England Team for World Cup?

parmoboy

parmoboy

Well-known member
Now that the squad has been announced, what team would you go with for the tournament?

I've accepted that Southgate will definitely go with wing-backs if we come up against a decent side, but I'm hopeful he will go with a back 4 for the group games, so here are the two teams I'd go with.

4-2-3-1

.......................Pickford....................

Trippier....Maguire....Stones.....Shaw

...............Rice....Bellingham.............

Saka..............Maddison.........Foden

..........................Kane........................

5-2-3

.......................Pickford.......................

.........Walker....Maguire....Stones......

Trippier......................................Shaw

................Rice....Bellingham............

Saka........................................Foden

......................Kane...........................
 
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You seriously think he'll leave out Sterling?

Personally, I would, he's been shocking of late. But this is Southgate we're talking about.

He has his list of favourites who shouldn't be in the first 11 - Maguire, Mount, Sterling etc.
 
Marvanelli said:
You seriously think he'll leave out Sterling?

Personally, I would, he's been shocking of late. But this is Southgate we're talking about.

He has his list of favourites who shouldn't be in the first 11 - Maguire, Mount, Sterling etc.
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It's not my predicted team, it's the team that I would go with. I agree though, unfortuantely he will definitely start with Sterling.

At the same time though, not many of us were happy about Sterling being in the team leading up to the Euros and look what happened, so hopefully we will be proven wrong again.
 
LaPennaBianca said:
Sterling delivers for England.
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The issue with having Sterling in the team is that he will almost definitely start wide left, meaning if Foden does start he'll be moved to the right.

I'd say Foden has been at his best for City whilst playing wide left, and I'd love to see him playing there for England but I can't see it happening if Sterling starts. Foden wide left and Saka on the right would give us balance.
 
The thing Sterling does give us, ahead of Foden, is quick counter attacking football. Sterling is a weapon off the ball, especially if we are defending deep and using those tactics.

However, I would still heavily favour Foden on the left ahead of Sterling as he is arguably our best player.

Foden along with Jude & Kane are probably the 3 players who would walk into any other nation's first 11, so to not start all 3 and build our 11 on that wouldn't be advised IMO.
 
I would go with 4-2-3-1

Pickford

TAA
White
Stones
Shaw

Bellingham
Rice

Saka
Foden
Grealish

Kane


But knowing Gareth, it will be 3 centrebacks, with something along the lines of

Pickford

Trippier
Maguire
Dier
Stones
Shaw

Rice
Henderson

Sterling
Kane
Rashford
 
mitch_at_merseyside said:
I would go with 4-2-3-1

Pickford

TAA
White
Stones
Shaw

Bellingham
Rice

Saka
Foden
Grealish

Kane


But knowing Gareth, it will be 3 centrebacks, with something along the lines of

Pickford

Trippier
Maguire
Dier
Stones
Shaw

Rice
Henderson

Sterling
Kane
Rashford
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Wondered why you had TAA in your lineup at first, ahead of Trippier...then I saw your username.
 
Marvanelli said:
The thing Sterling does give us, ahead of Foden, is quick counter attacking football. Sterling is a weapon off the ball, especially if we are defending deep and using those tactics.

However, I would still heavily favour Foden on the left ahead of Sterling as he is arguably our best player.

Foden along with Jude & Kane are probably the 3 players who would walk into any other nation's first 11, so to not start all 3 and build our 11 on that wouldn't be advised IMO.
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To be fair, if we do advance through to the knock-outs and face a decent side I would be tempted to start Sterling. We were set up to play on the counter when we last played Germany and that didn't suit Foden's game at all. Saka and Sterling starting in those wide positions would mean we could be potentially very dangerous on the counter.

The issue of starting Sterling when we're up against teams we're expected to beat is that we'll have a lot of the ball, and I do feel Sterling has a tendency to play within himself at times and ends up giving the ball away.

At club level, Foden is used to playing for a team who is used to having a lot of the ball and know how to break teams down.
 
parmoboy said:
To be fair, if we do advance through to the knock-outs and face a decent side I would be tempted to start Sterling. We were set up to play on the counter when we last played Germany and that didn't suit Foden's game at all. Saka and Sterling starting in those wide positions would mean we could be potentially very dangerous on the counter.

The issue of starting Sterling when we're up against teams we're expected to beat is that we'll have a lot of the ball, and I do feel Sterling has a tendency to play within himself at times and ends up giving the ball away.

At club level, Foden is used to playing for a team who is used to having a lot of the ball and know how to break teams down.
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Yeah, I agree those situations and tactics do favour Sterling.

And I agree against teams we are big fav's against (thereby, having the majority of the ball), then Foden should definitely be starting.

I agreed with someone who mentioned on another thread that we do need to be proactive with decisions and substitutions. We have a lot of good and different forward thinking players. Players that allow us to change formations, tactics etc. So it would be foolish not to take advantage of them in situations we are struggling in.
 
Maguire absolutely should be in the team. Class is permanent, the man was in team of the tournament at euro 2020 and had a storming World Cup previous to that. The England squad is significantly weaker without his inclusion, hence why Gareth Southgate has picked him, crucially the only man whose opinion counts.
 
joeydiaz said:
Maguire absolutely should be in the team. Class is permanent, the man was in team of the tournament at euro 2020 and had a storming World Cup previous to that. The England squad is significantly weaker without his inclusion, hence why Gareth Southgate has picked him, crucially the only man whose opinion counts.
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And what has he down for his club? Awful over the past year, barley starts for Man U. He is a walking Liability.
 
WhiskeyMan said:
And what has he down for his club? Awful over the past year, barley starts for Man U. He is a walking Liability.
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He's back in the Utd side now that Varane is injured. Hopefully he will start and perform well for Utd in the next two games, which will do his confidence the world of good.
 
parmoboy said:
He's back in the Utd side now that Varane is injured. Hopefully he will start and perform well for Utd in the next two games, which will do his confidence the world of good.
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Tomori should have been picked over him. If Maguire messes up in this WC then i’m blaming Southgate.
 
WhiskeyMan said:
Tomori should have been picked over him. If Maguire messes up in this WC then i’m blaming Southgate.
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He hasn't let England down at the last two tournaments. I can understand why Southgate is taking him.

I agree Tomori should be going, but in place of Coady for me.
 
Think it will be...

....................Pickford

Trippier...Stones...Maguire...Shaw

.....Mount...Rice...Bellingham

........Sterling...Kane...Foden
 
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