England Senior National Team General Discussion Thread

Plus Italian tax rules mean they are best placed to get close to his obscene wages. Personally I think the contract that United gave him is a big part of the problem. It’s also interesting that United were able to sign him unopposed. Pep had issues with him and so did Dortmund, although they tolerated his tardiness. Southgate didn’t really fancy him either and there were rumours that his performances in England training were not up to scratch.

 

Ward - Prowse and Bowen start for West Ham. Earthy, Ings, Mubama, Johnson and Scarles are on the bench.
Mee, Lewis - Potter and Toney start for Brentford. (Baptiste) is on the bench.

Wilson, Thomas, Kitching, Bidwell and Simms start for Coventry. Blinks, O’Hare, Godden, Lusala and Bell are on the bench,
Brown, Fowler, Sole, Corne and Bone start for Maidstone. Ezennolim, Earle, Court, Smith, Gurung and Iandolo are on the bench,

 

Jarrod Bowen has had his Weetabix 😂

— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) February 26, 2024

Two goals for Bowen within the first 8 mins,

 

Bowen playing CF and has aready scored 2

 

Nice play from Brentford to get 1 back.

 

Lewis Potter and Tony having good games.

 

Hatrick for Bowen.

 

I really don't think Bowen is good enough to be an international player. Some players just can't step up. What I've seen of him at international level he looks lost at times

 

Sancho will be in the mls or Saudi next year

his head is not right

 

The Talksport commentators are saying at this very moment that Bowen is a shoe in for the Euros on this form.

 

Who is the backup to Saka? Foden? Rashford?

 

Who are you going to drop to accommodate him, Fireburn? Saka or Foden?

 

Talksports says that about every English player who has a good game, so they can complain when they don't get in the squad.

 

Rashford and Grealish are not in as good form as Bowen.

 

Pep Guardiola on @JackGrealish prior to injury: "He started a little late, but in the last month he's back. That’s why he played an important #UCL game in Copenhagen... But unfortunately it was a setback after 10 or 15 minutes, but he recovered quick and he’s back."

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) February 26, 2024

Pep Guardiola on @JackGrealish's potential impact: "Hopefully the impact he had last season, it depends on him... And all of them... And we need him. He has a special quality for #ManCity, we need him. It depends on him, and hopefully he can do a good last three months.”

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) February 26, 2024

Agreed. In the absence of many stellar CB options (that Southgate actually rates) and in the face of injuries, having a guy playing at a very high level this season that can be your "swing defender" (cover the entire backline) is an incredibly valuable tournament squad pick https://t.co/lL0jTlO6Xp

— Sam Tighe (@stighefootball) February 26, 2024

 

PL- Week 26
PL English Players of the Match - Week 26
Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Phil Foden - Bournemouth v Manchester City
Bukayo Saka - Arsenal v Newcastle
Jarrod Bowen - West Ham v Brentford

Pl English players of their Club - Week 25
Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa
Morgan Gibbs - White - Nottingham Forest
Jarrad Branthwaite - Everton
James Trafford - Burnley
Harry Maguire - Manchester United
Phil Foden - Manchester City
Bukayo Saka - Arsenal
Jarrod Bowen - West Ham


BBC Sport English players of the Match - Week 25
Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Lewis Dunk - Brighton v Everton
Adam Wharton - Crystal Palace v Burnley
Phil Foden - Bournemouth v Manchester City
Bukayo Saka - Arsenal v Newcastle

BBC Sport English players of their Club - Week 25
Ollie Watkins - Aston Villa
Lewis Dunk - Brighton
Jarrad Branthwaite - Everton
Adam Wharton - Crystal Palace
Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire - Manchester United
Dominic Solanke - Bournemouth
Phil Foden - Manchester City
Bukayo Saka - Arsenal
Joe Willock - Newcastle
James McAtee - Sheffield United
Keane Lewis - Potter - Brentford

Second and third places

Pl - Lewis Dunk, Jordan Pickford, James Tarkowski, John Stones, Declan Rice, Joe Willock, Jayden Bogle
BBC - Morgan Gibbs - White, Danny Welbeck, Charlie Taylor, John Stones , Declan Rice, Dan Burn, Rhian Brewster

This week’s PL goal involvements.

