate to tournaments, all whilst dishing out caps aplenty to forwards like Darius Vassell. The complete opposite situation now. 

Euro 2004 central defenders - John Terry, Sol Campbell, Ledley King, Jamie Carragher. Woodagte would have gone but was injured late in the Prem season. 

Rickie Lambert was in the WC 2014 squad. 

I'd rather be in the position England are in now though.

[Exiled_Rover]

31 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

Euro 2004 central defenders - John Terry, Sol Campbell, Ledley King, Jamie Carragher. Woodagte would have gone but was injured late in the Prem season. 

Rickie Lambert was in the WC 2014 squad. 

I'd rather be in the position England are in now though.

Southgate would bite your hand off for one of those first three names right now. 

[roverandout]

8 hours ago, Admiral Nelsen said:

 

A real shame. We've done a full 180 degree turn in that respect - we used to have a CL winning centre half as fourth choice and not even take players like Johnathan Woodgate to tournaments, all whilst dishing out caps aplenty to forwards like Darius Vassell. The complete opposite situation now. 

This squad definitely has far greater strength in depth than the golden generation 

[roverandout]

6 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

There are still a number of players who are not in good form, but mainly ones that still had to be picked of course like Stones and Trippier, plus Guehi and Shaw. Then players like Toney who are lucky.

Toney has taken to international football like a duck to water on his displays so far. Some players do. Some don't 

[davulsukur]

Sigurdsson on the bench for tonight, as is Wharton 

[roverandout]

Rooney is looking more and more like shrek every day.  He's carry a bit of timber 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Rooney is looking more and more like shrek every day.  He's carry a bit of timber 

Henry the Eighth.

[Mike E]

2 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Southgate would bite your hand off for one of those first three names right now. 

He’d bite your hand off for a player of his own quality!

[Mashed Potatoes]

15 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Henry the Eighth.

Not good news for Colleen.

[RoverDom]

Let's fast forward to 60 mins so we can see Wharton

[Exiled_Rover]

20 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Henry the Eighth.

Judging by his house (and the grounds it sits in) that's clearly his idol.

[TugaysMarlboro]

Mainoo caught sleeping for their goal. He's a talented player, but I don't think he's a good foil for Rice or Bellingham.