England Squad Announced

Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
What horrendous decisions?
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Phillips hasn't played this season. Walker is injured at the moment.
Maguire is terrible, and Dier might be even worse.
Shaw is the only left back.
Sterling is poor at the moment, and Wilson is injury prone, and not experienced at international level. Henderson is a bit part player these days.

I guess you pick a squad and there will always be a few that people don't expect. I guess Southgate is just going to try the same players he has turned to in important games. Some of them are just not realistic alternatives.
 
There is nobody missing that I’m upset about. He can pick the team I would from his squad (bar James).
My sadness is he’ll play Maguire and Sterling, and both Dier and Henderson will be far too near the action.
Kane, Bellingham, Foden, Grealish, Saka, Rice and Walker are all big reasons to be cheerful.
Maddison and Wilson are interesting options.
Mount, Phillips, White, Trippier and Stones are all good players.
I’m looking forward to it.
 
Soutra said:
Phillips hasn't played this season. Walker is injured at the moment.
Maguire is terrible, and Dier might be even worse.
Shaw is the only left back.
Sterling is poor at the moment, and Wilson is injury prone, and not experienced at international level. Henderson is a bit part player these days.
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Philips still an excellent player, he's been in full training for a few weeks, should be nearing his peak fitness by the end of the group stage.

Maguire, form is picking up, there to add experience

Dier played well for Spurs this season

Shaw, agreed, but then again the other LBs are all injured and Trippier is a better LB than any other available option

Sterling, yes but provides big game experience, doubt he will start though

Wilson, doesn't matter if he's injury prone, hes not injured right now
 
Humpty said:
Not to mention the heat. England are going no where far in this tournament.
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Not sure why people keep making this point about the heat. It was hotter in London (and many parts of the south) in mid-August this year than it's likely to be in Qatar. Average maximum for Qatar in November is around 29°C. Monthly average high for December is around 24°C.

We had temperatures in excess of 30° for nearly a week in August. A number of Premier league games were played in temperatures very similar to, if not higher than some of the temperatures we'll probably see in Qatar (especially for the evening kick offs).
 
If we go with a front three I'd like to see him replace Sterling with Foden at some point - two wide men cutting in, exploiting the space created by Kane dropping deep. Not sure if will be this tournament though?

Henderson is there for his experience presumably. He'll come on to kill games if we're winning (similar to his current role for Liverpool).
 
Liamo said:
Not sure why people keep making this point about the heat. It was hotter in London (and many parts of the south) in mid-August this year than it's likely to be in Qatar. Average maximum for Qatar in November is around 29°C. Monthly average high for December is around 24°C.

We had temperatures in excess of 30° for nearly a week in August. A number of Premier league games were played in temperatures very similar to, if not higher than some of the temperatures we'll probably see in Qatar (especially for the evening kick offs).
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The stadiums have aircon which will. Help a bit but whilst it isnt a worrying factor the heat will still be a factor.
 
Sterling was poor before the Euros too, but ended as England's top scorer and in the team of the tournament. GS was being slated for picking him at the start too.

Picking him here is not just blind faith in quality rising to the surface in the big game environment. It's confidence based on RS's familiarity with the system and understanding of what is required. Plus, experience is always valued by coaches and undervalued by fans.
 
Liamo said:
Not sure why people keep making this point about the heat. It was hotter in London (and many parts of the south) in mid-August this year than it's likely to be in Qatar. Average maximum for Qatar in November is around 29°C. Monthly average high for December is around 24°C.

We had temperatures in excess of 30° for nearly a week in August. A number of Premier league games were played in temperatures very similar to, if not higher than some of the temperatures we'll probably see in Qatar (especially for the evening kick offs).
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Because players still need to sleep, train and live in these hot conditions. If, as a player you aren't used to it (and the england players aren't) it changes your approach and takes you outside your comfort zone. It's a factor and it won't help England.
 
BoroMart said:
IT's hardly disingenuous when you look at the media attacking him for 'being woke' the same media that for the last 7 or 8 years have pushed an anti-expert rhetoric. The media have plenty of influence, white van man who listens to LBC, reads The Sun or Mail or watches GBeebies does exist, there are thousands of them, they're also a vocal bunch. I'm not saying all Southgate haters fall into this category, but a lot do.

A lot of people turned on him when he vocally supported taking the knee, that's pretty bloody obvious.

Nope, I put a sizeable number of people into that box, but no claim whatsoever that 'everyone' is in it. That claim is on you. I'm sure you're intelligent enough to recognise that. I guess I will need to ask why you chose to put words into my mouth, rather than address what I have said with honesty?

This country has a huge racism problem that's pretty obvious, this country has had a huge lurch to the right, that's obvious. This country has a huge issue with media power and misinformation. That is obvious too. Southgate as an intellectual, articulate and emotionally intelligent person in one of the most visible jobs in the country was always going to be a target for this kind of behaviour from these people. I'm not gonna apologise for calling a spade a spade. Of course there will be some people basing it on other footballing ideologies, but I'd argue that until the last nations league it would be ludicrous to berate the man who took us to only our second final ever. The trend was upwards and the vast majority of his decision making was correct. People who attack at that point in time have other motivation, and for some people I'm sure it was complete coincidence that it aligned to Southgates vocal stance on racial equality.

