England: Burn and Gordon named in latest squad (Official)

[St. Maximin]

If we’re going by form I imagine Tomori is the best CB having won the league with Milan. Also apparently speaks Italian well already so automatically boosts the team intellect. 

[Bimpy474]

Team reflecting its manager, boring and the human equivalent of beige. 

 

Needs someone new, God's know who mind.

[Ste]

Issue with Mount and Kane is they both want to occupy the same spaces. I'd give Kane and Abraham a go up front. Midfield 2 of Rice and Bellingham, Saka left side, Bowen right. 

[astraguy]

First game I've seen since euro final, yet again it turned into background noise so so boring like Brucie ball

[M1tche]

14 hours ago, JumpersForGoalposts said:

So. At what stage are we allowed to criticise Southgate's all round cluelessness without getting shouted down for doing so?

I've been trying to get this message across for a long time now, but hardly anyone whats to hear it because we got to a semi and a final. Losing 2 games when really we should have won at least one of them if not both. 

[WillingtonMag]

55 minutes ago, Ste said:

Issue with Mount and Kane is they both want to occupy the same spaces. I'd give Kane and Abraham a go up front. Midfield 2 of Rice and Bellingham, Saka left side, Bowen right. 

Issue there is Mount shouldn't be getting a game.

[Ste]

13 minutes ago, WillingtonMag said:

Issue there is Mount shouldn't be getting a game.

 

I wouldn't continue to start him. Like I say, I'd try Kane with a striker partner against Hungary as I think he wants to occupy the same spaces as Mount anyway.

[WillingtonMag]

Just now, Ste said:

 

I wouldn't continue to start him. Like I say, I'd try Kane with a striker partner against Hungary as I think he wants to occupy the same spaces as Mount anyway.

I'd just play Grealish there and have Foden and Saka out wide when everyone's fit, who would you play alongside him as a striker ?

[St. Maximin]

I think purely by the semi-final and final in his two major tournaments, Southgate has earned the right to manage this WC. He’s clearly more than just a nice bloke - I think he does an excellent job for the team spirit and has helped the public love the team again; the values of which can’t be underestimated for major tournaments. It’s also absolutely right to point out teams tend to win tournaments by being defensive. 
 

However, Southgate’s approach just shows his tactical limitations and I find there’s got to be a balance he’s not striking - the big tournament conservative approach to him seems to be sacrificing our strengths (attack) to shore up the weakness (defence), leaving multiple strong attacking players on the bench. And also Mount on the pitch despite continuing to be crap for England. 
 

There definitely just seems to be an English mindset of being a bit cynical of being aggressive, risk-taking, backing out abilities etc. I agree with previous comments that we set up like underdogs despite having arguably the second best squad in a tournament virtually hosted at home for us. This seems to get reflected in some of our fans who think the team were brave heroes for winning a few games they should have won. Those Sports Personality awards were a joke. 

[JumpersForGoalposts]

23 minutes ago, M1tche said:

I've been trying to get this message across for a long time now, but hardly anyone whats to hear it because we got to a semi and a final. Losing 2 games when really we should have won at least one of them if not both. 

This all smells like when we got to fifth in spite of Pardew's terrible decisions and then were awful the next season.

 

The only two differences are:

 

1. Southgate is likable whereas Pardew is an absolute snake.

 

2. We don't care as much about England as we do about our clubs to shout loudly about it.

[WillingtonMag]

4 minutes ago, St. Maximin said:

I think purely by the semi-final and final in his two major tournaments, Southgate has earned the right to manage this WC. He’s clearly more than just a nice bloke - I think he does an excellent job for the team spirit and has helped the public love the team again; the values of which can’t be underestimated for major tournaments. It’s also absolutely right to point out teams tend to win tournaments by being defensive. 
 

However, Southgate’s approach just shows his tactical limitations and I find there’s got to be a balance he’s not striking - the big tournament conservative approach to him seems to be sacrificing our strengths (attack) to shore up the weakness (defence), leaving multiple strong attacking players on the bench. And also Mount on the pitch despite continuing to be crap for England. 
 

There definitely just seems to be an English mindset of being a bit cynical of being aggressive, risk-taking, backing out abilities etc. I agree with previous comments that we set up like underdogs despite having arguably the second best squad in a tournament virtually hosted at home for us. This seems to get reflected in some of our fans who think the team were brave heroes for winning a few games they should have won. Those Sports Personality awards were a joke. 

I think he's shown in them two tournaments exactly why he shouldn't be manager at the world cup tbh. We've seen his limitations and can't see us winning a final against a big team with him in charge.

[Ste]

3 minutes ago, WillingtonMag said:

I'd just play Grealish there and have Foden and Saka out wide when everyone's fit, who would you play alongside him as a striker ?

 

From the current squad, Abraham. Foden/Saka wide left so we don't have a wide midfielder and a left back both wanting to cut in. Bowen wide right. 

[JumpersForGoalposts]

3 minutes ago, St. Maximin said:

There definitely just seems to be an English mindset of being a bit cynical of being aggressive, risk-taking, backing out abilities etc. I agree with previous comments that we set up like underdogs despite having arguably the second best squad in a tournament virtually hosted at home for us. This seems to get reflected in some of our fans who think the team were brave heroes for winning a few games they should have won. Those Sports Personality awards were a joke. 

