England

[Disco]

Hopefully that injury to Stones isn’t anything serious. England will be AOTS at the back without him regardless of back 3 or 4, hugely hinders getting the ball out and playing forward too. Likewise Bellingham who must be a nailed on starter after the last couple of games.

 

Didn’t think Shaw was that bad and he’s playing next to a hand grenade but didn’t look match sharp. Probably favour him to Chilwell all things being equal. 

[gbandit]

2 minutes ago, ElDiablo said:

Saka and Sterling for me. Makes it easier for Kane too having two guys trying to get in behind. Foden I feel over complicates at times.

Either way, it’s essential Saka starts as he’s our most direct option, will just run at people nonstop 

[Kid Icarus]

Bizarre game. One where it's hard to work out how Germany scored 3 and how England only scored 3. 

[54]

If we're going to persist with the 3 at the back system, would go for something like this against Iran, and based on that game Maguire, Shaw and James shouldnt be starting they where out weakest links by a distance imo:

             

                Pickford / Pope

 

         Stones   White  Tomori   

 

Trippier                              Chillwel

 

             Rice   Bellingham

 

      Saka                        Sterling

                  

                    Kane

 

 

Edited September 26, 2022 by 54

[tgarve]

4 minutes ago, 54 said:

If we're going to persist with the 3 at the back system, would go for something like this against Iran, and based on that game Maguire, Shaw and James shouldnt be starting they where out weakest links by a distance imo:

             

                Pickford / Pope

 

         Stones   White  Tomori   

 

Trippier                              Chillwel

 

             Rice   Bellingham

 

      Saka                        Sterling

                  

                    Kane

 

 

 

Thought shaw looked alright 

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Hitzlsperger the hamster.

[54]

Good image for depth btw:

 

[tgarve]

1 minute ago, 54 said:

Good image for depth btw:

 

It is but there’s many players on there miles away from the squad - who even is Richard’s? 

[Cattletrucked]

2 teams who won’t be winning the World Cup. Both defences are dog shit. 

[Shearergol]

23 minutes ago, 54 said:

Good image for depth btw:

 

Wilson and Wilson up front?

[SteV]

27 minutes ago, tgarve said:

It is but there’s many players on there miles away from the squad - who even is Richard’s? 

Omar Richards. Was at Reading and looked a decent prospect then, bizarrely, Bayern decided to take him as his contract was up. Played about five games last season and they decided he wasn’t good enough. So became one of Forests 135 signings this window. Don’t think he’s played for them yet, not sure why?

[Ashley17]

Fairly sure Lamptey now represents Ghana...

[jack j]

1 hour ago, Shearergol said:

Wilson and Wilson up front?

Can bring Wilson on when Wilson inevitably gets injured

[Interpolic]

2 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

No idea why this keeps getting asked when the answer is always the same. Because despite being shit for Man United, he's generally been very good for England. Same as Pickford and his shakiness for Everton, he's never let England down.

 

Maguire's England's all-time goal scoring defender as well.

 

It's not about Maguire or Shaw being bad for Man Utd, it's that neither have even played a minute for Man Utd for six weeks. They should be nowhere near the England side on that basis alone. The 2 games they did feature in were the 2 shocking defeats, the good form kicked in when they were dropped. 

 

It's actually a fairly serious point this, if the two of them continue warming the Man Utd bench for the next two months then get into the England World Cup squad/team then it's fucking ridiculous. 

[Interpolic]

I was at the match tonight, what an atmosphere  so fucking flat.

 

First half was boring, Germany appeared to have a lot more possession and we had a decent spell. Turned into quite an exciting game second half, especially with the turnaround. Shame we couldn't hold on, and feel bad for Pope. 

 

Re the Maguire penalty decision, I was in level 5 on the opposite side of the pitch so probably 150-ish yards away from it and it was absolutely fucking stonewall from there, fuck knows how the ref missed it

[Kid Icarus]

13 hours ago, Interpolic said:

 

It's not about Maguire or Shaw being bad for Man Utd, it's that neither have even played a minute for Man Utd for six weeks. They should be nowhere near the England side on that basis alone. The 2 games they did feature in were the 2 shocking defeats, the good form kicked in when they were dropped. 

 

It's actually a fairly serious point this, if the two of them continue warming the Man Utd bench for the next two months then get into the England World Cup squad/team then it's fucking ridiculous. 

I take the point like and them not playing is obviously an issue, but while they continue to perform for England (up until very recently) it makes absolute sense that they would continue to get game time. 

 

Shaw was for me the best player at Euro 2021, Maguire up until recently has been putting the performances in for England. If you look at England like you would a club, why would you drop players who are performing for you or have performed for you and work in the system?

