A new golden generation for England?

[Lay]

Playing against New Zealand in November who are currently ranked 122 (below Niger, India, Faroe Islands, Palestine)...why?

 

[DixieDean]

We have a staggeringly exciting crop of youngsters at the moment. It's typical of England that we manage to make them look boring and shit. This is exactly why I stopped watching England.

Same. I stopped watching England for ages. I thought that I would try and again and it's been DIRE.

I suspect some of these young players are overrated, as well.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

There is no reason that England can't play a system that fits TAA and a LB to excel like he does at Liverpool. Our wingers - Rashford, Sterling, Sancho etc are capable of cutting inside and giving space for the fullbacks, there is Henderson and then Rice can play the Fabinho role, which leaves someone like Mount/Grealish etc to pick up that extra spot. Southgate is awful.

Has Southgate not done a good job with England though? Semi final in the world cup and also top 4 in nations league last time out and smashed a group in qualifiers.
They miss a Rashford in form to break teams down though. Also Alli and Lingard did that well in the world cup. Need to get those players back in form or replace them with quality.

 

[Hammondo]

Has Southgate not done a good job with England though? Semi final in the world cup and also top 4 in nations league last time out and smashed a group in qualifiers.
They miss a Rashford in form to break teams down though. Also Alli and Lingard did that well in the world cup. Need to get those players back in form or replace them with quality.

We are in a time of poor national teams though. Only 1-2 teams would get anywhere in competitions 4+ years ago.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

We are in a time of poor national teams though. Only 1-2 teams would get anywhere in competitions 4+ years ago.

Not sure it was much harder in the past. Greece and Denmark won the euros etc.
Feel like national teams have always played more boring and defensive compared to the big club sides.
Rarely too many goals in national games.
Spain barely scored when they won the world cup.

 

[DixieDean]

I've just accepted that England will never be that good nor win anything in my lifetime.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

I've just accepted that England will never be that good nor win anything in my lifetime.

You can win the Euros for sure. One of the favorites to do it.

 

[SilentWitness]

Has Southgate not done a good job with England though? Semi final in the world cup and also top 4 in nations league last time out and smashed a group in qualifiers.
They miss a Rashford in form to break teams down though. Also Alli and Lingard did that well in the world cup. Need to get those players back in form or replace them with quality.

You'd expect them to beat Tunisia, Panama and Sweden. If they lost those there would have been uproar. They lost 3 games in that WC. The Colombia game was a decent result but then it was also on penalties. They basically did as well as they should have and made errors that meant they made the Colombia game harder and ultimately losing the Croatia game.

Decent 2 results against Croatia and Spain in the Nations League but then immediately failed again in the semi-finals.

Qualifiers - England always smash them. 100% record in 2016, didn't lose a game in 2012 etc.

I got sucked in by him because of the euphoria of 2018 but he's not great. These two games have exposed the flaws of his tenure quite badly.

 

[DixieDean]

Sad thing is, who do you replace him with?

 

[dbs235]

Playing against New Zealand in November who are currently ranked 122 (below Niger, India, Faroe Islands, Palestine)...why?

Maybe something to do with Coronavirus is my best bet. Also feel like Brazil play against a few really poor teams in friendlies and I remember Holland played China and Indonesia a few years ago.

 

[Dancfc]

Sad thing is, who do you replace him with?

Someone progressive who's would get the best out of what we've got.

Doesn't have to be a big name, or even someone with a great deal of experience.

 

[Josep Dowling]

The thing I don’t get with Southgate is why he is changing his system yet again. We have done from 3-5-2 in the World Cup, 4-3-3 in the qualifiers and now he’s reverting to 3-4-3 when we don’t even have the players to do that system. Just stick with one formation and build every youth level the same way. The England set up just seem to make everything so complicated.

 

[Untd55]

How can a right-back get 30 assists and 5 goals over two seasons and not be world-class? Liverpool have won the Champion's League and Premier League whilst he has been in the first-team, so you cannot even argue the trophy point.

Also, who is better than him? If nobody is then he is the definition of world-class.

Crappy management and the game being played a few days before the start of PL are major factors to consider when assessing performances.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

You'd expect them to beat Tunisia, Panama and Sweden. If they lost those there would have been uproar. They lost 3 games in that WC. The Colombia game was a decent result but then it was also on penalties. They basically did as well as they should have and made errors that meant they made the Colombia game harder and ultimately losing the Croatia game.

Decent 2 results against Croatia and Spain in the Nations League but then immediately failed again in the semi-finals.

Qualifiers - England always smash them. 100% record in 2016, didn't lose a game in 2012 etc.

