Very debatable that he's our best defender. For me he isn't.
Smalling is a decent enough defender but he isn't a good footballer. There's a difference.
International Squads for Nov International Break | Martial, Young get called up while Smalling axed
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Smalling is a decent enough defender but he isn't a good footballer. There's a difference.
I give up, you're all mad in here
Good to see Fellaini has been left out for Belgium. How is Nainggolan not in their squad and the likes of Mirallas, Defour, Chadli, Origi in? Wouldn't mind Nainggolan at United.
Of course they should. A front 7 of 5 English players, one Welshman and a Dane just got 4 points from Real Madrid. England could go a decade without doing that playing them every week.
Just pick 3 CBs, a team of Spurs players and pray Lallana is healthy enough to be a cut-rate Eriksen, or that Sterling can recapture his form as a 10 for Suarez era Liverpool:
--------Kane------Alli-----------
-------Lallana/Sterling----------
Rose---Winks----Dier----Trippier/Walker
----Maguire-Jones-Stones------
------------Butland--------------
it's not perfect, but at least the players would basically know what they were doing. Hire someone capable of scouting Pochettino and seeing how his side play and emulating it as best possible.
Annoyed me just seeing those comments to be honest. Who the feck is Gareth Southgate to speak about a Manchester United defender like that in the press? If that's how he feels, fine do it in private but to openly come out and make that comment is a bit cringy and out or order for me.
Smalling is a big lad and I'm sure he can handle it but doesn't exactly help his preparation either whether he plays or not. Each to their own but I don't like it.
Smalling is a big lad and I'm sure he can handle it but doesn't exactly help his preparation either whether he plays or not. Each to their own but I don't like it.
Personally harsh for Smalling, but in the scheme of thing good thing for us. He has been playing non stop after Bailly got injured. He'll get rested well.
Hope every of our players get the same treatment
Feck International football during the seasonPeople are so precious nowadays its not funny.
Gomez is a talent that I have high hopes for, but he's done nothing to earn a call-up.
I don’t hate him. I think he is a good centre back. On a similar level to those called up. To say that he is as good on the ball as any other England defender is just wrong, however.
Pep needs ball playing centre backs for his system. The poster indicated that Smalling was as good on the ball as Stones, which is a crazy claim.
These are friendlies, Abraham, RLC and Gomez are included as ones for the future.
Are the squads final? If so, wonder if Pogba will make a sneaky comeback for the Chelsea squad now he hasn't been called up for France
What? The squad hasn't been announced yet.
Origi is doing an excellent job at Wolfsburg at the moment. Naingollan and Martinez don't get along, that's it. If he isn't with the squad for these 2 pointless games, he won't go to the world cup, unless De Bruyne or Fellaini are injured.
Southgate saying what everyone in this forum knows for years. Smalling isn't a good footballer but he's a decent defender.
It's just that doing it in a press conference takes massive balls, Respect.
It's just that doing it in a press conference takes massive balls, Respect.
Carrasco, Fellaini, Alderweireld and Kompany out injured. Januzaj included.
What utter drivel!
I was quite hoping Matic, Lukaku, Rashford and Martial would get dropped too. It'd be nice for them to get a mid season break. Why can't they blag it like Giggsy did? His hamstring was allergic to international football.
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Not quite sure what Guendogan has done recently to warrant a call up again?
I like this. Resting the starters and giving a chance for the others to fight for a place.
We're going to have problems on who to take to Russia although that's a good problem to have. Only 23 go and 3 are keepers.
GK: Patricio, Anthony Lopes, 3rd keeper (Beto, José Sá) - pretty much set
RB: Cedric, Semedo - pretty much set, Cancelo and Ricardo Pereira will stay at home
CB: Pepe, Fonte, Bruno Alves, Luis Neto - given Danilo can play there in last resource I'd only take 3 CBs but Santos will 100% take 4 so these guys will all be going
LB: Guerreiro, Coentrão/Antunes/Kevin Rodrigues/Eliseu - Guerreiro will go, Kevin Rodrigues will 99% stay at home, Antunes and Eliseu have been solid enough for us over the years so it will depend on Coentrão's fitness. I trust all of them as back ups to Guerreiro
So that's 11 players. 12 to go.
CM: William, Danilo, Moutinho, João Mário, André Gomes
Forwards: Bernardo, Quaresma, Cristiano, Gonçalo Guedes, André Silva
These will all go and then there are only 2 spots for Gelson, Nani, Éder, Bruno Fernandes, Adrien, Pizzi, Bruma and Ronny Lopes. All of them offer something different that would be useful to have on the bench.
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Wth Depoitre called up for Belgium? That guy is one of the worse strikers to play on Porto in the recent past. Surely Belgium has better options than him.
Agreed. I really like this call up and hope certain players take these games seriously to impress Santos.
Benteke is injured. Lukaku, Benteke, Batshuayi, Origi and Mertens are all in front of him in the picking order. He'll never go to the WC.
Alright. It's understandable then.
How is Nani performing these days?
I came here to comment on that awful design. What the hell?
Slating a player who cannot comment back to the press takes balls? Ok...
Shades of Hoddle and Cole for me, stupid thing to say that ended up being dragged up for years.
Lots of injuries so hasn't been playing much but he's still pretty good. Hopefully he can play a full season with Lazio without any injuries.
It's atrocious. I also don't like that the players are in alphabetical order. If you are doing 3 columns, I would place them by which third of the pitch they play on. Also, where are the other two lions in the crowd?
You're mad if you think he's our best defender. Thought we'd moved on from that nonsense. Southgate's absolutely right and just calling it as it is.
Very very debatable.
The best defender part that is. The rest of your post is true
Which I assume is what you would want from a good defender. I don't mind players like Hummels or Pique but in recent years EVERYONE expect centrebacks to basically pass like midfielders, when it's not even their role to do so.
Seems odd that Smalling has been omitted given the decent form he’s in. I sometimes wonder who exactly does the scouting reports for England managers.
Sterling and Delph withdraw from the England squad
Did Sterling get injured whilst diving?
Phil Jones needs to get out of this. No doubt he'll come back injured if he doesn't
and Kane, Alli and Winks too. Four of the good things about the squad gone. Henderson's gone as well.
We've gone from a potential* side of
Hart
Jones Cahill Stones
Walker Dier Henderson Young
Rashford Alli
Kane
Jones Cahill Stones
Walker Dier Henderson Young
Rashford Alli
Kane
to
Hart
Jones Cahill Stones
Walker Dier Livermore Young
Rashford Lingard
Vardy
*i.e. what Southgate would realistically field, and not what the best side for us would be.Jones Cahill Stones
Walker Dier Livermore Young
Rashford Lingard
Vardy
These friendlies against Brazil and Germany are going to be ugly.
Let’s see how “injured” Kane, Alli and winks are when it’s Tottenham V Arsenal
So that's five of England's midfielders plus Harry Kane who have withdrawn since the squad was announced for these internationals.
Seriously, what is the point?
Seriously, what is the point?