England Senior Team General Discussion Thread

Bellingham might be the answer if we want balance.

 

He's one of my favourite players but I do agree that Henderson should start being phased out of the 'first central midfielder' off the bench role. He's never really replicated his Liverpool performances in an England shirt.

 

We really missed philips energy in midfield yesterday and Maguires forward thinking. I was harsh on saka looking back. Hes a talent but hes easily subdued.

 

I just don't understand the Grealish sub at all. He clearly doesn't trust him at all. Absolutely ridiculous decision. I hope he doesn't extend his contract.

 

Same ... it’s an absolute tragedy that we have bladdy Southgate in charge of such an amazing group of players ... and for the World Cup as well !!

Such a wasted opportunity

 

Hes Done a good job so far so some of the criticism over him is over the top. Its just his in game management that's the problem

 

He was rubbish last night, but it's the first qualifier he has failed to score in since September 2017.

Players are allowed bad games and bad spells - Kane is in one but usually comes up trumps for England

 

Kane was poor v Poland but he scored a worldie that's what u get from him. Hes indispensable when fully focused

 

That’s probably the most important part !!!!

 

We don't know how to attack.

Look at the stars we have on the field, if I have to hazard a guess... outside of Andorra and San Marino.. we're extremely poor at chance creation and worse at clear cut chances. Our goals tend to be from Free kicks, corners and whipped crosses. There's very little intricacy.

With these players we shouldn't be looking too far away from a Man City style of play genuinely. Do I think I'm over the top? With how deep and how talented/technical our squad is? Not really, is it something we should aspire to? Yes. Let's try and move to a tiki taka style of play. Be entertaining. We're boring to watch. Very efficient, but I feel a bit like solskjaer when the going gets tough late on, he'll get found out and so will the tactics.

 

Rashford's return will be a big plus for us. Will be a great impact sub.

 

Yes. This is international football in 2021, thestandards are nothing liek club football now with infinite budgets, ability to recruit throughout the world and months and months on the training ground perfecting things with depth in every position.

John Stones can't get in the Man City side, Harry Maguire wouldn't and then behind them it's a steep drop to Mings, Coady etc. SO building from the back like they do is straight away impossible.

 

Teden Mengi trained with the seniors during the international break.

 

I agree with ur post but stones can't get in as he was injured so he has to regain his place. Maguire is a top centreback. We have alot of young talented defenders like tomori konsa gomez so its not a bad position

 

Brendan Rodgers is the clear favourite to get the Newcastle job .. we should step in quick and get him for England !!

Bet the new owners at Newc wouldn’t look twice at Gareth

 

Rodgers would be great for England. Would love him.

 

Gomez was really good before his injury but can't get in the Liverpool team now - clearly a talent and still young but needs to play. I like Konsa a lot but Southgate still hasn't given him a go. Tomori going to Milan was a great move, he could be part of the future.

I think he needs to move away from players like Mings and Coady who are ok and never let England down but are limited and bring through some of the younger CBs like Konsa, Tomori, White. All good ball playing CBs and all young so can grow into the team ready to take over when Maguire and Stones call it a day.

 

Good article from Henry Winter here, I will copy and paste as it’s subscription based.


Jack Grealish is incisive and creative for England — so why can’t he win over Gareth Southgate?

Henry Winter
, Chief Football Writer
Thursday October 14 2021, 12.01am BST, The Times

The doubts that Gareth Southgate may still harbour over Jack Grealish — and withdrawing him against Hungary raised many eyebrows and a few heckles — need setting against the perspective of the finest managerial mind of the past decade: Pep Guardiola.

The Manchester City manager so admires Grealish’s ability to retain possession under pressure, find team-mates with a threaded pass and inspire all around with his imagination and character that he urged Manchester City to spend £100 million on him. And Grealish will only get better under Guardiola.

And under Southgate? Speaking generally of England’s disappointing performance in the 1-1 draw at Wembley on Tuesday, Southgate said: “It is for me to resolve why we weren’t able to be a little bit more creative.” Yet he took off England’s most creative player on the night.


Southgate’s decision to withdraw Grealish during the draw against Hungary raised many eyebrows
CARL RECINE/REUTERS
The England manager added: “We turned down some opportunities to be more incisive.” Not Grealish. Hungarian fouls reflected Grealish’s attacking threat and he won the free kick from which Phil Foden delivered for John Stones to equalise. Grealish also played an incisive pass back to Luke Shaw for a cross which Raheem Sterling should have converted.

“We were losing the ball a bit too easily, too cheaply,” Southgate said. Not Grealish. He shielded it well, prepared to take a kicking to hold on to it, and largely used it shrewdly. “When we were losing it we were out of position and too open,” Southgate continued. Grealish was quick to cover on the left, helping out Shaw, his full back.

Grealish is not in Foden’s precocious class but if Guardiola rates him so highly, that is some testament. Already it is apparent that Grealish channels his skills more effectively, still entertaining but now more for the benefit of the team, winning fouls or releasing team-mates, even if this has not been totally evident yet in all his work for City, including one goal and an assist in seven league appearances.

