England Starting 11 for 2022 WC

I have not seen a lot of Spurs this season, has Dier been very good? I will not pick what I think the dour Southgate will pick but what I would love to see.

Counting on Phillips taking some good pain killers.

-------------------Ramsdale---------
James---------Dier---Stones--------Shaw
--Bellingham-----Rice---------Phillips
-----Rashford-----Kane---Sterling---

4-3-3. The five at the back doesn't utilize the potential attack in the England team

----------------------- Pickford ------------------------
James-------Maguire------Tomori-------Shaw
--------------------------- Rice ---------------------------
----------Bellingham--------Foden-----------------
-------Saka-----------Kane----------Sterling--------

Ramsdale
James White Stones Shaw
Arnold Rice Bellingham
Foden Kane Grealish

‐--------------‐-------------Pickford
---------Walker-------------Rice----------Tomori
James-----------Phillips-------------------------Shaw
-------Saka--------------‐-----------------------------------Grealish
--------------------------Kane-------------Sterling

Players in bold I'd consider switching, depending on form.

saivet said:

Pickford
James, Stones, Tomori, Shaw
Rice, Bellingham
Saka, Foden, Sterling
Kane
​

Players in bold I'd consider switching, depending on form.

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Feel this is the team I’d go with as well.

saivet said:

Pickford
James, Stones, Tomori, Shaw
Rice, Bellingham
Saka, Foden, Sterling
Kane
​

Players in bold I'd consider switching, depending on form.

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I like this, but I feel it’s a bit late to change formation, so maybe Foden out, Dier in.

How are people going with Pickford over Ramsdale or even Henderson?

Spaghetti said:

I like this, but I feel it’s a bit late to change formation, so maybe Foden out, Dier in.

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He's played different formation but if it's Dier or Walker in for Foden, I'm okay with that.

Rojofiam said:

How are people going with Pickford over Ramsdale or even Henderson?

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Pickford has been good for England. Those two didn't even play in the recent fixtures which shows Pope is the no.2 anyway.

GK is probably the only position I don't think you should be chopping and changing so close to a tournament, yet alone changing the no.1 at a tournament.

Foden is shite. That is all I have to say on the subject.

Pickford

James
Tomori
Stones
Shaw

Rice
Bellingham

Sterling
Foden
Rashford

Kane

Gareth will probably play the team suggested in the OP.

I'd play:

.............................................Pickford.....................................
Walker....................Stones.....................Tomori......................Shaw
....................................Rice.......................Belligham.................................
Foden........................................Mount......................................Sterling
....................................................Kane...........................................................

The thing I find really frustrating is that we have wasted our Nations leauge games and previous friendlies. I'd have loved to see us play the team below to see if it works........... Even I wouldn't pretend to have the bottle to play it now without any trial though. On paper I think the below is our best team with best balance.

..............................................Ramsdale.................................................
James/Trent.............Walker...................Stones........................Shaw
........................................Rice....................Bellingham................................
Saka..............................................Foden...............................................Sterling
........................................................Kane..........................................................

SilentWitness said:

Pickford has been excellent this season and pretty much since January. He's also performed for England at every tournament so far and been one of their best players.

There was definitely a period where Pickford should have been dropped due to low performances but that time isn't now.

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saivet said:

Pickford has been good for England. Those two didn't even play in the recent fixtures which shows Pope is the no.2 anyway.

GK is probably the only position I don't think you should be chopping and changing so close to a tournament, yet alone changing the no.1 at a tournament.

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Both Ramsdale and Henderson are better than him, they should be integrated into the team and it'll pay off.

Who is this XI supposed to be playing?

I really wish hed just change to a 433 (4213) system.

Pickford

Shaw
Dier
Stones
James

Rice (6)
Bellingham (8)
Mount (10)

Foden/sterling
Kane
Saka

SilentWitness said:

Why are they? Ramsdale is so overrated it's unreal.

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Same reason as why De Gea needs replacing. Pickford is bad with his feet. However he can probably get away with it like Donnarumma for Italy, since international football is miles behind club football from a tactical viewpoint. Still, if I was Southgate I'd be looking to have a techincal goalkeeper at the back so that England can control games much better.

In the WC group stages Southgate would most likely play very cautiously against Wales, and be less cautious against USA and Iran, not expansive/attacking, just less cautious.

for me though, I'd like to see the below XI:-

It'll be

Pickford
Walker Maguire Stones
James Shaw
Rice Bellingham
Saka Kane Sterling

Rojofiam said:

Same reason as why De Gea needs replacing. Pickford is bad with his feet. However he can probably get away with it like Donnarumma for Italy, since international football is miles behind club football from a tactical viewpoint. Still, if I was Southgate I'd be looking to have a techincal goalkeeper at the back so that England can control games much better.

