England to embarrass themselves at yet another world cup..
Southgate is an idiot.
Southgate is an idiot.
England Squad Confirmed vs Holland & Italy
- Thread starter endless_wheelies
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Plenty of players that aren't bad on their day. A far cry from all the world class talent we once had and how passionate they were too.
Why is he an idiot?
If England are being eliminated from the World Cup, everyone will blame on Southgate like they've done with previous coaches...
There's nothing wrong with the players, many of them are pretty damn great (with few exceptions of course)...
There's nothing wrong with the players, many of them are pretty damn great (with few exceptions of course)...
The Smalling thing for one. Stones for example has largely been warming the bench at City. It's not like England are blessed with many great defenders.
Joe Hart. This was the perfect opportunity to get rid of him after yet another blunder.
I've seen worse squads. I remember Nick Barmby, Seth Johnson, Darius Vassell, Danny Mills, Trevor Sinclair.....
Sven has a lot to answer for.
Sven has a lot to answer for.
Yes, I don't get that either. The talent he has available is so much lower than in times past when England managers wasted world class players. He is trying to build something, a structure of play that can lift the players. He also understands the talent coming through at underage and probably has been tasked to implement a style of play they can carry through the age groups. England with an on pitch plan does not sound terrible to me.
It's not that he hasn't been called up but the reason given. Southgate said that Smalling was dropped because he wasn't good enough on the ball, yet he then calls up players like Tarkowski and Mawson who aren't any better on the ball than Smalling. It just goes to show that Southgate is a spineless yes-man more interested in saying the right thing than actually doing the right thing, who used Smalling as a scapegoat in an attempt to put over the idea that he would play fooball the 'right way'. This is of course nonsense, because since he's taken over we've played some absolutely dreary LVG-esque possession football with little end product, except of course when we played decent teams in friendlies where we parked the bus.People are actually moaning about Chris Smalling not being called up.
I agree about Joe Hart. I would have brought Sam Johnstone in as he has done well at Villa. I presume it is just for his experience and advice he can give the others. Maybe not that he will play him, please don't play him Gareth. He wants to have a look at some new players to see if there is a wildcard that could force his way into the squad. I am glad to see Tarkowski and Mawson.
He gave Phil a mention, so he is definitely in his mind. People are proud and if they make a statement about a certain player, Chris Smalling in this case, they are not inclined to go back on it.
Southgate read the Smalling thread- confirmed? Good for us. He has been playing nonstop.
Overall a quite meh option England has here. Some of players who have questionable fitness record at the moment, some not even regularly start for the club anymore.
Overall a quite meh option England has here. Some of players who have questionable fitness record at the moment, some not even regularly start for the club anymore.
World Cup time I think he will be playing, Stones, Jones and Maguire in a back 3, 2 ball players either side of an organizer in Jones, Maguire also gives you a physical side in both boxes. That is a quite promising line up to my mind, the midfield is going to let him down though.
Sure, the squads rather mediocre. But with Southgates charisma, innovation and intelligence, I'd say were going to win this thing.
This squad shows he isn't sure which GKs to bring to the WC and wants a closer look at all 4. In terms of the outfield players, he is doing the same he is trying to look at some players react in these games.
Smalling, he has seen him countless times we all know what you will get from him. He is a good clumsy def with great pace, not so great on the ball, but he has lots of experience and can do a good job whenever thrown in the team. Southgate wants to look at others and see how they play together, Smalling doesn't need friendlies to gel he has been an England regular for a long time.
Smalling, he has seen him countless times we all know what you will get from him. He is a good clumsy def with great pace, not so great on the ball, but he has lots of experience and can do a good job whenever thrown in the team. Southgate wants to look at others and see how they play together, Smalling doesn't need friendlies to gel he has been an England regular for a long time.
Welbeck and Livermore have no business being in this squad. Welbeck with 3 league goals this season and getting a call up? Christ.
On a more positive note this u19 squad is absolutely ridiculous
Goalkeepers
Ellery Balcombe – Brentford
Jamie Cumming - Chelsea
Defenders
Trevoh Chalobah Chelsea
Edward Francis - Manchester City
Reece James - Chelsea
Dujon Sterling - Chelsea
Japhet Tanganga - Tottenham Hotspur
Ben Wilmot - Stevenage
Midfielders
Flynn Downes - Luton Town (loan from Ipswich Town)
Elliot Embleton - Sunderland
Adam Lewis - Liverpool
Mason Mount - Vitesse Arnhem (loan from Chelsea)
Tristan Nydam – Ipswich Town
Joe Willock - Arsenal
Forwards
Ben Brereton - Nottingham Forest
Phil Foden - Manchester City
George Hirst - Sheffield Wednesday
Reiss Nelson - Arsenal
Edward Nketiah - Arsenal
Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund
Looking forward to seeing Mount, Sancho, Foden, Nelson and Nketiah leading the attack.
Goalkeepers
Ellery Balcombe – Brentford
Jamie Cumming - Chelsea
Defenders
Trevoh Chalobah Chelsea
Edward Francis - Manchester City
Reece James - Chelsea
Dujon Sterling - Chelsea
Japhet Tanganga - Tottenham Hotspur
Ben Wilmot - Stevenage
Midfielders
Flynn Downes - Luton Town (loan from Ipswich Town)
Elliot Embleton - Sunderland
Adam Lewis - Liverpool
Mason Mount - Vitesse Arnhem (loan from Chelsea)
Tristan Nydam – Ipswich Town
Joe Willock - Arsenal
Forwards
Ben Brereton - Nottingham Forest
Phil Foden - Manchester City
George Hirst - Sheffield Wednesday
Reiss Nelson - Arsenal
Edward Nketiah - Arsenal
Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund
Looking forward to seeing Mount, Sancho, Foden, Nelson and Nketiah leading the attack.
