Speed down the wide areas? We had Mount there and he’s not exactly know for his pace! Sancho isn’t exactly lightning quick either fwiw.
He has his favourites and they are very obvious: 1. Jordan Pickford 2. Harry Kane 3. Marcus Rashford 4. Raheem Sterling To a lesser extent: 1. Jordan Henderson 2. Declan Rice 3. Mason Mount The issue is... the top 3, well Kane has good club form but in general their performances leave ALOT to be desired. Mount's playing well for England and Chelsea so no issue, Henderson meh and Rice is getting better but still meh. The Rashford thing I don't get. He's been poor for a year now. Post injuries after the manchester derby he's been very low work rate, very risk averse and runs down a blind alley way too often.
I don't really know what the other guys are on about regarding how good or bad a side Denmark are. You're clearly a decent side. What I DO know, however, is that the ref got fooled repeatedly by your guys play-acting and screeching like a bunch of schoolgirls every time anyone got near them and that, together with multiple fouls against ours never getting called, meant the decisions nearly ALL went one way. That was a significant factor in the result IMO. YMMV of course
We've always found tons of good reasons not to play flair players in England. It's very english. Championship not a problem for Phillips but it is for Grealish ? He started once, vs Wales, and was MOTM. The issue with Southgate is much deeper than just the way he's treating Grealish though.
Denmark has just recently changed NT coach and the performances have not looked all too good, with the tactical changes being made and new players being tested, but still 39 games in a row with only 1 loss which was in the new NT coach debut game against Belgium and his 2nd game in charge being the 0-0 at home against England last month.
Really not a good time to step in Ceres. Fair enough but don't now. We're all at teetering point in here.
Yeah, I mentioned that and, on a personal level I agree... it's admirable in some ways. I'm just saying that, usually, players who are going to be world class aren't playing in the championship when they're in their early 20's because a 'big club' has come in and bought them. That tells me that all the big clubs, (who don't care about a players nationality after all), didn't see him, at that point, as liable to become a huge star in an offensive position, (midfielders are different, obviously... we've never been blessed with them so have to take what we can). Hey... I hope they're wrong for England's sake, obviously I'm just saying it's not the usual situation.
Hang on. Had to run out to take the teenager to the game shop. I take it Southgate had a different view on the game to us?
What are the main question for me is: why is it regardless of manager or formation are we terrible at transition? why are England’s midfielders for the last 40 years or more... crap? Like there’s nothing there regardless of ability? Why do we always pick safe risk averse managers who are good with the media but poor on the field?
But he was the defensive midfielder, wasn't he? That's where he seemed to be playing anyway. Usually the flair players, if they're seen as a threat, are snapped up by a top club by the time they're approaching the mid 20's. This kid hasn't yet, for whatever reason.
Our play was excellent, we showed great graft and our performance with 10 men was as good as it gets.
Feel sorry for reece james. He was superb. Levels above trent. Now he will miss a key game in Belgium when we could do with him. The ref should have taken the verbal assault on the chin because he must have know he was awful.
Clubs are extremely cautious. Carrick went down with West Ham and nobody wanted him at the time. Drogba was a very late boomer. We can debate about it all day long, but Grealish is quality and it would be a shame not to use him right now. He might pick up an injury and never come back, he might lose his legs, I don't think we're good enough to afford not to use him. ps : he almost joined Spurs, Pochetino wanted him but Levy didn't want to pay.
Southgate is a massive hypocrite. Says players have to be playing in the PL yet starts Phillips straight away before he plays a PL game? if I try and take my anger away and reason with all the issues for a second.. 1. Im not really sure why Phillips is all of a sudden first choice in midfield. He’s a worse version of Winks and hasn’t got PL experience. Winks wasn’t even in the squad today? Why does Mount not play in midfield? I actually like Mount but as a midfielder NOT out of position on the wing.. we have so many good wide attacking players, it’s like the days of Hodgson picking Milner as a RM. 2. Rice - he is a worse version of Dier, and cannot control the ball or pass. I could almost understand if Southgate wanted one player to clean up in midfield but why on earth is he playing such a poor CM pairing. I don’t understand how he expects to service our attack 3. RBS playing at LB - no further comment needed, just ridiculous. 4. not rotating players - why does Walker, Rice, Mount, Rashford start and play most of the game with only 2 days recovery? What’s the point with such a large squad 5. Taking far too long to make changes - he never makes a sun before 65-70 mins and it is always a sh*t like for like change. Why put DCL on the wing.. madness!! 6. playing out of form players - why is Maguire starting ahead of PL winning Gomez? Why is Walker playing as a CB? 7. seriously what is his problem with Grealish? It’s embarrassing the excuses he is making now, anybody who can’t see that he is being stupidly stubborn now must be blind There is so much more I could rant about but honestly this international break has made me angry, and I’m even more angry as I know that Southgate will continue with this. He is such a f** king moronic manager, I can’t believe we have managed to hire and pay millions to this absolute clown, I genuinely believe that most people on the street could organise a better tactical plan than Southgate.
This is what I find odd with Southgate and the FA! I remember listening to Southgate on the radio with Dan Ashworth at the time talking about the importance of the English DNA strategy and developing players who can create, have skill, play in tight spaces etc but now fast forward a few years, Southgate doesn’t seem to believe in what he originally preached and has become obsessed with a defensively safe set up, lacking with imagination and creativity.
Biggest problem is that we attack slowly No one picks up the ball and drives forward with it. No directness. So ponderous. Grealish would have have helped. Barnes would help Sancho has been anonymous recently
Congrats on the win, you deserved it. Don’t take offence on here, people are just pissed off with our inept manager at the moment and his delusional grandeur’s.
I think TAA will be fine playing at right back in a normal back four line what he’s used to, just not in the current system, don’t think he’s adapting to it and he’s not alone in that system.
Good. The debate should be why does Rashford start every single game regardless of even playing, but Jack Grealish has to jump every hoop possible just to make the bench. He's a massive hypocrite, an opportunist stealing a living.
You make some valid points .. Southgate’s after match interview and explanation was almost Trump-like !! The media will slaughter him tomorrow.. not for our performance but his after match ramblings ..