Spot on mate. Britain has a 'Brave loser' mentality. We need to get away from this and be a bit more cutthroat. We need to have a 'Get 'em down and kick 'em whilst their down and keep kicking them' mentality and instill that fight into the players.

 

As a said a few weeks ago, I'd be happier in a team of winners than I would in a team of pals.

[Happinesstan]

On 05/06/2022 at 16:26, Fantail Breeze said:

 

Minging football winning fuck all with one of the most talented attacking sides we’ve ever had in most of our lifetimes.

 

A decent manager and we’d have won the Euros. His tactical limitations fail us in the big games, this English side is good enough to beat a majority of the crap we’ve come up against by default.

 

Bizarre how much support he gets. Longer we keep him the less chance we’ll have of taking advantage of having such a decent squad. 
 

This team should walk into a QF/SF and easily will. That’ll be enough to keep him in a job and we’ll be stuck in this cycle forever.

Genuine question cos I haven't a clue, but are there any decent managers who would have stayed in the job long enough to reach that stage?

[The Prophet]

It's a difficult balance to strike. The spine of England's team is quite weak, so the conservatism is understandable, to a certain extent.

[Hanshithispantz]

Even then though, regardless of whether or not we want more attractive football, that isn't Southgate's style. So expecting him to do this or that would be like us expecting Rafa to play tika-taka. 

 

I don't like Southgate's style at all, and there's many changes I would like to see made in a hypothetical scenario, but his team selections and matchday tactics are part of a larger package which has unquestionably gotten results.

 

I get that people don't want him managing the team, but pretending like our results from the past two tournaments mean nowt like some people are is just daft.

[St. Maximin]

24 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

Even then though, regardless of whether or not we want more attractive football, that isn't Southgate's style. So expecting him to do this or that would be like us expecting Rafa to play tika-taka. 

 

I don't like Southgate's style at all, and there's many changes I would like to see made in a hypothetical scenario, but his team selections and matchday tactics are part of a larger package which has unquestionably gotten results.

 

I get that people don't want him managing the team, but pretending like our results from the past two tournaments mean nowt like some people are is just daft.

Agree with this, though he does have players from some of the best teams in the world playing consistently exciting and attacking football. I think he’s restricting them from playing their natural game - understandable to an extent - but too far imo. Defensive managers tend to be effective (like Rafa at Newcastle) because the players available encourage that. 

[joeyt]

Christ didn't realise there's another round of Nations League fixtures midweek. Such a bore

[WillingtonMag]

16 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Christ didn't realise there's another round of Nations League fixtures midweek. Such a bore

The players hardly get a break and isn't even a major summer international tournament, don't get it at all.

[Away Toon]

I'd have Barnes wide left over any of the other options. Quick, direct and scores goals.

[macphisto]

2 hours ago, St. Maximin said:

Agree with this, though he does have players from some of the best teams in the world playing consistently exciting and attacking football. I think he’s restricting them from playing their natural game - understandable to an extent - but too far imo. Defensive managers tend to be effective (like Rafa at Newcastle) because the players available encourage that. 

Problem is that most of England's players are not the top players in those teams. 

 

I don't have too many problems with Southgate as I don't think our players are half as good as they are hyped up to be apart from Foden, Kane and our fullbacks. My one criticism of Southgate is that if we play Rice and Phillips then I'd always have TAA in the team as there should be sufficient cover for when he bombs forward. 

[Guest HTT II]

People call this a golden generation, it really isn’t. We have some very good players, but not any real outstanding ones other than one or two. Again, the early 90s England could call on Shearer, Wright, Cole, Sheringham, Sutton, Dublin, Fowler, Le Tissier, later on Owen, Sir Les, an embarrassment of riches. We had Seaman, Flowers and Woods as ‘keeper. In defence we had Keown, Pallister, Adams, Southgate himself, Parker, Neville, Le Saux, in midfield Gazza, Platt, Lee, Batty, Ince, Redknapp, Macmanaman, later on Scholes, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard. What we have now is a team of players that are similar ability wise regardless of position, are well stocked at both full-back and lack a creative playmaker. We have Kane as our only real world-class player. England would struggle to finish top 4 in the PL. that’s not so much down to Southgate, but genuine real quality in key ears, central defence, central midfield and supporting centre-forwards. He’s done an amazing job really. I’d like to see us be more adventurous and we have the players and we need to start doing so especially when in the lead or we have the upper hand because under Southgate the times we have, we’ve blown teams away.

[Guest HTT II]

5 hours ago, triggs said:

Can't see any defensive issues with that Maguire-Grealish left side axis

That’s why Rice and Phillips are in the team… defend from the front, attack and the other team can’t get at you.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2022 by HTT II

[AyeDubbleYoo]

The players are pretty strong in their teams like, and this is the most technically gifted generation we’ve maybe ever had. 
 

Of course the likes of De Bruyne are the best players in their clubs, but those other players don’t all come from the same country. 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2022 by AyeDubbleYoo

[Guest HTT II]

Southgate has got a young team well organised and we do keep the ball well, often having more possession than the other team which was a disease of our national team years gone by, but we do lack a direct cutting threat and if Kane isn’t banging in penalties or we score from another set play, we seem to struggle. It’s becoming quite a theme.