The fact no one's even noticed that Sancho has been omitted says a lot.
England Discussion
- Thread starter Samid
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
Rashford absolutely should go, can play a discount version of Son to Kane and actually likes to run in behind the defence.
Looking at the forward list, he wasn't getting in and has hardly stood out. He needs to start performing consistantly.
I'm very much in the minority, but I'd have taken him every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
didn't realize Chilwell was injured....and you guys may say that Trippier is fine at LB but England should be able to give you more than two left footed LB's who can contend for places
This literally makes no sense.... Tomori has been in horrible form for Milan, whilst Rashford has been one of our most dangerous players this season?!
huh??? Rashford hasn't been able to finish a free meal all season, so how is that dangerous? Tomori, by all accounts, has been brilliant for Milan this season. One struggle in the CL match shouldn't take away from that.
Lewis Hall should be the back up left back.
Ooh err
He’s not been amazing but he’s been better than those he’s competing with, Bowen, Sancho, Barnes etc. Even been better than Sterling… but that isn’t saying much.
Tomori left out for Dier sums up Southgate tbh. Just a clueless idiot. Dier has been absolutely shite these last two months. Error prone, can’t pass, plays in a back three and yet constantly looks exposed and concedes chances. At some stage in this World Cup Southgate will have Maguire and Dier in defence and again it sums him up.
Wilson is 4 years older than Toney, has scored fewer career goals, has scored 30 fewer goals than Toney since the start of the 2020/21 season, has scored fewer goals this season, has an inferior penalty record and has missed the equivalent of an entire season with injury since he last played for England. He’s already missed 5 games this season with injury and doesn’t seem capable of lasting 90 minutes. Apart from that Wilson over Toney makes total sense to me.
He wasn't expected to be in the squad. His form over the last few weeks has taken him completely out of the conversation. Southgate has never been a big fan of his and given he's not a regular in top performing side (e.g. Grealish) and isn't a favourite/trusted player of Southgate (e.g. Sterling), the only way he would have got in is if he had been in great form, which clearly hasn't been the case.
Plenty have noticed, just there's nothing to say on that front. Other than scoring three goals in the first couple of months, he's not done a lot this season and has been struggling with illness the last few weeks or so (maybe his tonsils again?) so not even been making matchday squads.
I think his ability to play as a no.9, even if some don't like him there, is a big advantage too, especially with a squad that only has two traditional no.9s
Needs a few more RBs.
No he hasn't, what you are basing this on? He had a couple of poor games inn the UCL but has been solid in other games.
The bloke is literally our top scorer and has the second most assists?
And I don't watch a lot of Serie A but people like James Horncastle have said that Tomori's form this season hasn't been good enough to force himself into the England squad.
People that watch a lot more Italian football then me! Happy to be proven wrong on that .
I agree. It's not FIFA, right footed LB isn't awful but when it's a wingback as England will use then it's far from ideal.
Think if they were picking another left footer, it would be Aaron Cresswell.
Finishing is fickle and swings around yet Southgate let it impact him this much... Nice.Tweet
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I accept his reasons for leaving Tammy out. I said last season when people were saying he was a shoo-in for the squad that he needed to keep it going this season otherwise he won’t be on the plane.
Shame he doesn’t apply the same reasoning for other players though.
Shame he doesn’t apply the same reasoning for other players though.
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Seen a number of italian league games and he has been solid. In fact Smalling has been excellent and and much better than Dier and Coady.
Squad looks about right to me, doesn't really look like a potential winner. Hopefully it comes home!
Oh yeah, Smalling is easily a top 3 English CB currently in my opinion- but obviously Southgate doesn't rate him.
We all agree, unfortunately the betting thing must've influenced the decision.
Maguire: Form is temporary, class in permanent.
Tammy: Poor form, sorry mate. Maybe next time.
Tammy: Poor form, sorry mate. Maybe next time.