Goals
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Morgan Gibbs - White (Nottingham Forest)
Lewis Dunk (Brighton)
Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton)
Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Joe Willock (Newcastle)
Jarrod Bowen x 3 (West Ham)

Assists
Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa)
Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Dan Burn (Newcastle)
Keane Lewis - Potter (Brentford)


League Cup Final
Chelsea
2. Gallagher - 5.13
3. Palmer - 5.05
5. Colwill - 4.73
7. Chilwell - 4.61
10. Sterling - 4.30
13 Madueke - 3.68
15. Chalobah - 3.45

Unused - Bettinelli, Gilchrist, Gee

Liverpool
4. Elliott - 7.35
6. Quansah - 7.33
8. Danns - 7.07
10. McConnell- 7.02
14.Gomez - 6.80
15. Clark - 6.76

Unused - Nyoni.

 

Rashford and Grealish are both left-sided options, not sure I've ever even seen Bowen play on the left. If Bowen goes it's probably gonna be instead of either Saka or Foden which we know won't happen.

You could shoehorn Bowen in by taking him instead of Maddison and taking Foden as a midfielder but given Southgate only wants to use Foden in the front three it'd be a waste of a space because Bowen would see no game time.

 

Bowen is an interesting one. He's certainly making a strong case to be included in the final squad. Is he a better footballer than Rashford or Grealish? No. Has he had a far better season than them? Yes. England haven't got very far in the past just picking players on reputation or who they play for. Rashford looks to me like he needs a summer off, his head seems all over the place, and he doesn't look interested. Southgate might actually be doing him a favour not picking him. Grealish is a fantastic footballer but coming off the back off a mediocre season, he's a 50/50 for me at the moment. I guess it depends if Southgate decides to take both Palmer and Maddison as that would leave fewer spaces.

I think at this moment Bowen deserves to go but he's unfortunate that there is a lot of competition in that part of the pitch.

 

As a winger wide/forward I'd agree but I'd expect him to be used as a centre forward more going forward and could be an interesting option there. It's always seemed to me that he's very good at scoring goals but his all round game is lacking. Centre forward could be the right position for him.

 

The sudden calls for Bowen to be picked feel like another kneejerk reaction from the very same people who want James Ward-Prowse selected every time he scores from the penalty spot.

Where were those calls when, prior to the Brentford game, West Ham were on a winless streak stretching back to December (a period in which Bowen scored just once)? Or when they were getting stuffed 6-0 by Arsenal at home in the previous game? Or when Bowen was floundering once more in an England shirt in an insipid performance against Australia?

 

Neither Bowen or Ward Prowse are good enough for the England squad but that won't stop Southgate from picking them.

 

I’m sure he could play as good on the left as Rashford on current form and actually look happier doing so. Rashford is unpopular at the moment and like Phillips can he cope with the potential of being booed and being a figure for discontent with the squad selection. (Rashford is also a major target of press criticism as well). Maguire and Grealish seem to be able to cope with criticism better. Southgate has to take how the unpopularplayers react to criticism into account.

 

Crazy numbers 🤯

No one else gets close to Jordan Pickford when it comes to passes into the opposition box 🚀 pic.twitter.com/XJz1bcu54s

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 26, 2024

Chelsea hope to sell defender Trevoh Chalobah, 24, and Albania forward Armando Broja, with the futures of England midfielder Conor Gallagher, 24, and Spain left-back Marc Cucurella, 25, also in doubt as they look to make major changes this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required)

England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, 25, is keen to leave Arsenal in the summer after losing his place to Spain goalkeeper David Raya, 28. (Football Insider)

Tottenham are leading the chase for in-demand Hull City sensation Jaden Philogene, 22, although Aston Villa have a buyback clause for the England Under-21s winger. (Teamtalk)

England youth international Omari Forson,19, could leave Manchester United this summer, with the attacking midfielder out of contract at Old Trafford. (Athletic - subscription required)

 

He absolutely couldn't, Rashford hasn't been bad at all this season, he's been turned into a massive scapegoat. Prior to Hojlund's injury he had some very impressive performances.

Angles matter for players and trying to shoehorn players into unnatural positions just so you can take all the players who you think are in the best form regardless of overall quality is not a rational way to pick a squad.

It's the same thing every week. The calls for JWP to be in the England squad have died down massively but he's exactly the same player he was at the start of the season and his all round game hasn't got worse or better. Same with Longstaff who people were so adamant was being robbed of a place.

It's the social media era and a player's quality can only be analysed through goals and assists.

 

The Athletic have an article about the English XL’s for every PL team and the Aston Villa reporter has said Southgate was booed at Villa partly because Villa fans think he is biased again Watkins and Konsa.