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.

To be fair, we have Kane, Sterling, Alli, Lingard, Vardy, Lallana and Rashford in attacking positions anyway.

One that requires good ball retention? Seemingly not a priority to Southgate.

The point was more in regards to what I thought was dismissive of Hanley and Duffy as individual players, didnt realise there was a typo! I dont really get the clamour for an ugly centre back, I think Mulgrew and Lenihan make a very good partnership.

I would also take Lallana, was more directed at the point about form. Sadly we dont have the depth to only pick players who are regulars, even Rashford doesnt play very often, but with players like Livermore, he just lacks ability. Surely Harry Kane, a 30 goal a season striker, is one of the best individuals who will be at the tournament? Agree on the attacking options, but Livermore isnt an effective shield anyway, plus we need to get a grip of the midfield, and Wilshire is our best central midfielder in terms of ball retention, him and Henderson would be best in terms of getting the ball into our dangerous attackers. The tactics Southgate tries to play focus on ball retention, playing it out from the back, Jake Livermore is not capable of keeping the ball. Shame Milner couldnt be coaxed back either.

Dont think they were to be honest. Might be wrong. Even so, that wouldnt be based on form.

Dreadful? They both got big money moves to better teams...

Please can you then explain the inclusions of: Livermore - Stood out as especially poor in a terrible West Brom side. Lallana - Been injured most of the season Delph - Been injured most of the season and when hes played, its been at left back Welbeck - Has been poor all season

Even if you dont rate Wilshire, to leave him AND Shelvey at home in favour of Livermore and Delph is absolutely crazy. What you expect from a failed manager I suppose but still.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-city-ace-fabian-delph-12540946 If theres any truth in this, then Gareth Southgate is an even bigger fool than I thought. To have Jake Livermore anywhere near the squad is a joke, the only reason Wilshires absence can be justified is injury, which not only would be false as he has played pkenty in the second half of the season, but hes picking a player in Delph who is injured even more and when he does play, its at left back! Dier, Loftus-Cheek and Welbeck are all lucky to be in too. Hopefully thats a false squad and the real one has Wilshire in, and Livermore nowhere near, for a start. The choices in central midfield are frightening.

Take on board your point about set pieces, although I would be really reluctant to break up Mulgrew and Lenihan as I feel they make a really good pairing and we look far more secure with them in the side.

I think our main targets need to be in attack, we need id say 4 attacking players, a central midfielder and then maybe a right back. @Stuart is right in that, in the main, they need to be players who should be improving us rather than adding depth. We need at least 2 out and out wingers, they need to be of the calibre to be starting games from game 1, not ones who can come on when Conway/Bennett or a striker playing out of position gets tired. We need a striker, yes we might struggle to get one of the quality of Graham but we need to aim to solely based on Grahams age. Then maybe another attacking midfielder who can push Dack, ideally with the versatility to also play wide/elsewhere. We need a central midfielder who can play alongside and compliment Smallwood or Evans, not one to cover them, and a right back who can come in and at least equal Nyambe, not another Caddis. Dont understand the clamour for a big thug at centre back, Mulgrew and Lenihan are a quality partnership.

Agree with the notion of ensuring we sign players to play in their correct positions. We need a couple of actual wingers, there are benefits of playing maybe 1 striker wide, it can be a shrewd way to add enough goals, but for me its by far our weakest area. Agreed on all 5 of them players, I do think wed struggle to offload them though; that said I feel like signing Conway on for another year is adding to the aforementioned deadwood around the fringes. Whilst I agree that we do need to add, I feel like your comparison to Bolton is slightly misleading in that we achieved considerably more points than them, and they not only didnt really strengthen, in selling their top scorer mid season they actually weakened in comparison to their League 1 season. We do need to strive to look to improve, not just add depth, that said I feel we have a good spine that can make the step up, Mulgrew, Lenihan, Bennett, Smallwood (maybe), Dack and Graham.