Welbeck! That just undermines the whole ethos of a deserving place...
Should be one of United’s summer signings; potentially world class footballer who’s performances are going under the radar because he’s got a dull name and plays for a mediocre team. If he was doing it in the Bundesliga or France he’d be getting a lot more attention.
So... shite keepers, couple decent full backs, LOL midfielders for the most part and probably Sterling the best of the strikers.
Aside from Harry Kane being out, who's missing? Cause that's a fecking shite team otherwise.
It'll be murdered in Russia (one way or the other I guess).
To be fair, his best ever form has been at international level.
True, he should probably retire from club football to extend his career.
How has Joe Gomez been picked, saying that that whole squad looks very weak, only good thing is he hasn’t picked Cahill
Would make sense if England play with three at the back, like the encounter with Brazil in November. Joe Gomez was particularly brilliant in that game, and I feel playing on the right of a back three really suits his attributes. He isn't quite a right back, nor reliable enough to be a CB in a flat back four.
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Maybe it is better that the squad is so underwhelming. No one expects them to do much
Southgate really shut himself in the foot with the whole Smalling thing. At the time it looked like he had his CB pair in Jones and Stones. But, with their injuries and drop in form Smalling is looking like England's best CB again.
Along with Hart, those are the only ones I have a problem with.
Where is Clyne these days? Is his injury everlasting?
Expected to be around 26th of March. Already spotted in training sessions with Liverpool.
Wow, i bet all the other countries are shitting themselves
What are you lot moaning about? That's what you have. Who are the snubs?
Just like Rooney before who was getting selected repeatedly for his "experience" and "leadership" even though it was obvious to everyone but the manager that he was past it, Joe Hart gets the call up once again.
Thank feck McTominay chose to play for Scotland because there’s no way he’d make it into that England team in a few years.
In a few years, with the talent coming through, hopefully the likes of Henderson will be long gone.
Although Smalling has his limitations there is no way he should be overlooked completely. It's not like Ferdinand and Terry are in the squad. Stones for instance has no business in the current squad based on form so it is very strange. Not sure why Welbeck is in either.
Has Lallana even played a full game this season?
Also, it's not possible to play 6 fullbacks in 2 games, is it? What's the point. Could've taken one more center back, surely.
Also, it's not possible to play 6 fullbacks in 2 games, is it? What's the point. Could've taken one more center back, surely.
Where is Shelvey? Has been in fantastic form the entire season and the likes of Livermore, Wilshere an Lallana are called up?
Like the fact that Maguire is in. He's been fantastic for Leicester this season.
Welbeck is questionable due to the fact he hasn't played that much, although he does tend to do well for England.
Don't get me started on Hart. Ludacris decision.
No Delph? Is he injured?
Drinkwater? Injured?
My lineup vs Holland and Italy:
--------------- Butland ---------------
Trippier - Tarkowski - Maguire - Rose
-------- Dier ------- Henderson --------
Lingard ---------- Ali --------- Rashford
---------------- Vardy -------------------
Maybe Young in place of Rose so that he can link up with Rashford... and I'd put Shelvey in place of Henderson too if he was called up.
Like the fact that Maguire is in. He's been fantastic for Leicester this season.
Welbeck is questionable due to the fact he hasn't played that much, although he does tend to do well for England.
Don't get me started on Hart. Ludacris decision.
No Delph? Is he injured?
Drinkwater? Injured?
My lineup vs Holland and Italy:
--------------- Butland ---------------
Trippier - Tarkowski - Maguire - Rose
-------- Dier ------- Henderson --------
Lingard ---------- Ali --------- Rashford
---------------- Vardy -------------------
Maybe Young in place of Rose so that he can link up with Rashford... and I'd put Shelvey in place of Henderson too if he was called up.
It's a bit of an inconsistent selection in many ways. I can understand Gareth not taking Smalling because he can't play the ball well. But when you then take Hart, Livermore, Welbeck, Henderson etc who have been proven to not be able to play football at all, it comes across as a strange squad selection.
Smalling is definitely a better centre half than some of those, but I reckon there are two factors Southgate has in mind. First, that Smalling's abilities really aren't suited to the style of football Southgate wants to play (you can disagree with him here, but that seems to be his logic). Second and probably just as importantly, I suspect he thinks, much like many United fans, that Smalling, ultimately, will invariably let you down.
There are holes in both of those viewpoints - not least that there are plenty of players in there, not least the two players who've arguably replaced Smalling, who have similar limitations - but if he genuinely believes that he knows what Smalling can and can't do and he still isn't for him, I can see the logic in at least trying other players who, in his eyes, haven't yet been proven not to be up to the job.
There are holes in both of those viewpoints - not least that there are plenty of players in there, not least the two players who've arguably replaced Smalling, who have similar limitations - but if he genuinely believes that he knows what Smalling can and can't do and he still isn't for him, I can see the logic in at least trying other players who, in his eyes, haven't yet been proven not to be up to the job.