Maguire is lucky that all our CBs are shit. That whole squad is dreadful though, it’s unbalanced and lacking in quality in most areas. We might scrape knockouts but it’s not going any further.
As much as I agree with this, the difference I suppose is Maguire has done it with England and performed well in tournaments. Also CB partnership's are hugely important and he and Stones have a decent one.
Sancho's only played a couple of games less than Grealish but yeah his form prior to his illness hasn't been good enough. Grealish hasn't been in particularly good form but what he does that Sancho doesn't is drive the ball forward and draw fouls.
He's just not that keen on calling up players who play in other countries. There have been a few who have done well but Bellingham is the only one in and even then Southgate took a while to play him regularly despite the plaudits.
To be fair there goals to minutes ratio in the PL is almost identical... Don't think there's really much between them (though I do think Toney is better), this betting scandal stuff with Toney probably didn't help his cause.
Only 3 right backs.
Disgraceful.
Disgraceful.
Ben White is pretty much a RB at this point, so that's 4!
Southgate’s an absolute melt. Gives “poor form” as an excuse for not taking Abraham yet picks players who’ve barely kicked a ball or have been stinking the place out for their clubs for months.
It's typical Southgate and most of it could have been easily predicted.
The following are ones I instantly question:
The goalkeepers pick themselves, Trent makes it by default because of injuries (although he should still only be backup at right back).
Connor Gallagher is a strange one but I personally think midfield is an area where we lack in depth compared to defence and attack.
Callum Wilson is a nod to Southgate's 'pick on form' claim (which has been blatantly ignored elsewhere it should be said), 6 goals in 10 games and a good poacher, I think that's sensible.
Toney still needs to add more to his game to be considered worthy of a place in a World Cup squad.
Rashford is another typical Southgate pick, he's shown glimpses this season of the potential we saw a few years ago, are glimpses enough now?
Those saying Mings should be going ahead of Maguire should be careful what they wish for but there's certainly a case to be made for several other defenders ahead of him.
The following are ones I instantly question:
- Maguire (been in but mainly out of the United team recently and a shadow of his former self when playing)
- Phillips (a single appearance this season for City)
- Henderson (just not good enough anymore)
The goalkeepers pick themselves, Trent makes it by default because of injuries (although he should still only be backup at right back).
Connor Gallagher is a strange one but I personally think midfield is an area where we lack in depth compared to defence and attack.
Callum Wilson is a nod to Southgate's 'pick on form' claim (which has been blatantly ignored elsewhere it should be said), 6 goals in 10 games and a good poacher, I think that's sensible.
Toney still needs to add more to his game to be considered worthy of a place in a World Cup squad.
Rashford is another typical Southgate pick, he's shown glimpses this season of the potential we saw a few years ago, are glimpses enough now?
Those saying Mings should be going ahead of Maguire should be careful what they wish for but there's certainly a case to be made for several other defenders ahead of him.
Dan James sending Southgate a gift basket for including Maguire. England vs Wales is going to be glorious, I feel a 5-0 win for Cymru is in the offing.
Generally agree, though I think being a squad player for a team as good as City can mask form as they're winning most of the time. As you say Grealish has other attributes anyway but when your team is winning and is consistent the spotlight of poor form doesn't shine as bright. I don't think it's the case this season but Foden has benefitted from this in the past at times too.
Club split - 5 from City, 3 from United, Arsenal Chelsea and Newcastle, then 2 from Liverpool, Spurs, Everton and 1 from West Ham, Leicester and Dortmund - So 11 teams represented. No idea how that compares to previous years.
I think Chalobah should have been given a chance, to be honest.
Maguire shouldn't be in the team.
Phillips? How the hell is he in the squad. Literally getting in based on being at City and being one of Southgate's chums.
Maguire shouldn't be in the team.
Phillips? How the hell is he in the squad. Literally getting in based on being at City and being one of Southgate's chums.