I got sucked in by him because of the euphoria of 2018 but he's not great. These two games have exposed the flaws of his tenure quite badly.

I am from Sweden and we are no easy game in a world cup we did very well in. Our record against England have been decent before too.
Colombia is not easy to beat too.
Agree with Panama and Tunisia though. Lucky group to be had.

4 points now is not bad though. Could still win the Nations league group.
Although it is more like glorified friendlies. The big thing is Euros.
I didn't watch vs Denmark, but I can imagine it was pretty bad.

 

[Raees]

 

[JJ12]

There’s no English coach good enough for the job. FA need to look further afield.

 

[starman]

There’s no English coach good enough for the job. FA need to look further afield.

Would rather see Wilder or Howe given it than another Eriksson or Capello

 

[Bastian]

Would rather see Wilder or Howe given it than another Eriksson or Capello

That foreign talent pool is vastly bigger. Poch would be an interesting option.

 

[starman]

That foreign talent pool is vastly bigger. Poch would be an interesting option.

Well, I don't actually see Poch as this world class coach, I see him in the same bracket as Wilder and Howe.
Bielsa is the one that interests me the most if he does well next season.

 

[Bastian]

Well, I don't actually see Poch as this world class coach, I see him in the same bracket as Wilder and Howe.
Bielsa is the one that interests me the most if he does well next season.

Bielsa would be perfect, if the job wasn't the most high profile job in football with endless media engagements and the like. I don't see Poch as world class either, but definitely in a different league to current English managers. Would expect the players responding better to Poch too than Howe, all due respect.

 

[SilentWitness]

Anyone else reckon that if England don't reach a major final in the next 10 years it could be seen as a failure of the talent at their disposal?

I don't remember the last time there were so many high performing English players at each respective PL club. Arguably you could make a case that an English player has been in the top 3 performing players at each club in the PL. For example - Stones, Rashford/Shaw, Barnes/Justin, Rice, Mount, DCL/Godfrey, Grealish, Kane and Saka have been top top performers at their club this year. Grealish/Kane will be top contenders for POTY. Yes, the world doesn't revolve around the PL but England should have a very strong side if they are managed correctly (Which may end up being the issue).

 

[Inter Yer Nan]

Anyone else reckon that if England don't reach a major final in the next 10 years it could be seen as a failure of the talent at their disposal?

I don't remember the last time there were so many high performing English players at each respective PL club. Arguably you could make a case that an English player has been in the top 3 performing players at each club in the PL. For example - Stones, Rashford/Shaw, Barnes/Justin, Rice, Mount, DCL/Godfrey, Grealish, Kane and Saka have been top top performers at their club this year. Grealish/Kane will be top contenders for POTY. Yes, the world doesn't revolve around the PL but England should have a very strong side if they are managed correctly (Which may end up being the issue).

In the next five years they'll play two World Cup's and two Euro's. If they don't win one of those it will be seen as a failure given the talent level available. The team is too good not to win something on paper and they are of an almost perfect age.

 

[Champ]

This England team is miles away from winning any competition. Way to many players who just aren't good enough.
England have always lacked cohesiveness and this 'generation' is no different.

 

[Wayne's World]

England literally still have no defenders and midfielders good enough to win an international tournament. All the players coming through right now seem to be forwards or attacking midfielders.

You won't win anything with players like Rice, Walker, Maguire, Pickford etc. Need an new Ferdinand/Scholes/Ashley Cole to come though first and we still don't know how this England team will react under immense pressure which they will be this summer with expectations much, much higher then in Euro 2016 and the World Cup 2018

 

[acnumber9]

The talent they have is still a little lopsided. They’ve a host of great right backs and wide players but not much in central midfield or centre back. The keeper is a turkey too. If they get a decent manager they could threaten though.

 

[SirMarcusRashford]

The talent they have is still a little lopsided. They’ve a host of great right backs and wide players but not much in central midfield or centre back. The keeper is a turkey too. If they get a decent manager they could threaten though.

International level, rarely will you find a country 100% perfect with world class players in every position.

Goalkeepers have always been an issue for Brazil, never stopped them winning World Cups though, Spain won Euro 2012 with no recognised CF, they just pack the side with a bunch of midfielders and played tiki taka.

I disagree about England's midfield, i think we look good there, England's weakness could be CB's.

 

[acnumber9]

International level, rarely will you find a country 100% perfect with world class players in every position.

Goalkeepers have always been an issue for Brazil, never stopped them winning World Cups though, Spain won Euro 2012 with no recognised CF, they just pack the side with a bunch of midfielders and played tiki taka.

