I think broadly speaking for most managers the front line is for getting goals, the back line is for stopping them, and the midfield is for control. I don't know that Southgate thinks like that, I think he separates them all quite squarely into attackers and defenders. If Grealish gets into the squad it'll much more likely be down to him starting to register goals and assists than because he's press resistant and can pass through the lines. I wish some journalists would challenge him on this.
If Stones can regain form then just like Walker, I wouldn't mind and would even quite like to see him back in. He's still a good defender and his ability on the ball + passing is still light years ahead of the likes of Keane, Mings etc, the blunders against the Netherlands aside. Alli however, I don't want to see anywhere near the squad even if he regains form. All he brings is goals which we don't really need anyway given our front 3's potency. Grealish, Maddison, RLC and tbf even Barkley on the other hand, all offer far more in general play. I also don't think Alli's experience is actually worth anything given all he's proven with those caps is that he goes missing in big games for us.
Just seen the highlights.. Grealish was fabulous again .. he’s getting better and better . They were even raving about him on Goals on Sunday
Sean Longstaff plays as a defensive midfielder for Newcastle and he is much more talented footballer than Rice . Unlike rice , Longstaff can actually play passes that break the lines or open defences . He can take the ball from the defenders and link up play. He was unfortunate that as soon as he broke in to the newcastle team that he got injured . He is only 22 and I think he can be the best defensive in the premier league . Their is a reason Man United are constantly linked with him . His brother matty can play a bit aswell.
I can't see exactly what Rice can improve on . He is very has a very limited passing range . He hides from the ball when he is pressed . He can't take the ball from the centre backs and link up play. i can't see what he is good at . He should really play as a centre back . Apart from maguire our centre backs are shite. I think before he declared for us Southgate talked about playing him as a centre back. Perhaps that is his best position . I hope Southgate calls up Sean Longstaff for our next squad . He is only 22 and he plays as a defensive midfielder for newcastle. He can be a really top defensive midfielder.
I watched a rerun of the england vs bulgaria match . I didn't see the match intially I saw a lot of people where singing winks praises after the match . But i have to say i was left feeling underwhelmed . Yes winks is a good recycler of the ball and he helps his team keep possession , but he rarely ever plays passes that really hurt the oppositions . He is a player that really confuses me because when I look at clips of him on youtube he has got all the attributes to be a world class midfielder . I mean he has really good passing range , he is very press resistant , he has good vision and he is a very good dribbler with the bal when he goes on the run . I only guess that he lacks the mentality to use all the tools he has at his disposal . I suspect if he was being coached by a manager like lampard he would really push winks to use all the tools at his disposal . Lampard has certainly improved jorjinho midfield play since he has taken over chelsea.
Gomez and tomori are not shite. Stones is a very good defender when he doesn't switch off. Agree keane is shite
Winks as u say is a very good passer of the ball. For me he plays to deep to play those killer passes which he is more than capable of
Tbh as it stands I'd still start Rashford over Sancho in the big games at the euros. I criticised his poor form a few weeks back and said the opposite to this but his mentality and impact in big games is superior to Sancho's atm and I also feel he's a bigger goal threat. I said that it would be clever and good man management from Southgate to play him against Bulgaria as that game offered him the perfect opportunity to put in a performance and get his confidence back.
He was superb against Bulgaria. Terrorised their fullback. He's got so much ability but usually not much end product. If he can score 20 goals a season, he will be near world class
Sorry Rashford is not near world class. He is a tricky player and I agree his performances for England are generally good and much better than when he plays for Man Utd, he really does up his game when he plays for us. Sancho is having a quieter spell but when both are on form Sancho is far better IMO. There is also Hudson Odoi who is getting minutes now and doing well, he will also likely be ahead of Rashford. It’s a great problem to have anyway, we have 4 very high quality wide players in Sterling, Rashford, CHO and Sancho.