 

The argument used to be that England managers picked 'the best' players at the best clubs without any thought for rhyme or reason. So what's the argument now? That Southgate should go back to that? 

 

I get that there's a middle ground but I don't think it's ridiculous to pick a team that's worked for you either.

 

And it's not really unusual. Miroslav Klose regularly played badly or didn't get game time for his clubs then would play for Germany and perform. Heskey and Crouch weren't the best but they were picked because they worked for England. On the other side we all know that Gerrard and Lampard were the best but were shite for England. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2022 by Kid Icarus

[AyeDubbleYoo]

You would think if we had players in great form in the best league in the world, you'd have to at least ask the question if the England manager wasn't attempting to use them. 

 

It's more the reverse situation that's happening now TBF, I'm not sure we really have that many top options who aren't getting a chance. Maddison probably the main one. 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2022 by AyeDubbleYoo

[Likelylad]

You can’t have your starting CB warming the bench weeks/months before a major tournament. I think that showed last night. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Tomori and Stones seems a decent option if fit. 

[Kid Icarus]

Likewise we also saw last night that club and international football are different beasts. Who on here or in our fanbase would have forseen Pope dropping a clanger like he did last night? Yet the argument up until then has been 'how is he not ahead of Pickford!?!'

 

Prior to Trippier being here, he was often the 'him!?!' question when line ups were announced, yet in that opening match when no one could believe he started at left back he was class. 

 

It's a really difficult one to guage imo.

 

 

Edited September 27, 2022 by Kid Icarus

[Shearergol]

9 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Likewise we also saw last night that club and international football are different beasts. Who on here or in our fanbase would have forseen Pope dropping a clanger like he did last night? Yet the argument up until then has been 'how is he not ahead of Pickford!?!'

 

Prior to Trippier being here, he was often the 'him!?!' question when line ups were announced, yet in that opening match when no one could believe he started at left back he was class. 

 

It's a really difficult one to guage imo.

 

 

 

 

Apart from Maguire. That one is REALLY obvious. Shit for club, now shit for country.

[Coffee_Johnny]

On 25/09/2022 at 19:12, JumpersForGoalposts said:

Anyone else expecting Southgate to stay on after the WC? He's absolutely dogshit, but that hasn't led the FA to sack him previously. 

 

He's had two hyper-spawny tournaments already, and even if England are embarrassed this time around, I could see him staying on. Partially because the FA love him, and partially because any decent manager wouldn't touch that job with a bargepole.

 

 

 

hyper-spawny… ? great phrase. 

[Interpolic]

1 hour ago, Kid Icarus said:

I take the point like and them not playing is obviously an issue, but while they continue to perform for England (up until very recently) it makes absolute sense that they would continue to get game time. 

 

Shaw was for me the best player at Euro 2021, Maguire up until recently has been putting the performances in for England. If you look at England like you would a club, why would you drop players who are performing for you or have performed for you and work in the system?

 

The argument used to be that England managers picked 'the best' players at the best clubs without any thought for rhyme or reason. So what's the argument now? That Southgate should go back to that? 

 

I get that there's a middle ground but I don't think it's ridiculous to pick a team that's worked for you either.

 

And it's not really unusual. Miroslav Klose regularly played badly or didn't get game time for his clubs then would play for Germany and perform. Heskey and Crouch weren't the best but they were picked because they worked for England. On the other side we all know that Gerrard and Lampard were the best but were shite for England. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  fairly argued, I just have a massive hang-up about players not playing for their clubs but continually being selected for their country. Since Phil fucking Neville, basically. And Man Utd have been bang average the last few years, I don't think having their bench players in the England starting lineup can be remotely justified these days. 

 

Ironically Southgate has arguably been overly harsh with other Man Utd players (Rashford and Sancho) but I guess we're stacked in those positions. 

 

[St. Maximin]

I agree with those points, though I do think defence and attackers can't be compared, at least from my experience. Often strikers just seem to get that extra bit of confidence playing internationally in a way I don't tend to see for defenders. Maguire himself has been well protected by Southgate's defensive system also and now his confidence just seems shot to bits rather than just being a bit off form. I find it pretty hard to justify keeping picking players like that internationally as ultimately they will have a game like last night. Feel sorry for the bloke though - needs to move to a mid-table/foreign club where he'll be first-choice and hopefully less exposed to toxic fans.

[Kid Icarus]

FWIW I don't think I've ever seen a more extreme case of Harry Maguire like. On one hand you're talking about a big money flop who looks like he'll make a mistake every time he's near the ball at Man United. On the other hand we're also talking about someone who became England's all time goalscoring defender early on and until last night was a completely different player.