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England in the Euros.
- Thread starter Mickypne
- Start date
Good looking squad - who would be your starting 11 ??
I would go :
Pickford
Alexander-Arnold , Maguire, Stones, Chilwell
Bellingham, Mount, Grealish, Foden
Kane Sancho
Probably not a popular choice but I really like Michael Keane. He’s improved immeasurably, is comfortable in a 3 or a 4 and has become much better on the ball. I also looked at the squad you put up and there’s no Hudson-Odoi. For me, he has to be in the squad but the question is instead of who. I’d maybe lose one of Shaw, Chilwell or Saka (I’d leave out Chilwell but Southgate would leave out Saka).
I also love Eze, he’d be a wildcard and would be somewhat of an unknown quantity to many of the other teams. He won’t get picked though.
Godfrey has played in a three though, did it at Norwich regularly.
Coady is off the back of a poor season and just isn't very good. I'd rather invest time in the younger guys.
Don't rate Dier but yeah, he provides cover for Rice. That said, I despair if our favoured system is a back 3 with Rice sat in front, barely crossing the halfway line.
I’m not sure those middle two will be able to cope with France, Spain or Belgium ( I’m talking about the Gareth team you picked )
You’ve suggested a flat four of:
Bellingham Mount Grealish Foden
That midfield would get torn apart.
Rice and Phillips would deal with the teams you mention far better.
Would personally have Rice and Henderson (if fit) in the two, but wouldn’t be against Mount being in there.
If he’s fit, Henderson will play - presumably with Rice against the better teams. Rice has developed tremendously over the last year or so and is virtually a guaranteed starter.
Yeah, I must admit on second viewing, there doesn’t look much “ bite “ in my suggested middle 4....
it was before I had eaten my weetabix ....
Can’t really argue with any of that although I would try and find a place for ward-prowse instead of either Phillips/bellingham.
Aside from the manager as people know I'm no fan of, this is what worries me also for the Euros. Imo we are really weak at CB. The fact that Mings will probably be chosen says it all. He's seems a great guy but not a great CB imo. Dier isn't much better either. So who would you play at CB with Maguire. I'd go with Tarkowski at Burnley
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John Stones, and its not even close.
The debates come as Maguire has done his ankle ligaments, should be fit for the Euros though.
Hope so. I like stones but defensively, can be sometimes dodgy. Great footballer
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An absolute travesty, genuinely a sackable decision.
Showing Southgate to be an absolute clown. As I’ve said before, out in the groups.
Imagine not taking your best right back as he’s ‘not up to it defensively’
Then imagine thinking a full back is a defensive position.
The Champions League final goal last season was assisted by a full back.
Of the 5 goals in the Europa League final, 3 of them were assisted from full back.
5 at the fucking back and still no Trent.
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I actually think your argument about winning etc. comes into play here.
Southgate was a decent player but never a top-class one and, as such, I would say that it’s probably unlikely that he ever approached a game/competition/tournament or whatever believing he could win it with the same elite mindset the very best players embrace them with.
Because he played for clubs who weren’t regularly competing for major trophies, his main strategy when facing the big clubs who were was probably to nullify their threat and hope they nicked a goal on the counter (i.e. it was one built on defensive solidity above everything else). I do think this kind of attitude can sometimes seep into a player’s thinking when they progress to management (there are obvious counter-examples to this though, Klopp for instance) and I think that’s what has happened with Southgate. He values impregnability at the back, structure and shape, as the prime virtue and everything else plays second fiddle to that.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s worked for a lot of managers (Mourinho probably the best example, Simeone too), but they bring something else to the table that transcends tactical philosophy. Mourinho is renowned for his charisma, Simeone was probably one of the fiercest competitors around when he played. I have a lot of time for Southgate as a person but I just don’t think he has something that compensates for a lack of tactical adventurousness. He doesn’t strike me as a win-at-all-costs type character and he doesn’t exactly exude charisma.
I think you can only go so far as a manager when you set your team out not to lose. I’m afraid Southgate just strikes me as a lower-half Premier League manager in the mould of, say, Eddie Howe or someone like that.
Begging to be proven wrong though.
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Its a fair point and you could be right.
I always think winning is a mentality that can’t be trained, you’ve either got it or you don’t.
If we honestly had a Mourinho or Wenger in charge for this Euros I reckon we’d it. Southgate had a good World Cup out of sheer luck, and even then he bottled the best ever chance at it. A chance to win it won’t come easier than that.
Then he makes decisions that beggar belief. No Trent going. Also same sources saying Mason Greenwood also wont be going, and Southgate will be opting for another midfielder and James Ward-Prowse.
Ill reserve judgement till squad announced, but its looking like 5 at the back and a midfield pivot of Rice and Phillips.