England

[Optimistic Nut]

I’d still play Sterling to start with. If he’s poor after a couple of games there’s plenty queuing up to play that role. I know people like picking people in form but to some extent you still need some of the same bodies in there otherwise you’d have a different XI nearly every month. He’s not hit the standards of the last 3-4 years but I don’t think he’s been bad enough to drop.

[NUFCDoog]

I've got an awful feeling we're going out in the group tbh.

We have a hell of a lot of decent players and this should be a tournament we can have a real go out, I just think Southgate a) doesnt know his best team and b) doesnt know how to get the best out of the world class players that we have.

I honestly think we'll lose to Croatia, draw with Scotland and then draw with the Czech's, that may be enough I guess to go through thinking about it, but it's just got all the hallmarks of a disastrous tournament for me. Hope not obviously.

[Shearergol]

33 minutes ago, NUFCDoog said:

I've got an awful feeling we're going out in the group tbh.

We have a hell of a lot of decent players and this should be a tournament we can have a real go out, I just think Southgate a) doesnt know his best team and b) doesnt know how to get the best out of the world class players that we have.

I honestly think we'll lose to Croatia, draw with Scotland and then draw with the Czech's, that may be enough I guess to go through thinking about it, but it's just got all the hallmarks of a disastrous tournament for me. Hope not obviously.

We're not drawing with Scotland. Not a chance. 

[Pilko]

No way. We draw the Croats and beat the other two IMO

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 hour ago, NUFCDoog said:

I've got an awful feeling we're going out in the group tbh.

We have a hell of a lot of decent players and this should be a tournament we can have a real go out, I just think Southgate a) doesnt know his best team and b) doesnt know how to get the best out of the world class players that we have.

I honestly think we'll lose to Croatia, draw with Scotland and then draw with the Czech's, that may be enough I guess to go through thinking about it, but it's just got all the hallmarks of a disastrous tournament for me. Hope not obviously.

What are the hallmarks though? 

[NUFCDoog]

47 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

What are the hallmarks though? 

Think it's just the fact its in England, it's bubbling under the surface that we've got a really bloody good side, but it's becoming apparent Southgate doesnt know what his best team is/what he thinks is his best team probably isnt, and feels like there is a fair bit of expectation on us. It feels a lot like Euro 2016 for me.

I dunno, I hope i'm wrong and it's just a feeling I've got and it may just sound mad, but I've felt for a while we'll struggle to get out the group. We'll see.

[Guest HTT II]

Rashford and Sterling are big game players, they go period if not injured, as to weather they start though... we have quite a rich depth in midfield and attack without a doubt. I’d personally take Bamford, he’s street smart, works his socks off, can play deep or as a central striker and is more than adept at playing pass and move football. His positioning is very good too off the ball. I’d take him over Watkins and our own Wilson for example. 

[Froggy]

Absolutely no chance England go out in that group. 

[Disco]

Be criminal given they’re all home games.

[St. Maximin]

5 points gets us through surely, even if it’s third place as the best four get to the next round. 
 

We’ll go through. Scotland are no mugs mind. 

[InspectorCoarse]

 

Bring it back

[Anderson]

Paper's seem to reckon TAA is going to miss out on the Euros squad still. Mental decision, especially with the increased squad sizes.

[Nobody]

He's been brilliant recently as well. The right back choices England has are ridiculous though

[AyeDubbleYoo]

There'll be loads of good players not starting, can't really remember a time like it.

[Nobody]

Really hope Bellingham and Sancho see plenty of time on the pitch, might encourage more young English players to go abroad.

[Disco]

Here wi gan

 

All your generic England chat back in here.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

 

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

  

11 minutes ago, Wullie said:

27 minutes ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

For pretty much 75 minutes we rarely had 3 players around the box. The first time we had 3+ players attacking the box we scored. Then again, I get the composed, professional performance but I dont think it was necessarily our performance that meant we were so comfy at the back. It's not like the back 7 were outsanding.

Maybe I just want more from this team given the talent everyone is so excited about. Personally I'm more annoyed we havent played our flair players more in the tournament than pleased I am we haven't conceded. Suppose it's the investment. If Newcaste (post Bruce) played 7 defensive players and only looked to meaningfully attack in the last 15 minutes and win 2-0 to get to the next round of Europe of something I'd be ecstatic. Today I'm just meh. I think we easily have the potential to be so much better. Based on how easy those 2 goals were I feel like we could have won that 5-0 if we'd pushed them back for longer. I want that kind of attitude from the top down. Maybe Im expecting too much. 

 

There's just no evidence that sort of approach wins tournaments. You can probably count the number of winning international teams that were entertaining in even half their games on one hand. I know what you're saying - I spent the last few weeks of the season moaning about how unwatchable I found Chelsea, where Tuchel also plays with 8 defenders - but in cups, conservatism bloody works.

 

 

Fair. I do really want the likes of Foden, Grealish, Sancho, Saka etc to really shine and cement places as quality England players and look to build on that for years to come. Rather than Rice, Phillips and 5 mainly average defenders (James and TAA aside). Probably being selfish. I just think imagine getting a team with those young players to really click and actually be contenders for the next World Cup. Breeze through WC qualifying beating everyone rather than watching us play 2 DMs against San Marino. We could be really mint. We missed that chance in the 00s with the quality we had. Its not like we didnt win owt back then because of all the attacking we did. 

[Smal]

I get the argument for wanting more attacking football given the forwards we have but we have literally got to the quarter finals without conceding a goal. We haven’t looked threatened by the opposition in most games and this is a tournament where France lost to Switzerland etc.

 

Even tonight Germany’s main chance was due to Sterling making an individual error in an attacking scenario.

 

We’ve had bags of attacking talent in the past and gotten nowhere. We just beat Germany. In a knock out game. 2-0.

[Interpolic]

Do people reckon we'll go back to 4231 the next game? If so I'd be surprised if it wasn't Mount who came in as Southgate seems to trust him the most. 

[Foluwashola]

Its coming hyem lads, its coming hyem.

[Yorkie]

9 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

Do people reckon we'll go back to 4231 the next game? If so I'd be surprised if it wasn't Mount who came in as Southgate seems to trust him the most. 

 

Depends who we play tbh. 

[RodneyCisse]

Saturday can’t some soon enough, everything from here on out is a bonus.

[Klaus]

5 minutes ago, RodneyCisse said:

Saturday can’t some soon enough, everything from here on out is a bonus.

 

I'm buzzing for it. Was nervous as hell about Germany, but can't wait for the QF

[Foluwashola]

Hopefully a comfortable Sweden 2018 affair