Mason Mount

Hope Rice is back for West Ham soon, he was quality in the international break. He’s really come on this year and is our best holding midfielder now.
 
There's a good chance Henderson will be well short of match fitness for the Euros anyway, I'm not sure I'd be starting him, only 8 games of the season left and he's not back from injury yet.

Yeah and the games he has played he’s played quite a bit at Centre back this year for Liverpool due to their injuries. Great player to have in the squad and maybe bring him in for the ‘tougher’ games but I wouldn’t be starting the tournament with him in my team this time round.
 
I agree. My midfield and forward line would be

Rice
Mount

Foden
Grealish
Sterling

Kane
No Rashford, Sancho, Hendo, Arsenal kids? Can Mount do it in the middle in a two? I’d love and hate to be England manager atm.

Edit: Jesse “goal machine” Lingard? Bellingham!

Too many players, sure am forgetting a few 😁
 
Genuinely think if we get the blend of the two defensive midfielders right then we are very close to a side that can win Euros.

However if we go with the safe option of 2 holding midfielders then we will see the same problem that we used to see with Karanka's team where you have six sitting deep and four up top who are isolated.

I just wish we had someone like an Iniesta or a Pirlo who could sit in next to Rice but also had the ability to bring the ball out or pick an offensive pass rather than just a sideways or backwards pass. The front four can't do it on their own. They need one of the two holding midfielders to be more adventurous. Could Foden play that role? Not seen enough of him but I'm sure something in the back of my mind had him starting out as a CM.

Unfortunately having seen Rice and Phillips next to each other against Albania it looks like Southgate's mind is made up that they have to be two sitting midfielders.
 
No Rashford, Sancho, Hendo, Arsenal kids? Can Mount do it in the middle in a two? I’d love and hate to be England manager atm.

Edit: Jesse “goal machine” Lingard? Bellingham!

Too many players, sure am forgetting a few 😁

I don’t even think I would take Sancho, he hasn’t done it in an England shirt in my opinion and we have players in form. Rashford is my first option to bring on from the bench. I think Southgate may start him though. Bellingham gets in my squad over Phillips. Henderson gets in the squad if he’s fit and playing games. I think Mount is more than capable in the middle he can be disciplined when he needs to be and press when he needs to which he is excellent at. Think Saka may miss out on the squad.
 
Genuinely think if we get the blend of the two defensive midfielders right then we are very close to a side that can win Euros.

However if we go with the safe option of 2 holding midfielders then we will see the same problem that we used to see with Karanka's team where you have six sitting deep and four up top who are isolated.

I just wish we had someone like an Iniesta or a Pirlo who could sit in next to Rice but also had the ability to bring the ball out or pick an offensive pass rather than just a sideways or backwards pass. The front four can't do it on their own. They need one of the two holding midfielders to be more adventurous. Could Foden play that role? Not seen enough of him but I'm sure something in the back of my mind had him starting out as a CM.

Unfortunately having seen Rice and Phillips next to each other against Albania it looks like Southgate's mind is made up that they have to be two sitting midfielders.
See this is why I think we have to play TAA. Five defenders is enough.

For sure we can win it. It’s a home Euros in all but name, I keep forgetting that.
 
See this is why I think we have to play TAA. Five defenders is enough.

For sure we can win it. It’s a home Euros in all but name, I keep forgetting that.
I agree. Without wanting to get too carried away I think we have enough quality in the squad that we should be setting up in a way that makes the opposition worry about us rather than the other way round.
 
We all know deep down that we will lose to the first decent team with a dynamic midfield that we play, playing 2 holding players doesn't work as the 4 forwards don't get enough ball so we get pinned back and broken down.

One of rice or Henderson along with mount or lingard as the other 'holder' for me. That gives us a chance to break on the half turn from midfield.
 
We all know deep down that we will lose to the first decent team with a dynamic midfield that we play, playing 2 holding players doesn't work as the 4 forwards don't get enough ball so we get pinned back and broken down.

One of rice or Henderson along with mount or lingard as the other 'holder' for me. That gives us a chance to break on the half turn from midfield.
Frankly that is rubbish. Why do Man City do ok when they play Rodri and Fernandinho together, or Chelsea play Jorginho and Kovacic, or Leicester play Tielemens and Ndidi, or Man Utd play Fred and McTominay? Those teams often play only 4 out and out attacking players in the tougher games and seem to be doing ok for it.

Anyway, Henderson is far more than a defensive midfielder and his experience of big games will be vital if we are going to win the Euros. Some people don't like it - even mistakenly describing any possession football as tiki taka - but the simple fact is if we keep giving the ball back to the likes of France, we are going to get turned over. Therefore we need to be able to keep the ball as well as creating chances. I personally think 4-2-3-1 is our best chance of doing both.
 
If Southgate picks our best players we have a hell of a chance of winning the euros.

I don't trust him to do that though. How Phillips is anywhere near starting for us is beyond me. He's also over looking form players and including players who are struggling to get games in the league at the minute.

I'm not convinced by Southgate and think we'll end up wasting another chance to win a trophy this summer by sticking with a coach who seems to have little clue how to get the best out of a excellent set of players.
 
Frankly that is rubbish. Why do Man City do ok when they play Rodri and Fernandinho together, or Chelsea play Jorginho and Kovacic, or Leicester play Tielemens and Ndidi, or Man Utd play Fred and McTominay? Those teams often play only 4 out and out attacking players in the tougher games and seem to be doing ok for it.

Anyway, Henderson is far more than a defensive midfielder and his experience of big games will be vital if we are going to win the Euros. Some people don't like it - even mistakenly describing any possession football as tiki taka - but the simple fact is if we keep giving the ball back to the likes of France, we are going to get turned over. Therefore we need to be able to keep the ball as well as creating chances. I personally think 4-2-3-1 is our best chance of doing both.
Soz Gareth,

I respect you opinion but rice and hendo or heaven forbid Phillips are hardly the same as the holding combos you referenced.
 
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