So now that I have reiterated that I didn't say everyone, or even put any % on how many people that fell out with southgate are from this mindset, the only argument you have is if you think ZERO people berate southgate due to his stance in support of racial equality. Is that your stance? I'm presuming not, but you never know and you are showing such an aversion to the concept that I'm beginning to wonder.
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So if you don't like Southgate given his achievements, you're probably a racist. Got you. (y)
 
Abrahams would have been my choice over Wilson

I'd have taken Ward-Prowse over Rice, Deir can play there as can Henderson though it would be Phillips starting if he is over his injury. Rice is OK & his game is improving though he's very lumbering. JWP is also a better passer, more creative one of the best free-kick & penalty takers.

3rd competition for Southgate & he's still picking his faves, though surprised at Deli Ali's omission ;-)
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
So if you don't like Southgate given his achievements, you're probably a racist. Got you. (y)
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If that's the personal interpretation you want to spin to keep your entrenched position, feel free. It simply makes you look disingenuous.

The reality is I said absolutely nothing of the sort, there are a sizeable number of people that started to hate on southgate because of taking the knee, you can argue that I'm calling everyone out all you like, it doesn't change the reality of what I said.
 
BoroMart said:
I'm guessing you haven't watched much Serie A this year, he's been poor


and you'd have been laughed out of town.


15 of this squad did not appear in the 2018 squad
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The more I follow football the greater the realisation of my omnipotent football knowledge over the legion of Sun reader intelligencia & their floundering football foolosophy 👍😂😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Gareth did ask my advice, I told him he couldn't afford it.. or something like that 😂
 
Humpty said:
The defence is poor and will be England's downfall but it's nothing we didn't already know.
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Slightly playing Devils advocate here but.. the same defence and keeper conceded 0 goals from open play in 7 games at the Euros. The two we did concede from set pieces, one was from a free kick which shouldn't have been given, the other could have been disallowed for a foul.
Anyway, that's my case for the defence.
 
The Card Cheat said:
Slightly playing Devils advocate here but.. the same defence and keeper conceded 0 goals from open play in 7 games at the Euros. The two we did concede from set pieces, one was from a free kick which shouldn't have been given, the other could have been disallowed for a foul.
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I think that it's good organisation from the manager, coaches and even Maguire. If we look at pure talent of the individuals, who would you take from this vintage vs 2012 vs 2002 vs 1990? I'll put them in order:

GK: David Seaman, Peter Shilton, Jordan Pickford
LB: Ashley Cole, Stuart Pearce, Luke Shaw
CB: John Terry, Terry Butcher, Harry Maguire
CB: Rio Ferdinand, Des Walker, John Stones
RB: TAA, Paul Parker, Danny Mills

TAA is the only one of those players that is best in his position, the rest are third place and by some distance. TAA is only where he is for his attacking ability, if we are looking at pure defensive talent he would also be last.

The fact we have had some decent performances is testament to a manager that recognised the lack of quality and built a team to protect against those quality gaps
 
Slightly controversial opinion, but I think Shilton was real a weak link in 1990, especially in penalty shoot outs. Pickford now is a much better keeper than Shilton was aged 40. I'd say Shaw was better at the last Euros than Pearce was in 1990 too. Ditto Maguire and Butcher.
That notwithstanding I agree with everything else!
 
The Card Cheat said:
Slightly controversial opinion, but I think Shilton was real a weak link in 1990, especially in penalty shoot outs. Pickford now is a much better keeper than Shilton was aged 40. I'd say Shaw was better at the last Euros than Pearce was in 1990 too. Ditto Maguire and Butcher.
That notwithstanding I agree with everything else!
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Not that controversial to me, I originally had him marginally behind pickford, but couldn't be bothered with that rabbit hole of a discussion. Shilton was definitely at the tail end of his career, maybe he would have reacted to the Paul Parker deflection 10 years earlier, he was absolute dog dirt at pennas throughout his career. He once said he believed he had the reflexes to wait for a penalty to be struck and still save it. He also believed brexit was a great idea, that he could beat any bookie with his system and that his wife wouldn't find out about Tina. so I tend not to listen to anything he says.
 
Frozen Horse said:
Sterling was poor before the Euros too, but ended as England's top scorer and in the team of the tournament. GS was being slated for picking him at the start too.

Picking him here is not just blind faith in quality rising to the surface in the big game environment. It's confidence based on RS's familiarity with the system and understanding of what is required. Plus, experience is always valued by coaches and undervalued by fans.
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In fairness, Sterling and Kane do work well together. Kane drops deep to receive the ball and Sterling then runs beyond him.

I think Southgate will be tempted to go with Sterling and Saka either side of Kane. I remember the equaliser vs Denmark, Kane came deep for the ball, played Saka through in behind and he then squared it to Sterling.

The fact that Southgate has selected Coady and Dier also indicates to me that he's likely to go with 3 at the back.
 
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