Any wage is too much for a player who isnt good enough for the division. Wingers need to offer at least some modicum of an attacking threat, and Conway doesnt do that any more. If we had released him you would have said that it was the correct decision anyway.

We arent a charity though. His legs have gone, he keeps getting injured, hes got 0 assists in a League 1 seasons, for me its a needless waste of a wage based on sentimentality.

I think QPR, Reading and a Mick McCarthy-less Ipswich may struggle next season, based on current personnel. Bolton for sure too. Hard to judge I suppose pre-summer transfer window.

I feel like your doom mongering is quite baseless to be honest. For one, Bolton got 10 less points than we did, none of their players got into double figures in league goals, unlike Dack, Graham and Mulgrew, who along with Lenihan, Smallwood and Bennett make a core of players that I feel can definitely make the step up. (most of whom have proved they can in the past) Bolton sold their best player and main striker mid way through the season and still stayed up to be fair. If we sell Dack and bring in a 38 year old replacement then maybe youll have a point. There is also no basis for Dack leaving, albeit im not as naive as chaddy in thinking hes unsellable, but im sure it would take a much bigger bid than you are suggesting and I also dont get the impression that hes got itchy feet to leave as you seem to be insistent on implying. I also think he has the make up to be far more productive Championship player than you give him credit for. Yes hes not the quickest, plenty of top Championship players arent, Cairney, Snodgrass, Neves, Maddison to name a few. Dack can beat players with ease due to his close control and the way that he puts his body between man and ball, hes an intelligent player, can I say he will definitely stay or that he will definitely make the step up? No but I feel like you are writing him off already to provoke a reaction, rather than based on anything tangible. Cant see us being near the play offs or anything silly, and we may be in trouble if we dont add a few, but theres no need for the doom/winding people up just yet.

England squad named next week, very early. Think mine would be: Pickford, Pope, Butland. Maguire, Jones, Stones, Tarkowski, Rose, Young, Walker, Trippier Henderson, Wilshire, Milner, Dier, Lingard, Alli Kane, Vardy, Sterling, Rashford 2 places left, a centre back and a midfielder, would probably go for Dunk and Lallana. That said, maybe with Walker and Dier in the squad, we can pick an extra midfielder, but bar maybe Delph whose not played there recently anyway, who do you pick? Hoping that Livermore, Welbeck and Hart are nowhere near the squad. Need Milner to come back, as consistent as anyone, Henderson and him have to be miles ahead of the ineffectual Dier. Pickford Maguire Stones Jones Walker Alli Henderson Wilshire Rose Sterling Kane Would be the team for the first game.

Far from ideal, too similar to Smallwood. Hes been at Sunderland, Leeds and now Forest and not convincingly become a regular at any club, the latter of which has a poor squad. Not denying that Mowbray strives to keep transfer dealings as quiet as possible, as any manager would, but main reason is that the journalists at the Lancashire Telegraph dont seem to know their arse from their elbow in that regards anyway. Even when transfers have been leaked, the Lancashire Telegraph always lags behind nowadays and just repeats information a day or 2 after it breaks.

Think the Lancashire Telegraph dont really know what they are talking about. Dont think anyone seems to have good links any more really, signings tend to go undetected.

Bridcutt would just be an inferior version of Smallwood on higher wages whose struggled at Championship level for a bit now.

Good point. Id still prefer them to have just left the Darwen End open to be honest, but your alternative shows some proactivity the club seemingly lacks.

That bottom suggestion is good in that it does allow more away fans or whatever they want to suggest closing the Darwen End does, whilst allowing that unreserved seating that appeals to many and also leaves more fans in the one stand. Then again, it is again moving even more fans against their will.

I find the Holloway/QPR thing strange, dont rate him at all as a manager but from the outside hes done a decent job with no money and a poor squad. If they get McLaren or similar recycled rubbish then its an odd move. Both the Ipswich and QPR jobs are not attractive ones, would be surprised if they upgraded.

Aye, may aswell sign square pegs to play in the square holes that hopefully make up a 4-2-3-1 formation judging by its success this year.