Sorry but on what basis should CHO be ahead of Rashford? I think CHO is a marvellous talent with the world at his feet, just like Sancho. However, those two players have nowhere near the experience or credentials of Rashford yet, who has almost 200 appearances for United. They have also not come close to replicating his impact in big games yet. Now before people hit back by using their age as the reason they haven't, I know this, but I'm just arguing the case for Rashford. I think football fans always have a tendency to fall into shiny new toy syndrome regarding young players. Most fans are a sucker for the less experienced, but talented young players and the sense of what might become. However, it's easy to forget that Rashford's breakthrough was far more exciting and fruitful than CHO's. He was literally scoring against the pl big boys within weeks of making his debut and was so good that he made both United's team for the FA cup final and then broke into our squad for the Euro's. He also scored on his England debut. As for Sancho, like I've said many a time, he's a wonderful talent with the world at his feet. However, I still feel he has mostly flattered to deceive in an England shirt. He was great against Kosovo, but in other games he has been a bit too conservative when he's got the ball and not looked to beat his man enough. I just feel that big game players are worth their weight in gold and their importance can't be understated.
Rashford is not really a winger, that's the main difference with Sancho and CHO. He has done well for England though and is one of the few players with electric pace so there's a debate between him and Sancho. But ultimately I think Sancho is better
The advantage that Sancho has is that Sterling, CHO and Rashford all clearly prefer playing on the left.
On another note, Liverpool fans laying into Henderson who was shocking today. In fact, a lot want him dropped and it was no coincedence that their best spell of the game came in the last 15 minutes after he'd gone off. I've been shot down on here for apparently disrespecting him and saying he's our real problem in midfield and I've been told I can't because he plays for Liverpool and their success is proof that he should be a starter for us for the foreseeable future. My eyes don't lie to me, he completed 26 passes in 71 minutes, just four more than Keita who played just 8. In addition to this, he's been either subbed or dropped in their last 4 games and he offered nothing today. Midfield should be Winks-RLC/Barkley- Maddison/Grealish. RLC or Barkley would offer the same physicality as Henderson with the added benefit of actually offering something when in possession.
Balance is important. I can't see a midfield of Winks+Barkley+RLC working very well. Winks+Henderson+Grealish/Maddison/RLC or Rice+Winks+Grealish/Maddison/RLC would be my choice.
I agree balance is important but at this stage, all Henderson seems to offer is workrate and legs. I agree that having a pure DM- Winks and then an attacking mid would work but I really don't get how Henderson provides balance in midfield. He offers nothing going forward, is poor in possession and is not even that good defensively as we've seen from the amount of goals we've been leaking. People say we're not playing to his strengths but the way I see it, it's his lack of quality that's to blame, not the way we're set up.
Exactly my man . Winks is a no 8 like paul scholes was for man united . Tottenham fans at the moment are very unhappy with him as they don't think he is a good enough holding midfielder to play for Tottenham. But what the idiots don't realise isthat Winks isn't a holding midfielder . And it is stupid of Pochettino to play him as no 6 . It would the same if man united play scholes as no 6 . He wouldn't have been able to do it and he wouldn't of been able to control the game with his passing like he did from his no 8 positon.
I don't agree with a pure DM . You don't need a pure DM.For example, Roy Keane wasn't a pure DM for Man United he could attack as well, that's why he was such a great player .Sean Longstaff for newcastle play's as a dm but he can attack as well, and he is very good on the ball .He is a much more complete midfielder than Rice. The way i see it, Southgate needs to drop henderson and rice . Play winks, longstaff and grealish in midfield and upfront play sterling kane and CHO. I think we would keep the ball much better and really get behind defences . In fact with that team, I think we would be a match for any team at the euros.
Hopefully Henderson will be dropped by Klopp because that's the only way that Southgate will drop him from the first eleven .
Yeah true, Busquets, although having dropped off has been widely regarded as the best in his position for the last 10 years and he's fantastic on the ball not only in terms of press resistance and retention but also in terms of his range of passing and ability to break the lines with it.
Rashford is more of a 2nd striker/winger than the CF ManU have had him playing IMO. I think that's why he's looked better for England than ManU. I'm sure others have seen this too but I thought Mourinho talking about Rashford as a No, 9 was interesting, at about 6:30 Playing with Kane, (or even Tammy Abrahams or someone else if Kane's injured), he can be a useful addition and maybe even better than Sancho. I just think he needs someone else to take some of the strain off him.