England Senior National Team General Discussion Thread

Newcastle are contemplating signing Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly, 25, this summer. (Mail)

Liverpool are set to offer England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, 25, a new long-term deal. (Football Insider)

Liverpool are monitoring Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, 26, for a potential move this summer. (Mail)

 

My feeling is that Jones is ahead of Mainoo at the moment. The former will get called up with the latter in the 21s

 

I think it will be good if Southgate could announce it with the squad otherwise they will just be a day of talk about how he has been snubbed and predictions he will switch to Ghana.

For some reason Curtis Jones doesn’t get much hype.

 

For goodness sake, why? Is Kobbie Mainoo so remarkable in your eyes that the FA has to change its selection announcement procedure to excuse the fact he's not been selected? And what evidence do you have to keep saying he's liable to switch to Ghaha?

 

Southgate has done so before when he has said someone will be the U21’s instead of the seniors.

 

You need to stop panicking/speculating about dual nationals who haven't given any indication they are switching.

 

We shouldn't be cap tying players at 18 just on the off chance they'll play for someone else.

 

Fireburn makes me look passive compared to him regarding duel nationals. Wtf would mainoo switch to Ghana? They're in a terrible state

 

How many midfielders do we think Southgate will take to Germany? I think he's been really light on the midfield selections in the past, even in non-tournament squads, and tends to go heavier on defenders and forwards. I've always felt that's quite self-defeating since defensive rotations are much more rare and we have such a variance of midfield archetypes.

To Qatar he took Rice, Jude, Hendo, Phillips, Gallagher & Mount with 26-man squads, so with three fewer places it wouldn't shock me if he only took five midfielders - something like Rice, Bellingham, Henderson, Gallagher & Trent.

He did also take Maddison to Qatar and will likely do so again here, but I'm not sure to what extent he ever actually plans on using him in midfield in a competitive game.

 

I would think he will take the 5 you mentioned (or a like for like replacement e.g. Jones for Gallagher) with Foden, and Maddison/Palmer also considered able to play centrally. Notably we used Foden centrally in both games of the last break, and he's been used centrally more often by Guardiola which has tended to be Southgate's reservation. I don't think there's really an issue with the numbers, it will be the personnel that will be an issue.

 

I think you're right, Horris. I can see Southgate going with just Rice, Bellingham, Henderson, Trent and Gallagher/Jones, with Maddison and Foden being chosen as attackers, but also capable of covering any midfield shortcomings. The versatility of those two, as well as Trippier, Trent and maybe Joe Gomez, should hopefully make selecting a 23 a little easier than in previous squads.

 

Pickford
Ramsdale
Johnstone

Walker
Trippier
Stones
Dunk
Maguire
Guehi
Shaw

Rice
Bellingham
Henderson
Phillips
TAA
Gallagher

Maddison
Rashford
Grealish
Saka
Foden

Kane
Toney


It'll be something like that I think. Maybe Jones or Palmer in for Phillips or Henderson at a stretch, or Pope for Johnstone or Ramsdale maybe if one of them doesn't get enough game time. I don't think Chilwell will be selected, he's looked very dodgy defensively, and Trippier can cover the position. Personally I would leave at least one of Henderson, Gallagher or Phillips at home, but I don't think Soutgate will.

Then again, if we stick with the same system we did in qualification, it'll be the first time in Southgate's tenure that we'd done that. Maybe we should expect a completely different shape for the tournament, in which case who knows who'll get called up.

 

I’d be a bit miffed if Curtis Jones wasn’t in the squad

 

I agree. Rice & Jude will play almost maximum minutes while Trent and Henderson will rotate for the 3rd spot with Gallagher getting a few minutes here and there.

That's exactly how I have it, but I think he'll take a 5th centre back instead of Phillips.

 

I'm shocked that everyone is so sure that Henderson is going to the Euros.

 

Unless we go back to the ugliness of the 3-4-3 (really a 5-2-3), I don't see him picking 5 centre backs for a 23 man squad. Of course, as Jenks mentioned, Southgate does have a tendency to shake up the formation at the last moment.

 

EXCLUSIVE 🚨 Kobbie Mainoo set for England promotion as Gareth Southgate rewards Man Utd star
✍️ @crossydailystarhttps://t.co/HXKsVFrGK9 pic.twitter.com/m2wVeZdIdS

— Daily Star Sport (@DailyStar_Sport) February 12, 2024

 

I wonder when the last time a team qualifies to the CL and no players make the England squad. Could happen with Villa.

 

I'd have Joe Gomez as the fourth centre back. He's played right right across the back four this season and been arguably the best English left back. So he could cover for Shaw and free up a spot elsewhere for a wildcard like Palmer, Gordon or Lewis.

 

Southgate has pretty much confirmed it with now he kept selecting him when playing in Saudi. Ajax are objectively a better tram and play in a better league so he is as safe as houses.

 

Really don’t get why Lewis should be in contention. He is not playing regularly at the moment and probably will only get minutes for the rest of the season against the weakest sides and/or when City are comfortably winning.

 

Ah, the good old Daily Star Sport. Scrap all those Euros squad predictions lads, the oracle of all oracles has spoken

 

Beyond clickbait that title, It says Southgate will recommend he be called up to the u21s for anyone who doesn’t want to read it. Of course take in with a massive grain of salt either way given the quality of the publication

 

But with the possibility he could he still end up in the seniors if he continues to impress.

 

I hope not. Maybe I'm being overly pessimistic but I just think it'd be on brand for him. I think even in a 26-man squad there's no need for five centre-backs but he still took five to Qatar when he could've instead taken Toney alongside Wilson, who in the event of a penalty shootout could've played a much bigger role in the tournament than Eric Dier or Ben White ever did.