That’s with every country though isn’t it? The best players playing for the first team.
Under 21 European Championship 2021 (March & May - June)
- Thread starter Classical Mechanic
- Start date
-
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?
England can't have any complaints given they use the U21s only to promote to the seniors.
To that extent. Is it?
Think France only have Mbappe and Upamecamo missing. Most nations will have a few but England do have more than most, although that’s because we had a weak generation before this one.
For us Malen, de Ligt, Gravenberch, Wijndal if I’m not mistaken.
Not to the same extent as England then by looks of it
Fair enough. Just saying, when he was playing at a higher level, I rarely saw a striker so incapable of scoring as Solanke. He neatly did everything around the scoring part, very frustrating.
Even more. Bigger football nation, more talented players to select.
Dont even know how he got the job or under what merit.
He doesn’t have the mentality for the top level. I fear Nketiah will go the same way. Both had incredible records at youth level.
I wasn’t disputing your point. Just named our players. Our coach also left some players at home that are much better then those who went: Ihatteren, Timber, Rensch.
Darren Bent thinks it was a stonewall penalty 
Delusion at it's finest
Delusion at it's finest
I do feel like it's getting excessive, in terms of taking kids to the first team early.
Bellingham for example, he's still only 17 years old for fecks sake. He should of course be playing for the U21 rather than the senior team.
Same with Saka. Both are just only having their breakout seasons at top level, I feel it's far too early to take them. They are young even for U21.
The same goes for Leverkusen's Wirtz in Germany, btw. He too should not be at the senior team, and he too is missed sorely at the U 21.
I don't like the trend, especially since the senior teams are already drawing the more established players that could still play U21, like Sancho, or Havertz.
Yeah I agree. You might as well get rid of u21 football if it continues as what purpose does it serve? Just have each country having an A and B team.
Thank god Greenwood didn't go and play for the u21s.
Boothroyd has no right managing the u21s, his resume is appalling. The FA needs someone with fresh ideas, they should be talking to someone like Eddie Howe.
Boothroyd has no right managing the u21s, his resume is appalling. The FA needs someone with fresh ideas, they should be talking to someone like Eddie Howe.
Why would Howe take that job? Seems like a step down for him
To me the purpose of the u21 tournament is not necessarily to win it all cost, but to provide a platform for the tier 2 talents and late bloomers, who may be rotting at a mid table club, playing hoofball. To give some of these players a chance to make an impression for the senior team or a bigger club in a different setting.
He might see it as a route to Southgates job?
I'm struggling to see the logic in picking players for the u21s if they are clearly better than the older players. If not for injuries, I'm sure Bellingham and Saka alongside Greenwod would have been in the u21 squad.
Bellingham is really the only strange selection from Southgate to me.
Bellingham is really the only strange selection from Southgate to me.
Boothroyd doesn’t seem to understand he actually has to win matches. He simply thinks the fact the players are making the senior squad is evidence of him doing a good job. Bizzare mindset.
It depends. We need our young players in our first team otherwise we would be even more shit. For bigger footballing nations it would be easier to leave them out.
It is kind of sad that Holland isn't to be considered among the 'bigger footballing nations' anymore. Your contributions to the talent pool are sorely missed. Hope they return in fuller extent soon.
Meanwhile, the Belgians are keeping your seat warm though.
Bellingham is starting CL knockout matches, England are a bit light in his position and his profile adds something to the team.
Saka is, as far as I know, the only left-footed winger in the squad. It's not far fetched to assume Southgate sees a real purpose for them.
Unlike Wirtz, who I don't see playing a role at the Euros at all.
Surely the end of that clown boothroyd.
But even when we were great our talent pool was always smaller then nations with bigger populations.
It looks like the worst days are behind us now but in the near future I don’t see us challenging. We do have some exciting prospects coming trough. Hopefully they fulfill their potential so you may regret your wishes when we beat Germany!
He's not a bad player, DCL started his career similar.
Reece James is 21 and Mount is turned 22 in Jan so could've played for sure (he's younger than Tom Davies).
England have Walker, Wan Bissaka AND Alexander-Arnold as right backs, so James could easily have gone to the U21.
Or if not him, then one of Wan Bissaka and TAA who are both still eligible too. It's a waste honestly.
To think what a team England could have presented, try to win a tournament for a change.
But then I forget, it's never for lack of star power that England manages to bottle it.
England rarely bottle it, we're just not that great.
The current U21 talent pool of England is pretty great.
England were sunk by a shockingly bad coach
Has he gotten any playing time? I had never heard of him before this tournament but twitter was full of praise.
What I'm saying is, Fergie! Sign him up!
Based on what? Looking at their starting lineup tonight it's fairly average.
Ramsdale (worst keeper in the PL)
Aarons
Tanganga
Wilmot
Kelly
Eze
Skipp
Gallagher
McNeil
Nketiah
Jones
Nothing there screams greatness to me.
Thats missing
Godfrey
Justin
Saka
Hudson Odoi
Mount
Foden
Greenwood
Rice
Bellingham
Smith Rowe
James
Lamptey
True but because he was quoting someone who said they didn't bottle it but rather they just aren't good enough I assumed we were talking about players actually available to the U21's rather than guys like Foden who are main team regulars.
Besides, quite a few of those are wildly overrated IMO. I've yet to see Hudson-Odoi do anything to merit the hype, for example. The latest Loftus-Cheek to come out of Chelsea in that their fans rave about this young talent then you see him play and you're just like "eh?". Same with Smith-Rowe and Arsenal fans.
Foden, Mount, Saka and Rice are all quality though.
Its very rare that u21 teams in the Euros are amazing in every position. England u21s should be playing better with the talent they have. Boothroyd didn’t even start Jones until the last game and he’s been playing in the CL knockout stages. No surprise that he looked quality at the level tonight. Boothroyd makes the most bizarre selections and tactical decisions.
Last edited:
He spends a lot of time on the bench but has had a fair few minutes. Came off the bench at Old Trafford.
He looks a very good prospect, ran the game against England, but admittedly that wasn't particularly hard.
Hes still raw, but certainly one I wouldn't mind see United take a punt on.
Obviously there's nothing wrong with promoting teenagers to the senior squad if they're good enough. There's some truly world class teenagers who immediately establish themselves as key players in the senior team. And for those, it makes little sense dropping back down to the U21's.
But for the youngsters who haven't established themselves as starters for the national team then I think it's important experience dropping back down to be key men in a Euro U21 tournament and helping their nation to a potential trophy. That's an important part of a players development, and worth missing being a mostly unused part of the squad for a couple of world cup qualifiers.
But for the youngsters who haven't established themselves as starters for the national team then I think it's important experience dropping back down to be key men in a Euro U21 tournament and helping their nation to a potential trophy. That's an important part of a players development, and worth missing being a mostly unused part of the squad for a couple of world cup qualifiers.
Sancho, Trent Alexander Arnold
The conversation before revolved around which players they could have taken but didn't, hence my use of "U21 talent pool" and not "U21 squad".