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What!? There’s loads to criticise Pickford for but that isn’t one of them. His distribution is really strong.

I would honestly try work JWP into the starting XI somehow... think set-pieces are the way to go to compensate for us not being a great side.

A midfield 3 of him, Rice and Bellingham - then have Kane + 2 others (from Sterling, Saka, Foden, Grealish or Rashford) ahead of them.

Back four should be James, Stones, Not Maguire, Shaw.

Absolutely zero argument against Pickford being number one in my opinion... he's above Pope and much better then Ramsdale/Henderson.

Rojofiam said:

How are people going with Pickford over Ramsdale or even Henderson?

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I'm not a huge fan of Pickford and have given him stick in the past (mainly for his rash decisions on when to come/when to stay) but I'd still pick him over Henderson every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

And anyone who thinks Henderson's distribution gives him some edge hasn't watched him (or Pickford) play enough. There was a great video of Hendersons kick distribution in a recent PL game (can't find it now)... it was just kick after kick going to opposition, to marked players or even straight out. And then you combine that with a goalie whose positioning is average AND has a temper tantrum at his defenders every time Forest concede and you get someone who should be nowhere near TOP level football

Going with 4 at the back seems suicidal in a knockout tournament with your current defensive material unless you have 2 x Rice type of midfielders in there

id go:

I would go with:

Pickford
James, Stones, Tomori, Trippier
Rice, Bellingham
Saka, Maddison, Rashford
Kane

Rojofiam said:

Same reason as why De Gea needs replacing. Pickford is bad with his feet. However he can probably get away with it like Donnarumma for Italy, since international football is miles behind club football from a tactical viewpoint. Still, if I was Southgate I'd be looking to have a techincal goalkeeper at the back so that England can control games much better.

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I would hardly call Ramsdale a technical keeper.

Rojofiam said:

How are people going with Pickford over Ramsdale or even Henderson?

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I question how much you've actually watched Pickford of late if this is your response. Other than maybe Pope he's been the most consistent English GK since the start of last season. Ramsdale's peaks have been higher and I believe his distribution over shorter distances is better, but he's let in way more soft goals than Pickford of late.

Pickford has always played well for England including in big tournaments and has experience the others don't. There's an argument for Ramsdale like I said but I'd still go Pickford based on form, consistency, international performance and experience at this point.

As for Henderson - there is literally zero argument for him being England #1 at this moment. His distribution is fecking terrible in comparison to those 2.

saivet said:

Pickford
James, Stones, Tomori, Shaw
Rice, Bellingham
Saka, Foden, Sterling
Kane
​

Players in bold I'd consider switching, depending on form.

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I'd go with this too, but this probably leaves a lot of the defensive heavy lifting to Rice.

Not sure about Shaw either. I'd probably go with Chilwell if he gets more starts at Chelsea.

DannyCAFC said:

I question how much you've actually watched Pickford of late if this is your response. Other than maybe Pope he's been the most consistent English GK since the start of last season. Ramsdale's peaks have been higher and I believe his distribution over shorter distances is better, but he's let in way more soft goals than Pickford of late.

Pickford has always played well for England including in big tournaments and has experience the others don't. There's an argument for Ramsdale like I said but I'd still go Pickford based on form, consistency, international performance and experience at this point.

As for Henderson - there is literally zero argument for him being England #1 at this moment. His distribution is fecking terrible in comparison to those 2.

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There's also the very silly idea of changing a GK right before the WC. Being the no 1 has always felt like a heavy burden at the best of times, with keepers crumbling under the pressure in normal qualifying games. Throwing a new one in for the WC would be the height of stupidity. Even if Pickford has been a bit iffy, you still stick with him I think. As it is, he's been pretty good and has done nothing to warrant losing his place.

SilentWitness said:

I think against Iran, USA and Wales you can afford to do that. When it comes to big games you can use the Phillips and Rice combo with Bellingham and remove Sterling/Foden.

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Yeah I'd agree with that.

I’ve said it a few times but Kane needs pace either side of him. This is because he likes to come deep like a false 9 so it’s important there’s runners in each channel he can link up with.

Foden or any of the other number 10 types shouldn’t be in these wide areas.

The set up should be 4-3-3 and for certain games the central one of the midfield 3 should be a 10 like Foden.

RB/LW options are interchangeable depending on performances. But would attempt those players first as their technical quality would reinforce and amplify each other’s impact. Would have to be married to a more progressive game plan and getting the team higher up the park.

Rojofiam said:

How are people going with Pickford over Ramsdale or even Henderson?

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It’s because he’s England’s best keeper.

I hope that clears that up.