I disagree about England's midfield, i think we look good there, England's weakness could be CB's.

No, but they’re short right down the spine. Those other teams weren’t.

Henderson is 31 by the time of the Euros. What does that leave? Rice?

 

[Thiagoal]

With Southgate in charge, England are going nowhere! A ridiculously easy run to a World Cup semi- final does not cover his lack of ability to create a cohesive side!

 

[Ibi Dreams]

The defence is alright to be honest. It's not amazing but in the last tournament it wasn't really England's problem, they didn't concede much but lacked in attack when it came down to it. A back four of Shaw, Maguire, Stones and Alexander Arnold is better than what most countries could put together.

Midfield seems like the problem for me, not really any proper quality outside of attacking midfield players. There are some decent players but they all seem a bit one dimensional, with not much in the way of playmaking or controlling games

 

[SirMarcusRashford]

No, but they’re short right down the spine. Those other teams weren’t.

Henderson is 31 by the time of the Euros. What does that leave? Rice?

Henderson (Champions League winner), Bellingham, Foden, Alli, Dier, Ox, Winks, Rice, Phillips

Bellingham and Foden are 2 potential world class players, Dele Alli can be on his day, Jordan Henderson has experience and all the rest very good Premier League players - England are fine there.

 

[acnumber9]

Henderson (Champions League winner), Bellingham, Foden, Alli, Dier, Ox, Winks, Rice, Phillips

Bellingham and Foden are 2 potential world class players, Dele Alli can be on his day, Jordan Henderson has experience and all the rest very good Premier League players - England are fine there.

A lot of those play behind the striker though. I’m talking centra midfield. Winks? Come on.

 

[Mb194dc]

With Southgate in charge, England are going nowhere! A ridiculously easy run to a World Cup semi- final does not cover his lack of ability to create a cohesive side!

This, only way England win anything soon is going to need serious luck box, even though very good players now.

There isn't a top level English manager to match.

 

[SirMarcusRashford]

This, only way England win anything soon is going to need serious luck box, even though very good players now.

There isn't a top level English manager to match.

I don't know why people keep going on about managers, international level rarely are there top managers. A manager wouldn't be managing a country for starters if they was top (or world) class, they would be at a club.

Roberto Martinez (Belguim's manager) would you say he's a top or world class manager? How about Spain's (Luis Enrique) or Holland's (Frank De Boer)?

England have had world class managers (on paper) in the past and look where it got us, we look better under Southgate than we ever did Capello/Sven, some of the decisions Capello/Sven made was mind boggling.

 

[Hammondo]

England literally still have no defenders and midfielders good enough to win an international tournament. All the players coming through right now seem to be forwards or attacking midfielders.

You won't win anything with players like Rice, Walker, Maguire, Pickford etc. Need an new Ferdinand/Scholes/Ashley Cole to come though first and we still don't know how this England team will react under immense pressure which they will be this summer with expectations much, much higher then in Euro 2016 and the World Cup 2018

I agree with this 100%. The core positions are just not good enough or even close.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

All the good players coming through are right backs, wingers & attacking midfielders. It’s nowhere near a golden generation, we’re extremely light in goalkeepers, central defenders & central midfielders. The entire core of our team is shite.

 

[P-Nut]

Maguire and Stones is a top international level pairing.

Central midfield could look much better in a year or 2 if Phillips and Bellingham can develop

 

[Hammondo]

Maguire and Stones is a top international level pairing.

Central midfield could look much better in a year or 2 if Phillips and Bellingham can develop

Not really, they are slow and nothing special. Both decent, but that's it.

 

[THM]

Good young central midfielders are the weak point here.

Miguel Azeez at Arsenal will hopefully be a good one in years to come. Hopefully he will get his break next season. Musah at Valencia should really be getting a look in too.

 

[Rasendori]

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[Wolf1992]

England is still lacking some balance in the midfield and CBs to be at the top.
Also i think France,Belgium,Germany,Portugal, and Netherlands have better squads, so the trophies will have to wait a bit more for the guys.

Speaking about the euros, the fixture it's pretty harsh for them.
England is facing either Germany,France,Portugal,Belgium,Netherlands, or Spain before semifinals, which means there is no easy draw.
If England ends up 1st in their group, they get either Germany,France, or Portugal in the the next round.
If England ends up 2nd, they go against Poland or Sweden in the round of 16, but they will be facing either Germany,France, or Portugal in quarter finals.
And if England ends up 3rd, they are most likely getting Netherlands,Spain, or Belgium next.

A pretty hard fixture no matter what position they get in group stage.