He plays for Guardiola on the left, meaning Foden is largely more central, despite a prodigious performance against Liverpool on the left, and Sterling often on the bench. Guardiola loves what Grealish can bring, and will bring more of.


Grealish is one of England’s most creative players but needs to show more of a goal threat
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND
But where does the 26-year-old fit in Southgate’s plans? Even though Southgate last week praised Grealish’s improved “consistency, end product”, noting how his work “out of possession” has also been enhanced under Guardiola, the England manager has never completely dispelled the impression that he has still to be fully convinced by Grealish.

England fans love him, and his name is among those of Southgate’s squad that garners the most cheers. Grealish also has the dubious honour of being, along with Harry Kane and Harry Maguire, the star of a very unofficial England scarf. Fans like his approach to the game, and his approach to life, saying he would be a booker at a nightclub in Ibiza if he had not made it as a footballer.

Before the game, Grealish posted video of his finishing in training first with his right instep, then outside of the boot and then heel with the caption “Shooting boots on” and he does need to show more of a goal threat. He has 16 goals and 17 assists in 103 Premier League games.

Yet he showed his quick thinking and good control with his goal against Andorra on Saturday. While acknowledging the poor nature of the opposition, Grealish still had to assess swiftly the possibilities, run on to Sam Johnstone’s clever throw (the pair having trained together at Aston Villa) and then ride the challenges, turn inside and shoot. England fans loved that.

One person, replying to Grealish’s “shooting boots” tweet, echoed the sentiments of many: “I’m a West Brom fan so I’ve gotta hate him but I’m a football fan — gotta love him.”

The fans love him, but does Southgate? In fairness to Southgate, any debate about whether Grealish should start for England needs the context of an array of able alternatives.

Fitness permitting, and assuming he perseveres with the 4-2-3-1 system he seems to favour, the identity of nine of Southgate’s starting XI can be guessed with some confidence: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips; Sterling and Kane.

It is in the front four (and right back) that Southgate has most food for thought. Sterling and Kane are guaranteed starters, leaving wide left and No 10 to be filled. The precocious Foden pushes Mason Mount, a Southgate favourite, for the free role behind Kane. On the fertile left, Southgate could start any of Foden, Sterling, Mount, Bukayo Saka or Jadon Sancho, with Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to return.

So any campaign for Grealish’s inclusion from the start needs placing in the context of formidable rivals. Yet if Southgate was removing players on their contribution for an hour against Hungary then Grealish would have been one of the last to get hooked. He was clearly a player Hungary were concerned about given that three of them fouled him. Mount, Kane or Sterling could have been taken off before Grealish. The problem for Grealish is that he can really play only one position, the left, so cannot be moved elsewhere, and Southgate wanted more pace out wide (his replacement, Saka, went right and Sterling switched left).

Grealish looked annoyed at being withdrawn and that is how it should be. He wants to play. He feels he can influence games. He loves playing. He should be frustrated, even angry, at being taken off. That does not mean any dissent towards Southgate, simply a desire to play. A few England fans voiced their disapproval of the manager’s decision.

Again, perspective needs applying. England are moving towards World Cup qualification, having reached the semi-finals and final of their past two tournaments under Southgate. But the manager also has the strongest group of players to call on, certainly in depth of talent, in the past two decades, and the likes of Grealish, Foden and company should be competing for trophies.

 

Why can't grealish play in the middle? Its a fallacy he can't. He has the technique vision etc. If foden can do it so can grealish

 

Thanks for the post Marcho, I don't have a sub so appreciate that. I think its a great article, eloquently explains the bizarre situation Grealish finds himself in convincing enough for Pep and for city to spend 100 m, but not trusted by Southgate. Even on nights where he is clearly our best attacking player. I don't agree he can only play on the left though and pace isn't always the answer. Nothing worked for us when he came off. But no lessons will be learnt. None at all.

 

Kane criticism is just OTT.
He is clearly out of form and had so many issues with Tottenham. I believe none of players should play unless they are 100% ready (only players in past that i would almost always play were Wilshere and Scholes and it was due to their style and uniqueness just as much to their quality) and it is Southgate's fault not Kane's that we always play him, even when he is clearly out of form like now, or tired like was the case at the end of Euros or WC.
I think he is just having a bad spell which is hardly surprising considering all that happened and hopefully soon will be back to his best which means being our best striker also.
Only one that can provide some serious competition to fit Kane in near future is Abraham imo.

 

Abraham??

He has potential but I’d have Villa’s Watkins ahead of him tbh

 

I also like Watkins, he is a good player, did well for England also too not confident he will ever develop in a England regular while I think Abraham might. His move to Roma is excellent from England POV imo.

 

I really rate Abraham and im extatic he got that move to roma because he's a good player. But, I'm gonna stick my neck out and say I think Watkins is a better striker then him. If Watkins was playing for a more 'big name' club, I think he'd be England's number 2 striker behind kane.
That's just my opinion though.